Note: This is a post that I wrote on the last day of "normal" school....I just never got around to post it...
Yesterday I decided to show my 11th Honors English class the documentary, Waiting for Superman. I wasn't sure what type of response I would get.
Let me explain...this class is very typical of a high school honors class.
Every child is, on average, polite, well mannered, intelligent, and capable of doing most of the work at adequate levels. Some are very creative and intuitive. Many are good hard working kids who have to work to "get it" - these are the 2 types of kids I LOVE to teach. The creative ones keep you on your toes - gotta stay one step ahead of them...the hard working ones - well they are what real life is about...they will be successful because they understand that something don't come easy and many things require hard work and determination!
A small group of these kids are not - by standard definition- honors students! They struggle with everything - struggle in a way that is almost painful to watch, but because mom or dad or a past teacher felt they could benefit from the rigor of an honors class...(well rigor and honors are not mutually exclusive...but that it a topic for another time and another place!), they were placed in an honors class. I'm okay with this until that mom or dad or other teacher want to question why their "brilliant" child is doing C work or worse - failing....in my honors class.
First, let me set the record straight - there is nothing wrong with being average...90% of us function somewhere between dead on average and slightly below what is considered average...sad - maybe - but NOT everyone gets to be a rocket surgeon....uhmmmm...yeah! My point....
Anyway, a small group of these kids fit in another group...smart, capable but LAZY!
These are the kids that drive me crazy...what a waste of true talent! But school has no meaning to them.
They learned to play school...then decided that playing school wasn't fun for them...so they stopped...
Anyway...back to the movie....
I was amazed by their response....
They were outraged by the "lemon dance."
They found the NY holding "cells" for teachers awaiting a hearing unbelievable...
They wondered why if charter schools work - why aren't all school doing what they do?
I wonder that myself sometimes....
I mean I know the "answer" but do I really know?
Maybe I should learn to ask the right question....
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