The day the immigration officers came to school looking for mom, another unpleasant surprise awaited her. Two students from the well-known-by-now 12V class went to the vice principal and complained about mom's methods. Apparently kicking students out of class and giving them an absence for bad behavior is against school regulations. Mom was very surprised that the vice-principal forgot that detail when just the day before, mom was talking to her about this 'technique'.
Interestingly enough, later that week mom found out that some other students from the very same class went to the vice-principal on the same day, to request that mom remains their teacher for the rest of the year.
I think that if there was a term for split class personality, that would be a textbook example.
As a consolation for being stripped of her main weapon, mom was told that she would give grades at the end of the semester and that she can use this as leverage. Soon afterwords, though, it was pointed out to her that 'we generally try to give students good grades'. That doesn't sound like much of a leverage to me, but I didn't tell mom that because she'd put both of us on the next plane to Philly. It's only a matter of time before she finds out, I'm afraid...
This is not an official Department of State website, and the views and information presented are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the Department of State. Remember folks, I am just a dog!
2 comments:
Sad indeed...
Kicking students out and giving absences used to be a valid technique in my school days. Though in our class I've seen it used at most once per year. Regarding grade leverage - of course you have it. They are not giving you evaluations and you don't depend on them in any way. And e.g., a 4 can be a pretty annoying grade - especially if one is graduating...
What about peer pressure? Don't these kids have a respect for a good hard dictation? You should have a hard text handy for the case when there's a lack of cooperation. "Heart of darkness" or "The name of the rose" will probably do. These can stimulate discussions in an amazing way, and the problematic guys will have to deal with their classmates afterwards... Should I teach you Byzantian methods?!
Sounds like a case for killer assignments and some threes and twos to be liberally used. Students in Bulgaria don't seem to respect education and this attitude of entitlement continues well into the university. Remember the quote that Stephen King's Delores Claireborn's employer gave her "so times you have to be a bitch". Frankly, you have make yourself happy. Students have no loyalty to teachers, administrators only want peace and quiet, and will throw the teacher in from of an oncoming train to save themselves. Be consistent, use the grades, and peer pressure.
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