For some reason, I was on an accent kick today. I mean it. I was spoutin awf my Bwoston Acksent like no other.
Kids ate it up. Made fun of me. Started mocking me.
We were all smiles as we started into our lessons. Which - remember - was my goal. So WOOT!
But I've realized these students ache for someone to relate to them - to understand them. Now I'm not saying I can even begin to understand where they all come from, but as we read our article today to prepare for our first attempt at an argumentative essay (about posting photos online and the dangers of revealing too much to future employers, colleges, friends, etc.), I made a particular effort to contextualize some things for them.
We talked about how ANYONE can find information about you on the internet. Just that morning, a man requested me to be a friend on facebook that had a crush on me in 8th grade. I mean it! He wrote me a love poem and everything, followed me around school with his rolly backpack, and asked the teacher what my grade was on my English paper (because, let's face it, he was a little jealous of my awesomeness). I shared this with my students and they had a fit! I stressed the amount of time it's been since 8th grade (though I may have exaggerated to feel older. I said 10 years. It was really 9. Let's just say I rounded up), I talked to them about how I've moved three times since I was at that school, and I've even gotten married since then so my NAME is different, and he was still able to find me! They laughed and it started a great discussion.
We talked about how YOU aren't always in control of what gets posted OF you or WHERE information about you goes. I asked them if they'd ever had someone take a funny photo of THEM and post it onto facebook. Hands shot in the air immediately, and one girl even said it happened just yesterday. She shared the experience and five other people in the room said, "Oh yeah! I saw that on facebook." This girl turned around and said, "Wait," pointing to one student, "I'm not even facebook friends with you. How did you see it?" Can I say point made? Oh yeah.
We talked about how everything you post online creates your ONLINE IDENTITY. We talked about the 15 year-old girl who bashed her parents in a letter on facebook. Some students recognized the story - others didn't - and her dad responded by creating a youtube video where he shot her laptop. Then it went viral (only did this with my 8th graders, though). I asked them some thought provoking questions like, "How is that going to affect her future?" Some students were cute and said, "She'll get grounded," but others saw a much more far-reaching consequence.
Each of my students, 7th and 8th grade alike, were eating it up. I love this argumentative unit! It gives me a chance to "burn" my students by coming up with counterarguments in order to teach my students about the power of paying attention to opposing viewpoints. Oh yeah.
It's always fun when one of your rambunctious 8th graders (who never really thought you had any credence whatsoever) says to the recipient of your counterargument, "Dude - Mrs. Brown just gave you the SMACK-DOWN!" (Though - the sensitive side of me always makes sure that student knows it wasn't personal before they leave. I'm a little less argumentative/devil's advocate with my 7th graders, nonetheless, but my 8th graders love it. PROGRESS! Yeah!)
It really was a fun day - and though I still have 30+ "I's" in my gradebook, I can't help but leave smiling at the progress we made today and the fire I saw in my students' eyes. You really CAN tell if you've got an engaged class or not... It's not too hard to tell.
I'll end with an ethical question though - If you KNOW a student is intelligent, capable, on-grade-level and all that jazz from one or two small assessments, but they haven't turned in enough of the work to pass your class, did they really pass? Because you know they can do it? Or do you fail them because, despite their intelligence, they weren't smart enough to realize that you HAVE to do the work? My grades are purposeful - each assignment has a specific objective - so I know it's not my grades that are faulty...
(Second ethical question): And do you - if a student is 3 or 4 or even 5 percent away from that oh-so-attractive C-, just manually override the grade to give it to them? I've given opportunities for mercy (catch-up days), I've given opportunities for extra credit, I've done everything besides doing the work for them. Do I bump those students? Do I let the pressure of parents and administration affect the scores I give? Everything in me is saying - don't you dare. You're doing the student a disservice if you say that they passed when they didn't. At least that's what I believed in school!
Oh well.
At the end of the day, though it doesn't feel like it, it's not the final grade that matters.
Here's to a day of smiles and engaged students!
Cheers!
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