It was Spirit Week at TSHS, and I came to realize that meant two things: my
presence and participation in daily “spirit” activities such as an obstacle
race and dodgeball game was necessary, AND I would have very little instructional time. While I can
appreciate the administrator’s efforts to rally the student body and combat the
ever-growing feelings of animosity and apathy toward education, I have to say,
the idea was nice, but it ultimately backfired.
The
instructional week is already chopped up by the mandatory “Club Day” every
Wednesday, on which there is no instructional time whatsoever, and the students
know it. Over the past few weeks I have heard many students complain that
Wednesdays are a waste of time, and they would “rather have the day off”
instead of being shuttled between classrooms for mandatory clubs that have no
bearing on their grades, aside from attendance. This week, Club Day was
suspended and students were scheduled for various tests. The only problem with
this scheduling switch was that the club I am co-advising is for the newspaper,
and we have spent a few weeks constructing deadlines for articles, editing, and
publishing. These deadlines are no longer valid, and my frustration is mounting.
With
Spirit Week, class periods were shortened to allow for the final 90 minutes of
the school day to be dedicated to “Spirit” activities, assemblies, and on
Friday, a pep rally. With class periods being whittled down to 30 minutes, and
the loss of Wednesday’s time, I believe that each class only received
approximately 2 hours of subject-specific instructional time this week, when
they normally receive 3 hours per week. Take into account the loss of
Wednesday’s instructional time, and the students at HFHS lost nearly twice the
instructional time that a CPS student receives. It’s shameful.
Unfortunately,
I also caught a bad cold this week, and did not work on Wednesday or Thursday.
I’m ashamed to admit that I was not terribly concerned about missing Wednesday,
which should indicate the level of apathy the students feel about the mandated
attendance. I don’t blame them. The inconsistencies regarding scheduling reveal
a distinct lack of respect for the students’ time, and the only reasonable
response to that is disdain.
Teaching
on Friday proved to be an exhausting, but satisfying adventure. I was aware
that the students had not received any consistent instruction, but the Parents’
Night helped to reset some of the students’ attitudes and dispositions towards
the work. My initial lesson plan was revised in the morning with the help of my
cooperating teacher, and I felt confident about achieving my objectives. It was
only when the students entered the classroom did I realize I was going to need
to do more than teach. I needed to perform.
The young men were energized by the upcoming football game and Homecoming
dance, and obviously needed a more physical activity than I had originally
planned.
I
utilized aspects of my lesson plan, but mostly improvised activities that I
felt would accomplish the lesson’s objectives. The students responded
enthusiastically to the loosely structured debate I facilitated, and managed to
construct an argumentative paper verbally, helping to reinforce the outlining
strategy I had hoped to teach. The period ended too quickly, and I was happy to
hear a few students express surprise. This week, I hope to build on that
enthusiasm, and now, knowing how well this particular class responds to
structured discussions, debates, and physical activity, I believe my lesson
plans will actually hold their attention. 
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