Failing Music

[mopar]

Originally Posted by JustMe

Wow. I think this is complete garbage! Little to no work? Wow.

It was the directive given when students began getting pulled for interventions and support staff was taken away (no assistants for students who have high needs in elective classes). Classwork is allowed (as long as it is fun and easy...mostly coloring) but absolutely no homework! And we wonder why students go to high school and are in homework shock.

[JustMe]

I think that's a very sad situation, mopar.

I also think related arts classes in elementary are too often seen as only the regular teachers' planning times.

I don't believe any classes should be designed to make students' lives miserable, but to say a teacher should ensure it's fun and ask that they color is to poo poo all over that teacher's specialty.

[mopar]

JustMe---I completely agree with you.

[Caesar753]

It leads to a huge problem for students once they get to high school. They've just spent 3+ years taking classes that "don't really matter". Pass, fail, whatever. They still get moved along in grade level and content. That is, until they get to the 9th grade. There they are expected to master the material, at least at a minimal level. Students seem to be honestly and sincerely stunned when they realize that screwing around in class and never doing any work means that they have to retake the class next year. Our school focuses so heavily on credit retrieval because students don't seem to understand that they have to pass their classes the first time around...so they don't. That's why we have "seniors" with 6 credits on their transcripts.

This type of policy doesn't do anyone any good.

[KateL]

Originally Posted by Caesar753

It leads to a huge problem for students once they get to high school. They've just spent 3+ years taking classes that "don't really matter". Pass, fail, whatever. They still get moved along in grade level and content. That is, until they get to the 9th grade. There they are expected to master the material, at least at a minimal level. Students seem to be honestly and sincerely stunned when they realize that screwing around in class and never doing any work means that they have to retake the class next year. Our school focuses so heavily on credit retrieval because students don't seem to understand that they have to pass their classes the first time around...so they don't. That's why we have "seniors" with 6 credits on their transcripts.

This type of policy doesn't do anyone any good.

It's the same at schools around here, only we don't have seniors with 6 credits because they get bumped to the continuation schools. The freshmen don't seem to believe that there will be any consequences for failing. After all, there weren't any consequences for failing the previous 9 years of school (counting kindergarten). At least 1/3 of the students in each of my classes currently has an F. The administration doesn't like it, but as long as we can show that the students aren't making any effort at all, the grades can stand.

I wonder if this attitude is some of what the OP is seeing in her music classes?

[ATXMusic]

Kate, you're basically describing my situation. It's not a music class problem, it's an every class problem. Sometimes I wonder how these kids do when they're done with the 8th grade and have to move into an ISD high school. Unless the parent cares that they're failing, there's no consequence.

Speaking of parents, I had a parent do her two kid's take home test. She emailed asking if I had a website with the information. When asked about the situation, the kids finally admitted that mom did their homework. She got a 19 on it. Now her son is one of the students failing!

[tchr4evr]

After reading all these posts, I see that kids screwing around is a big problem everywhere. It just reminded me of my 11th graders. A few weeks ago, I was trying to go over material and I had a group of three boys in the back throwing paper balls and talking. I stopped the paper throwing, but the talking continued. I finally said, after separating them into different corners of the room, "Gentleman, when you get to college, you are not going to be able to act like this. Your professors will not tolerate it, even at .... (the local cc)" Their answer was "Oh no man, I have friends in college and they talk all class and don't do nothing. And we ain't going to no . . . Don't know where you went to school." I then stopped the conversation and tried to continue.

They really don't get that there are consequences. They really think they can do nothing and get by, even in high school.

[teach42]

You'll probably get in trouble or fired for failing too many students. Perhaps not if they don't need music class in order to graduate.

[ATXMusic]

Originally Posted by teach42

You'll probably get in trouble or fired for failing too many students. Perhaps not if they don't need music class in order to graduate.

Hopefully this isn't the case since 21 students earned failing grades in my class. I spent more of the break than I should have sifting through my bags, car, and anywhere else I might find an assignment to replace a zero. I came early to school this morning to make sure there were none left just sitting on my desk over Thanksgiving.

Seems to be the case that the kids who were sitting on high A's all did the assignment and now have over a 100. The kids who were all in low B and C territory blew the assignment off and got low C's and F's.

I told another teacher that I was shocked to have a 5% failure rate in my class. She responded that almost 40% of her students failed for the same reasons. They just refuse to turn in work. We'll see how it goes. Grades are posted and a number of them failed music.