It's high time I blog about something teaching related rather than all this vacation bragging. Today seven students were signed up to write the grade 10 literacy test. I have been holding preparation sessions after school for the students for the past month, with very poor attendance. The school admin selected the 7 students who were to write the test and pays $100 per student to EQAO (the Ontario body that administers the test). Only 3 of the 7 students showed up to write the test, which is sad for them since they need it to pass high school. A colleague of mine agreed to cover my classes for me today as well, and not one student showed up in all 3 classes. The other two high school teachers had no students at all for first period class as well. This is not for lack of good teachers, or effort, or incentives, or accommodations..
So, what is to be done? How do we solve the fact that education is at the bottom of the priority list in this, and most other First Nation communities? How do we get kids to come to school when we already start school at 9:45 am, offer them coffee and tea in class, give them wake up calls, give them second, third, fourth chances, and offer to come in on Saturdays to help them? It's a good thing that I am moving on next year because it is very easy to become disillusioned in a place like this. Don't get me wrong, there are a very select few students who come nearly every day and give their all to try to do well.
It could be the weather...a nice, sunny, 7 degrees today and also the fact that social assistance cheques came in. That may sound like a cynical comment, but it is actually a fact here that attendance is always extremely low when social assistance cheques come in, as people have to stand in line all day at the store in order to cash them by 5pm. Anyways it's hard to know what to do...but I will keep doing everything that I can for those student who are still attending.
Today held another frustration of a different sort. As you may know, I took in my dog Muffin as a stray earlier this year. A family on the island did have her for a time but they decided they didn't want her anymore and just tossed her outside. When I got her she was starving, terrified and had lice/fleas. The child of this family comes to my door from time to time asking to see Muffin and I let her visit with her since the irresponsibility had nothing to do with her. She came by today and asked if she could take her for a walk so her family could see her. I let her, and she came back 20 minutes later and said "My Mom and Uncle saw her and they want her back now." As she said this I must have made quite the face as I stifled the urge to say "ARE YOU F*CKING KIDDING ME?!!!" to an eight year old. So instead I said, "Well, no...that is not going to happen. I have put a lot of time, effort and money into taking care of her so she is mine now." She looked like she was going to cry, but what do I say to that?! I told her she could visit any time and to have Mom call me if she wants to talk about it.
I think that is all the complaining and ranting I have for you for today. Did I mention I miss Jamaica? Sigh
No comments:
Post a Comment