I just don't get it

I just finished scanning my term exams for my seniors. This grade is 10% of their overall grade. You'd think they'd take it a little more seriously than they obviously did. The class average for my first block class was about 74%. I can live with that. I'd love for it to be higher, but if you consider that the classes are randomly scheduled (supposedly), you'll have some students who blow the top off every test and you'll have some who bomb every test. There will be those who care about their grades, and there will be those who are in school simply because somebody is making them come. So, yeah, 74%...I can live with it.

The class average for my second block class, though, was barely a 60%. This is my class of 23 boys and 5 girls. In this class, I've got some "good ole boy rednecks" who don't give a rip about school. (Now, I am NOT criticizing the good ole boys...some of my best friends in the world fit that category. As a matter of fact, I love rednecks because they are who they are and they don't ever attempt to put on airs.) Anyway, this class makes me want to pull my hair out. I have talked to them until I am blue in the face. I have 11 of them who need to be referred to the building based student support team because their averages are below 65. Will it make any difference? For most of those kids, probably not. Several of them were referred by their first semester teachers. Many of them are just biding their time until May 22. Actually, May 21 is the last instructional day, so they're just hanging on until then.

Oh well...I'll do what I can, but that's all I can do. I cannot force them to care about their grades. I cannot force them to study. I can, and do, encourage them. I can, and do, offer my assistance anytime they need it. I just know that in about 9 or 10 weeks, I'm going to have some of them coming to me begging for extra work so they can graduate. That's the one thing I hate about teaching seniors.

Now, I need to go finish grading the Chaucer/Canterbury Tales test for first block. I got the second block tests graded, and several of them were h-o-r-r-i-b-l-e -- a 23/200, a 47/200. Maybe first block will have done better. I hope so. I don't want to be even more depressed than I am. :(

At least it is a GORGEOUS, SUNNY, WARM Friday! Have a GREAT one!!