A Look at Math in Language Arts

Let's say I give a writing assignment to students, a major report or essay. Suppose I spent 15 minutes reading and assessing this student work. This is not unreasonable for an assignment a student worked a long time on. Let's say I have 150 students. Five classes a day, 30 students per class.

How long will it take me to grade this assignment?

Approximately 37 1/2 hours.

This time for grading cannot be found during the school day with meetings, phone calls, planning, etc. Any wonder why teachers don't give research assignments or in-depth writing?

My students asked me why I didn't just flip through the pages to make sure it was there and then grade on the fact that it exists. My answer was that I've never taken the easy route and that their hard work warranted more attention than that.

Teachers have been asking for smaller classes for a long time. Teachers want to do a quality job teaching. Why are we never given the conditions and tools we need to do the kind of job that needs to be done?

Who?

Sick

I should have started this log at the beginning of the school year but who has time to record details and impressions with all the STUFF that is hurled your way beginning the first hour of returning to school. Since next year will be my last year teaching before another big life transition, maybe I will use this convenient blog to quickly add comments.

Today I'm home sick. Actually I was sick almost the entire spring break. I feel cheated. Not only was I sick but I didn't feel much like getting caught up on grading and planning for school. On the home front, the environment is in chaos and I had hoped to make some sense out of my daily disorder. And for my grad class, I had hoped to get a lot done also. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. So here I am, hacking (coughing) away and hurting in the chest.

I sent David in with updated seating charts and lesson plans. I hope everything eventually lands in the hands of the substitute, whoever it winds up being.

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I was just reminded of an e-mail that I received from Katie's mother. I had worked with Katie for two years before the enrichment program was pulled from the schools. She told me she had been cleaning out some old e-mail files and discovered Katie had completed an on-line survey about who she wanted to be like when she grew up. This poem comes from that communication:


Who?


A simple survey

A cliche question

Who do you want to be like

when you grow up?"


My name goes in the answer space.