Monday, February 1, 2010

No Materials

In the last year or so I've noticed that every teacher has started providing paper for the students at the continuation high school. They used to require that the students bring paper. The problem was, most of the students didn't. And they used that as their excuse.

They couldn't do any work if they had nothing to work on. So, in an effort to get the students to work, the teachers took away that excuse by providing paper.

This is the continuation high school. The school is smaller. The classes are smaller. And the students got there by their lack-of-work ethic. They are masters at the excuse.

The paper helps. Most of them take a sheet and work.

Most of the teachers require the students to bring their own pens (or pencils). Most of the students do (I guess these are easier to stash in a pocket).

It was third period. I passed out the assignment. They could write on it. Then a student asked me for a pen.

I didn't have one to lend out, so the student told me he couldn't work. His 1st, 2nd, and 4th period teachers always gave him pens, he told me. He didn't feel like he needed to bring any materials.

I guess I should have been happy that he showed up.

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