I’ve noticed that many of my calculus kids have been doing little to no work at home this year. That’s a quick way to make me mad because I assign so little as it, considering (1) it’s an AP course and (2) it’s calculus. Every problem is so carefully chosen to help them for this ginormous assessment they take in May. And they’re just not doing them.
My second hour especially has really dropped the ball as of late. Despite my many urgings to keep on top of their homework and despite the fact that I reduced their assignment, they turned in very sloppy work today.
Not exactly the thank you I was looking for.
I let them know I was disappointed. I contacted parents later that day to set up meetings (quite convenient that parent/teacher conferences are next week, I must say).
As I was grading fifth hour’s homework, I was not nearly disappointed (it’s highly likely second hour warned them). But I also realized that while I do need to figure out a way to motivate the unmotivated, I cannot lose sight of those who are truly working so hard and doing the homework every night and bringing such good questions.
There was one notebook that was just flawless: perfectly organized, every problem worked with no fudging of in-between steps. I flipped to her next empty page and wrote, “Thank you for always working so hard. It does not go unnoticed.”
And in that moment, I felt my anger leave.
And I laughed a little.
I’m the one who preaches to focus on the good, yet I was refusing to do it.
But as soon as I did, I knew exactly why I felt better so quickly.
one good thing 