Talking at students

I sometimes (sometimes?) think students don't listen, regardless of how many times you repeat something that is important. That you TELL them is important.

Georgia changed its math curriculum AGAIN this year. So the decision was made to put the students who failed the (old) 9th grade math into the (new) 9th grade math. This way, if they didn't succeed at some later point, there will be a class for them to take. The old classes are phasing out. The 9th grade class is gone. The 10th grade class will be over by Christmas etc.

But Georgia is phasing it in the way it did the GPS classes. 9th grade this year. 10th grade in fall 2013. 11th grade in fall 2014. 12th in fall 2015.

So, these repeaters cannot take a course over the summer and catch up to their friends. There will be a 10th grade class in the fall - not an 11th grade course. (well, the 11th grade class will be the old program, and they are not compatible. Confused yet?)

We told them this almost every day the beginning of school, several times a month since - and I had the same discussion today.

What I really liked was when the kid enunciated each word carefully and used air quotes because I was too stupid to understand what he wanted.

I finally got him to understand that the 10th grade class will not be available this summer and the 11th grade class will not be available in the fall (whether you use air quotes or not).

But

He could double up in social studies or English and then have room for the math his Senior year.

(He could always listen to what I am saying the first dozen times.)