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First, let me encourage you to hang in there, even from the end of your rope. It appears that you possess lots of teaching strategies (especially for a teacher in her first year), you are dedicated to helping your students, and you have experienced colleagues with whom to share ideas. Each of these is a positive, despite the fact that you are faced with a quite distressing lack of success.

Are the students in your school successful in other subjects? If so, talking with those teachers might be helpful. Because math progress must build on a strong foundation of prior skills, is it possible that your students are not trying because they believe they aren't capable due to a lack of that foundation? Like you, I believe in high expectations for achievement, but that cannot happen if the skills are beyond their reach. Even if trying is the only requirement, it is hard for students to be motivated if they don't expect to catch on. (I was a relatively poor math student until I was in college and took a remedial class where I discovered that I lacked the building blocks. When I understood those, I progressed to being an average to slightly below average math student, which was a big improvement for me!)

I do not have alternative high school experience, so I hope others will chime in. But my impression is that you might be dealing with a systemic issue. Are the goals of this alternative school clear? Do the students recognize their presence there as an opportunity to succeed or are they there to fill space until they age out and the system doesn't have to count them as dropouts? Alternative school should not be a place where there are no requirements for attendance. In fact, I believe those in my area have quite strict requirements for attendance, and students deal with an officer of the court system if they are absent without cause.

I wish you well as you continue to find solutions.

God bless you Kate you are so uplifting and possitive in your comments.  As an English teacher I have seen an explosion of behavior that has changed so much over the last 35 years for the worse.  A high school alternative high school classroom teacher told me the thing that works for her is to get to know each student.  They have been threatened and are wanting hope against hope that they can actually pass.  They need some one to care so much.  They as Kate said early don't have a lot of the building blocks.  They are required as u know to master certain state standards for graduation.  For that you need to tell them that you understand that some of the steps may be missing and u r going to go back and do a review so they can learn them.  My giving them things they can suceed in like addition, substraction, multiplication and division you see where they start to fail then enter the scary world of percents, fractions and decimals. I never got that no matter how ofter I was tutored. Algebra I took 6 times to pass CBEST.  It never stays in my brain.  Some 4th, 5th and 6th grade pre algebra they can get though.  Keep showing and telling them that u care.  Boy do they need that.  Thank you  for taking these kids on.  I know it can be a war zone.  Control and classroom disapline can be achieved and academic performance will follow. Please hang in there on this year of hell.  I used to come home in tears too!

Thank you for the kind comments.

Jane: I try my best to have positive relationships with my students. Some students automatically disliked me due to the subject I teach. I have won several of those students over.

I know that many of the students lack the foundation to higher math skills. I did start the year doing review in all my classes, but it was a review of basic algebraic concepts and only for the first 2 weeks. How can I stay on the foundational level when the classes I'm teaching are Algebra II and Geometry? I can't give them credit when we only covered basic math in the course.

As a result of the spring SBA, all juniors (and those that will be juniors this spring) are enrolled in an interventions class designed to teach them the basic skills they may be lacking. Since I teach only sophomores and juniors, most of them are in this class. I teach 2 of these classes. They do not want to do the work in those classes either. And those are the classes that I am given the most creative freedom in. It seems to me that the students shutdown if they are expected to do something different or outside the box, but when given worksheets, they complain that they are bored.

 

I have a feeling that my classroom management is to blame. In the effort to make them feel respected and appreciated, I may have become too friendly. Many do not listen to me.I am thinking that next semester I may try many of the ideas for rewards and consequences that I found on this website such as 50/50 and "Is this right?" cards and perhaps have classes that constantly talk earn a 1-2 minutes detention during the following passing period.

Thoughts on any of the above?

Kate: Most students at my school are failing most of their classes. Many students demand to receive credit with little to no work ("Can't you just give me 100% on it", "just pass me", "how much for an A"). I suggest that expecting credit with no work is like expecting to be paid for no work. This is when I found out that, sadly, many of my students are planning to go on welfare to do just that. Some students are excelling at all other subjects except math, but this is not the norm according to the English and history teachers.

The goals for the school are not clear to the students. Many are only attending because they can't yet dropout, are waiting to turn 18 so they can apply for a GED, or are forced to attend by court order (there is no stipulation that they must be a good student). My principal tells them that they have the "right to fail".

Students also think that because this a an "Alternative" school, that they do not have to work and can just skate though. If one more students uses the label on the school as an excuse for poor work, I'm going to scream. They tell me I make things difficult because I expect them to follow the rules.

They want things easy: let me come in 15 minutes late, talk while you are teaching, not do the assignment, expect help on quizzes and tests, and just give me an A. If I do not do one of the above I am not doing my job as they see it. If I don't help on quizzes and tests I am informed "It's your job to teach me, so teach me". What can I say in response because "I already did, take out your notes" causes some students to use expletives and cause me to remove them from class? If I don't help them they feel it is okay to look at other student's papers to "get help" because I wouldn't help them. Who taught them that this was okay?!?!

Darn this is the 3rd time I've typed this  Hang in there it's almost Thanksgiving.  My friend an alternative teacher says the trick is to keep them all on the same assignment regardless of the level.  That is babysitting.  Maybe that's all u can do.

Howerver, I have another possibility which involves a lot of work to suggest.  I have poor classroom management skills  as well and after 5 years I do my best not to yell, then I've lost it and they have won.  I see red I get so angry.

What does work is to talk to students one one one, make behavior and schievement contracts.  Calling parents and conferences never worked.  they may hate you because of the subject but math is hard.  sTILL THEY NEED IT AND YOU AS A TEACHER AND MENTOR NOT A FRIEND.  They hate English too, and we who love out subjects can't understand that. 

 

I propose something we did in the 70's.  They were very popular.  Individual instruction units" provided a pre aand post test and interior instruction on all those building blocks they slept through.  They can pick  up the bound, laminated booklet and go though the lesson they need do the tests, check the answers in the back so they have immediate feedback and can go on to the next.  This will take a lot of premininary work on your part but they can be duplicated and help with classroom control a lot because they can work on their own at the own levels. 

You can still teach to the 2-3 that are actually on target.  The ones telling you they are bored are really just stuck.  Once they get it they can move forward to the next.

God bless us every one! Hang in there!! Take some time for u, have a massage and relax.  Tears help detox but the level of frustration is so high. I know

Oops, my mistake. Of course students who don't pass are still counted as dropouts. Not sure what I was thinking when I wrote that. I appreciate the comments and suggestions from those with high school experience! Any more of you out there with helpful advice? Any ideas about how to address the fact that the goals of this school are not clear to the students? This sounds like a big root problem to me.

Roswalien, I'm wondering if you could locate a local person who took proper advantage of their alternative school opportunity, graduated, and created a decent life for him/herself? Maybe that person would be willing to talk to your students.

There r teachers here that have perfect control of their students here.  Sorry I can't duplicate their results.  All they say when asked is it's all about knowing and caring about the kids.as if,  The closest I can come is to have them running on a routine that they can all be on their level and occupied.  When they come in if you can train they to come in and take a 5 min worksheet of problems, to get them focused and settled down.  Then u can quickly review them and move on.  You can then take 5 min. to tell them what to do that day and have a schedule on the board.  Those that need the remedial units can go for thise independantly and the self programmed units can even be used for your whole class of Algebra and Geometry.  There are 3 books used for remedial community college, that was me and we sat and plowed through the books until we could pass the content.  You may be able to use thise as a model.  The hardest thing is always one on one when the rest of the class is otherwise occuplied.  We have a need to control the rest.  If you need to assign paints in addition to grades and I know you do, other than pizza and pot luck, some kind of ladder of achievement  might work, if it's not too low.  Mine would be.  Rewards of mechanical pencils and pens from vendors or we have a raft, teacher's freebee place would help. Hope so, I'll ask around....

Hi!  My name is Katherine.  I teach English/reading to 7th grade students this year.  I am having the same problem.  Many of my students don't listen to me.  Most of the time they will sit in their groups and talk.  I know one thing I should do.... change seats.  I must, MUST separate the friends.  

Also calling parents works semi well for me. Most of the time students whose parents I have contacted will come into class and act appropriately for 1 day or at least 2 or 3 days of the week. (We teach on the A/B Block schedule).  

Maybe you should try to assign seats permanately, or at least until YOU can change them.  Also, try contacting parents either by phone or mail.  If you use mail, make sure you use school stationary and the school address.  I hope this helps you.  Also think about those strategies you use.  Use this Thanksgiving holiday to get them together .  

I do have a question for you.... Do you grade an give back their work? (Make sure you keep a folder of their work so parents will know what their child is doing/not doing in class).  Do you, when you give the work back, discuss the work with the children?  You could also mention the students or their work (Example:  This student got this problem right because they did ....)  You don't have to mention their names to protect their privacy.  Also post good work on the wall; a data sheet or student work.  Or give numbers to students ( privately) and post this information.   Give students something fun to do with their math work, something that you can post on the wall.  I hope this helps.  I am going to try some of the same things.  Let's keep our fingers crossed......

Hi Katherine

Regular school v alternative school is different.  Yes, the seating for you has to change NOW.  Posting their work can hurt the student and embarass them in this situation.  Having a binder or folder would be good.  Requiring one better, if, you could make them use one.  Parents are mostly out of the loop already here.  Students don't hate her because of what she teaces or how it's because they do't want to be there and the attitude is part of the age.

There was an excellent discussion from master teachers, a program I never went through.  I see I should have.  It discusses the way they got so good and some tricks especially for an English teacher.  I like the masking tape one and the skeleton one,  It's fun, but rather than having the kids throw the tape balls I might have them come up one by one and press them on the board.

Enjoy the break.

Bless you, Dear Teacher!  What a tough job you have as a teacher.  Thank you for YOUR service!!  How pathetic that your community (and most others) have set such a low bar for the students in your school to pass.   I have some very useful advice for you to pass onto your students TOMORROW.  For those that are waiting to drop out of school and take the GED--well, I have taught GED classes for 22 years and you can tell them that only 1/3 of high school GRADUATES can pass the GED.  That's right, 1/3 of GRADUATES...the test is normed that way.  If they haven't mastered fractions yet, tell them 2/3 WILL NOT PASS!    It is very difficult.  Also, while I have a masters in adults with learning disabilities (adults defined as 16 and up), and have many strategies that I teach the students...they know by the time they get to me, they either work in class to learn those strategies or they are history.  (After so many years of teaching, I have had many many students who left our program or were "asked to relinquish their seat" come back after 3 or 4 years of no employment with a completely different attitude and succeed.  They bemoan the lost years.)   There is no sleeping in class.  No head down.  If you're sick, "I'm sorry."...go home.  If you're tired, go home.  They are treated like adults.  Punctuality is mandatory.  Many have few if any boundaries at home and they really seem to gravitate to the structure.  I explain that a "good paying job" will not tolerate tardies and absences.   They get 3 absences no questions asked, no "excused" absences...everyone gets 3 absences.  They can make up any absences beyond those absences, but there are only certain days I allow a study hall for those makeups.  They must be made up by the end of the session.  If they don't make up those beyond 3, their seat is given to a new student next session.  If they don't do their in-class work or homework, they don't get a seat next session (sessions are 8 weeks long).  They may take as many sessions as needed as long as they follow the rules:  show up on time, work hard and make "some" measurable progress over time.   I am firm, fair, friendly and funny; they call me by my first name.  However, this is adult education...and if they are sick, they know "not to have their mama call me."  THEY call me.   Sometimes they have to kick around trying to find a job before they figure out what they need.  They have been so coddled by the system.  Our employers are aghast at the expectations of potential employees.  Also, when one under 22 comes to me with an IEP, I strongly counsel them to return to school.  I let them know that once they leave school, those with IEPs lose the accommodations guaranteed by the Special Ed. Act.    That's a K-12 guarantee.  They can petition for accommodations on the GED; however, the states are really tough on that. 

It's so sad that your kids have been failed by the community, school system and parents.  Folks don't realize that the majority of teachers are treading water daily.  Yes, there are really poor teachers out there and those of us who work our tails off and lie awake at night thinking of strategies to motivate and help our students hate their poor performance more than the community.  Hang in there, First Year Teacher.  You're the best.  Please share the information about the GED with your fellow teachers, counselors and principals.  All the states are cracking down on adult education participants.  There isn't enough money out there for those who aren't ready to step up and LEARN.

Our school has become “on the brink of an AU (Academically Unaccepted) school. We are now receiving students from other schools who are at their last stand. There is one who has a very bad reputation. He hits teachers and other authorities. He is a bully. He skips classes and he brags about it. What can we do with a child like this? It seems that his parent(s) seem to let him do whatever he wants. He has a history of having been in jail. He is on probation. What can we as a unit of teachers do? How can we successfully keep him in school when he clearly does not want to be there? Also, this is a special education child. Please email me with suggestions. Thank you.

I assume, Katherine, that you've gone to your administration?  If not, that, of course, is the first place to start.  Are you maintaining contact with the probation officer?  Attendance in school is usually a requirement of probation for a minor.  Does the probation officer know of the skipped classes?  I have served many students on probation, and my experience is that the probation officer can help you put some "teeth" into your policies.   If you have and they seem powerless to help you, perhaps the teachers' union might be the next place for "consultation" on your options.  If that isn't an option, perhaps a call to your local television station might shine the spotlight on abuses under the guise of special education.  While there are students who have diagnoses of ODD and BD, those diagnoses don't give the student carte blanc to abuse the staff, who it sounds like are being allowed to be "hit" without a structure in place for protection and they are having their rights infringed upon.  I don't believe the law ever intended for staff to become punching bags for the sake of a student with emotional disabilities.  Also, what does it teach the student about following rules?  What happens when he mainstreams into society with no special education protections?  Strategies for those students...absolutely.  Abuse...never!  Good luck!

Is there a security guards? There have to be cops assigned to come too. Lessons, consequences, IEP, conferences, drugs and boot him. Enough already.

I also teach math, and I've found that many at-risk students can't do bookwork successfully because  a) they can't read the directions, or b) it's truly too difficult, or      c) their attention span is limited. I often use individual whiteboards (this also requires markers and rags) because I control the pace and can back up easily.  I like Bingo with math problems and vocab (we use scratch paper folded into 16 rectangles). This fun way of learning gets buy-in quickly. I use a lot of worksheets with such students because they're unwilling to write down a problem, and don't have paper, and with many worksheets they don't have to.  If you have a set curriculum you must follow, it will be more challenging than if you get to choose the pace. I also don't give cumulative tests to at-risk students (except a final exam, which is required at our school), but rather a weekly quiz, which I review for immediately preceding the quiz. Sometimes I "accidentally" leave problems on the board. Many at-risk students have retention problems, undiagnosed learning disabilities, or known disabilities. Ten short problems allows them to have some success, and I make the first 6 very simple so that those who've been present can pass. 

I give as many hands-on assignments as possible, using protractors and rulers or Hands-on-Equations. Bring cylinders and rectangular prisms (cans and boxes) to measure. I don't let students work in groups until they've proven they can stay in their seats and work independently. When I do choose groups, I make it clear that it's revocable at any moment. Give 2 leader-students the roster and let them choose the groups privately. 

Hang in there! You'll get new ideas every year. You have a difficult first-year assignment, and a chance to make a difference.

I give time for a "Sports Report" at the beginning of 1st period each day, allowing students involved in sports, drama, band, or any other group to report on the previous day's happenings. They enjoy talking about how the game went, and I prompt them for details until they understand that "we won" isn't enough. If you don't have sports, you could randomly choose 2 students each day to talk about anything they want for a few minutes.

Don't give up, keep trying new things. And do try to get to know the kids--every so often I have a kid I truly dislike. I make him or her my challenge-child, searching to find something I like. Before long, I DO like him or her! A challenge student from 2 years ago has become very dear to me, and I can't remember why I didn't like him!

 

Barb