Diapers and Dragons

Monday, April 12, 2010

If They Thought I Was Tough Before, They're Realizing Their Error Now

It's that time of year again.

They're scowling at me. They're whispering that maybe they should have switched out to another English teacher's class at the semester break. You know, three months ago.

Of course, it doesn't help that I practically brought some of them to tears today when I ranted gave them a lecture about the sloppy job most of them did on the small research papers they turned in just before Spring Break. The ones I spent several hours grading last week. The ones I was tempted to rip into shreds and use as kitty litter since that was obviously the value their authors had placed on the assignment.

It's not like I hadn't been clear about my expectations, or given them insufficient time to do the work, or neglected to provide them with the resources they needed. No, apparently a large percentage of my students decided my rules and guidelines and such didn't really apply to them.

I informed them they weren't that special. I mean, there are times when they get to be unique little snowflakes. This was not one of those times.

They were lucky I was relatively merciful. But that was then. This is now.

Not only am I creating a nice little assignment that will drill the rules they so carelessly disregarded into their heads, I've made it abundantly clear that I will NOT be remotely merciful when it comes time for them to turn in the final drafts of their Great Big Papers.

Ms. "Nice" TeacherMommy is gone now. This marking period I will be The Bitch, The Hardass, The Nasty Teacher Who Makes Us Do Crazy Work. And you know why?

It's summed up by a poster that hangs on my wall:

You Won't Be Rewarded For Having Brains, But For USING Them.

Gear up, kiddos. It's going to be a wild ride.

6 bits of love:

Liz K said...

you go TeacherMommy! For the love of higher education, life long learning, and just plain old doing what you are told! May the force be with you!

Moonrayvenne said...

You are an original, one of the elite...a teacher that cares! Not easy to find these days. A+ (((HUGS)))

Anonymous said...

Yeah, make them work hard in the end! Make them finish strong! (and if they complain about the length of research papers, tell them your little sister had to finish her last educational program with an 88 PAGE research paper! So they should stop complaining).
Our senior has some senioritis (okay, he's had senioritis ALL YEAR. It got better second semester, and then Spring Break ruined it all). I just keep telling him he'll be grateful for his tough teachers when he's in college, because the work will be easier for him than the other students! I'm not sure if he believes me yet, but someday, he'll go back and thank the tough teachers! (so anyhow, I'm sure you'll get post-grad thank-you's, too).
Love,
SoccerSister

triles said...

Give'em hell

michelle said...

I woulda been terrified of you if I was one of your students.

Kick their butts into shape

Stone Fox said...

i had an english teacher much like you in junior high; now, i am grateful that she did not allow us to do any less than we were capable of.

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