I just finished correcting the first quiz this term for my 8th graders, and there were 5 students with 100% and 5 with 0%, with everything in between, at an average of 40%! It's really incredible to me how little information most of them know or understand. And the answers I accepted were...generous.
And the cheating continues. One girl, as I was explaining the questions, turned to her neighbor ever so subtly and began asking him something. So I took her paper away. Minutes later, I saw her standing right outside the door, copying off the questions to do the quiz outside. Why? Well, she never put her name on the paper I took away, so her plan was to write another quiz up and sneak it into my pile as the only one with her name. As I said to the class right afterwards, "It's unfortunate that Sonia thinks I don't know her name."
And then there are my stoner girls in the 2nd oldest 8th grade turma. They're about 16 years old and show up late every day, in a very loud, inappropriate mood. I'm pretty sure they're not arriving stoned, but I don't know how to explain it. Well, they showed up late to the quiz, stared at me and at each other for a while, wrote the questions (but not the answers) and handed the papers in. Nothing. No effort. And 25% of their grade.
These kids aren't required to be in school, and more, they have to pay. Every year, school fees, books (if the teachers require them), bribe money for both teachers and students, school supplies, etc. I'd be tempted to call their parents if I thought they wouldn't beat their children OR do absolutely nothing.
My extra session for the 10th graders went well. Abdul asked me if it's good to have a girlfriend, in English. I said , yes, if you want to have one and she wants to have you as a boyfriend. And to be careful because "I love you" doesn't always mean what you think it means. I just wish it were really that simple.
Peace
John
