All Those in Favor?

... SAY "I HATE I's!"

I's are incomplete grades - it's pretty much the D and F ranges that middle schools want to avoid. It's all about the "You can't fail middle school" mentality.

And I'm glad, but gosh I hate them when it comes to the end of term. You always do that battle with yourself where you say, "Was this "I" because of me? Was there something I didn't do?"

So you start busting that fanny - Here's a mercy/catch up day for you to gain back extra points! Here's this extra credit assignment (even though I said I really don't do extra credit assignments at the beginning of the year)! Here's this opportunity to conference with me individually as an alternative assignment to the one you missed!

And still. I. I. I.

Oh well.

One last assignment to grade, and then there's no more I can do.

I'm working on that whole - Don't lose sleep over something you can't control thing.

I just think it's funny that teachers receive direction from others to "do everything you can to get those I's up" even though an I is a signal. It's a sign. It means something specific. And most of my students' I's do not mean "I'm stupid." It usually means, "I don't care," or "I didn't try."

But still - I can't help doing all I can to motivate these students to pass....

And I'm calling more parents.

Yay.

:D