Saturday, May 7, 2011

Six Word Saturday



Never have I felt so old.


For more Six Word Saturday participants, click here.

I almost called this "More than I want to know."

This week, I am trying to wrap up the school year, get half of my classes ready for a statewide test, prepare my seniors to graduate, console the juniors on the graduation test results.

They tell me - wow, you make the math look so easy - as they watch me do it but refuse to do the work. I have explained it is easy because I spent countless hours doing math.

They spend countless hours getting tattoos and piercings - or texting on their phones. None of these activities will help them at all with anything. I find it - bizarre - that Georgia has a law limiting tattoos and some piercings to people older than 18 (not most of my students) and yet I have many students with tats - some with upwards of a dozen. And piercings I do not see the point to.

Why do you need to pierce your back?

Why do you need to tattoo your name on yourself? Are you afraid you will forget who you are?

I will reach one or two. I will teach one or two enough that they will alter their course. But those who think a computer game will enhance their test score are living in a reality I don't even visit.

7 comments:

soulbrush said...

What an excellent post. Yes yes yes I know what you are saying...I teach 11 and 12 year olds, three days a week- my hubby teaches the teens, and they are just wasting their time, their lives, their abilities, so sad and tragic!!!

Ron. said...

So it's a safe bet that none of them have the Pythagorean theorem inked on their forearm, eh?

Hang in. You're having more impact than you might imagine.

Susan in SC said...

20 days for us until the end of the school year! Hang in there!! Visiting from 6WS.

The Fat Chick said...

It is a bit mind boggling, the things going on with our youth. We can only hope and pray that most will grow up (in this scary age) relatively unscathed.

I agree with Ron...most likely you are reaching far more than you can know, even if you don't see the results yet.

21 Wits said...

See you are as you feel and you are what you say...or so they say...so no more saying you feel old! I laugh when my kids friends say that as well....and they have like their whole entire life just waiting for them to really get there! ;)

Call Me Cate said...

We live so differently now than generations past. And the generations after us, even more so. It's just amazing (and sad) to watch.

Thanks for playing 6WS. I always appreciate your posts.

mathematicamama said...

I'm right there with you, seeing the same things, and humming the same dirge. How about switching places and seeing who notices?