Responsibility

I try to get the talkers to stop. Their reply is always (ALWAYS) "I am not the only one talking." OK, but you are talking and the only person you can control is you.

I graded papers. I realize this is such a shock, but the talkers score lower than the non-talkers.

The talkers drew pretty pictures on my algebra 2 test - completely irrelevant, but interesting. They made comments about being bored on a test they cannot finish.

My responsibility is to let go. I am getting angry with them for failing and that is pointless. They are making choices that they are old enough to make.

I looked up the grades of the 0nes I failed last semester, the ones who made choices that made that the obvious outcome. Most are failing the same course for the third time. And they are failing for 3 different teachers. And they are failing with a grade lower than they had for me at the same point.

Except for one. The one that was the hardest for me to fail. He almost passed the state test but he did nothing, nada, zip in my class. Failing him was the best thing for him as once again he is earning As in math - in other words, he is choosing to work.

I want to reply to every comment the students make - I need to learn to smile and move on rather than try to dazzle them with logic. They do not want to be dazzled. They want a verbal argument.

I want them to chose to work.