Ultimately Useless

When I arrived at school on Friday, I noticed that there weren't very many students waiting to be let in. And I knew. 

I had not been on this campus all week, but the other schools were doing state testing. So, what followed wasn't a surprise. 

I checked in at the office. Yup, state testing. Yup, the first two hours of the school day were the testing block. And I'd just replace the teacher I was covering. What was Mr. D covering? He was "supervising" a wing of the school, making sure kiddos didn't roam the halls. 

Basically what I did on Tuesday (see Wednesday's post), just in a different location. Okay, then... 

As you can see from the above photo, I didn't have a lot to do. I had time to take photos of what I was watching. 

The first photo was looking to my right. The above photo was looking to my left. 

I headed to the location to get the lay of the land. And, as I did on Tuesday, I kept my stuff with me, so I had a computer to keep me entertained. Because I knew. 

As I have subbed for most of the teachers in this wing, several of them asked if I needed anything while I was hovering. I explained what I was told, and some nodded in recognition. They had seen Mr. D around. (A couple flat out asked if I was Mr. D's sub.) 

Ms. B, whose door is the second door past the trash can, offered me a chair and table. Which I happily took. 

That was the view ahead of me. And the window to the classroom where Ms. B, math teacher, was. (The Ms. B who gave me the chair is an English teacher.) We talked for a bit. She was bored, as her class only had three students. This Friday was the makeup day for the students who missed the rest of the week. So, not only were we just down to the students that were testing (not all the grades), we were down to the students who hadn't been in at some point during the week. 

The above corridor leads to the bathrooms. A student here, a student there, would walk along occasionally. But they did not need a hall monitor. Not on this day. 

Notice that the shadow is kind of faint. The sun did come out, and I was right in it, so about halfway through the testing block, I moved. To that corner of the building. And then my view became... 

Now you can see the corner of the building where I was. 

People did stroll through. Teachers. Security came by on their golf carts several times. Students to and from the bathroom. Late students. The assistant principal even passed through at one point. But my presence really wasn't needed. 

If I commented on your blog last Friday (O-day) between 8:30 and 10:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time, this is where I was. 

Some days are like that. But hey, I got paid for it. 

Now, how am I going to make this fit U? You already know, but I don't. Yet. Hmm...

Does this sound like your dream job or your worst nightmare? Did I comment on your blog while I was out there?

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

Stair Guard

Last Tuesday was the first day of state testing. And I managed to catch an assignment. Woo-hoo! 

The past two years at this time of year, I had been on long term subbing assignments. Those years for the testing time I found a place to hide out. (The administration required staff to be on campus during testing. I used the time to grade and lesson plan. It was very useful.) But this year... 

As I was checking in for the day, the principal gave me an assignment for testing time. Tardiness has been an ongoing issue. And only certain grades were testing. (Those grades not testing didn't have to arrive at school until 10:30 AM.) Plus, some students like to roam the halls. 

Ms. C (the principal) asked me to position myself at the entrance to the school, and for the first ten minutes of the school day, shoo the kiddos to where they were supposed to go. After the ten minutes, I was to shoo all kiddos to the PE field where they would wait out testing time. 

(Students who weren't testing but showed up to school at the usual 8:30 AM time were sent to the PE field. Any testing students who were very late were too late to start the test and so were also sent to the PE field.)

Okay, then. 

(I couldn't just hide out in the classroom where I was to sub the day as there was a class of students testing in there. And for reasons, subs aren't allowed to proctor the tests.) 

The first ten minutes of the school day were brisk. Many late students. An assistant principal was there as well, so I really didn't have much to do. Then they locked the front gate, so the students who arrived had to enter through the main office. And I positioned myself by the stairs leading out of the main office (pictured above). 

And... 

There wasn't much to do, really. As the arriving students had to pass through the office, the office staff called for security. Security met them at the steps and drove them (in their golf carts) to the PE field. 

I maybe questioned five students who were roaming. There were other students on their way to or from the restroom. But mostly I sat on the stairs and read blogs. (I had brought my computer with me. I had a feeling it would be a boring job.) 

Mostly, I saw staff. When it came up in conversation, I explained what I was doing. I was "guarding the stairs". 

Stairs that didn't really need guarding. 

But hey, I was getting paid for it. 

And for those of you who were here for J-day, another example. The following picture was taken when I turned almost 180° from the above picture of the stairs. (That open door in the background is the classroom I was in this time last year for that eleventh grade English long term assignment.) 

What's the weirdest thing you ever got paid to do? What time did your high school start? 

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

Working Hard (or Not)

"Could you cover a sixth period..."

Wednesday. Sixth period. Eighth grade English, co-taught. Which meant that the general ed teacher was there. All I had to do was follow her lead. (I've covered Ms. C and I've worked with Ms. C many, many times.) 

Ms. C started with an apology to me and a warning. The room was infested with fruit flies. Someone had left bananas under all the desks before they left for winter break...

Eighth graders... 

They were taking a standardized test (one I've given many, many times), and one of their teachers was there, so I just sat back. The room was filled with familiar faces. Several of them had been in that seventh grade science class I started the year in last school year. (Like Simon.)

At one point Orson called me over. As I search through my previous posts, I see I did not mention Orson before, so let me explain. 

Orson is weird. Probably autistic. I recognize his concerns. Anyway, he speaks very deliberately, and he likes to make sure things are situated as they "should be". He's not a bad kid, but he doesn't fit in well with his classmates. Which sucks, really. 

We're about a half hour or so into the test. The two other boys at Orson's table are clearly not applying themselves. But they weren't talking, so I leaned in to Orson so he could ask his question. 

"Some students are only on question number four," Orson told me. 

I looked down at Orson's test. He was on question 37. The boy next to him was on question four. 

At that point, they totally should have been on at least question twenty. Orson was making decent progress. 

Me: "That's not anything you need to worry about." (I said it kindly. It wasn't his problem and it wasn't anything he needed to do anything about. I was aware the kiddos weren't applying themselves, and when they're still working while everyone else is finished, they'll realize how they wasted their own time.) 

Shortly thereafter Orson informed me he had finished. I told him congratulations. He moved to a different seat and started playing a video game. (There wasn't another assignment after they finished, and the computerized test just closed when he finished, so there was nothing I needed to do.) 

Orson's neighbor? Still working on the test. 

Orson had quite a bit of time to play his game before Ms. C called time. Several students had not finished, so they would be testing the next class period. Including Orson's neighbor. 

And I am not at all concerned. The ones that weren't applying themselves have to keep working until they finish. Those that were got free time. The punishment fits the crime.

Glitchy

Friday. Seventh period. Integrated math 1. (Read: algebra 1.) 

The plan was for them to do their study guide for a half hour, then I'd go over those answers, and then they'd take their test. While they were working on their study guide, I texted the teacher with the names of all the students (nine of them!) who were absent. 

No one had any questions about the study guide. So, then it was time to start the test. I collected their work, and they went to get computers. 

The test was online. 

Dr. R wanted the names of those absent so she only had open tests for those students who were in class. (Absent students could access the test from computers at home, but at home we couldn't guarantee the students weren't using notes or their phones or someone else was doing the test for them.) 

Once they got logged in, a student called me over. Her test was paused. It turned out she was on my absent list. (Which, seriously? I called out the roll. Was she not paying attention when I called her name?) So, I texted Dr. R to open her test. 

Whew. Class was quiet. Phones were put away. Things were going well... 

Sterling approached. His test had been paused. He showed me that when he tried to input a plus sign, he instead got a new screen. And because it was a test, the computer only allowed one screen and one tab open while the test was being done. 

I texted Dr. R. Sterling continued working on his test... 

A few minutes later, another problem. Sterling wanted to backspace to fix something he had mistyped, only backspace wasn't working. Deep sigh. 

I had Sterling get another computer. Clearly the one he had was glitching (or he hit something that was disrupting things), and I wasn't going to be able to fix it. So, I had to text Dr. R one more time... 

It was after school when I saw her final response. That she had opened Sterling's test twice. (I got busy with class stuff so I wasn't looking at my phone.) 

I made sure to send along an explanation for what happened. Tech issues. Always gets us. 

This is one reason why the math teachers don't usually give tests while they're out. (Well, those teachers who do the online tests. Some teachers still do tests on paper.) 

Caught Out

Thursday. Tenth grade English, honors. Fourth period. They had a test on Act Five of Macbeth. 

We're right up on the end of the school year now. The day this post goes live is our last day of school. So, I was kind of surprised when one of the kiddos was absent. But whatever. 

About halfway through the period, Andrea arrived. At that point, only one student was still working on the test. I told Andrea that there was a test and that she could get started. She questioned if she had enough time to finish it. I figured she did. (Logically, if she still had half the period and the class was done, the test should only take her half the period, which was the time she had left.) Besides, when was she going to have time to make it up? Best to get it done. 

She sat down, but then she came back to me. She said that she usually takes her tests in her counselor's office, so could she go and take the test there? So, I let her go. 

I thought nothing of this. Some students have various accomodations, and my philosophy is trust. But verify. 

The next day I ran into Ms. S (the teacher). She stopped me to ask a question. Because, it turns out that Andrea has never taken her English tests in her counselor's office. 

Uh oh. 

(Because, yeah, I made a note of it. I always make a note of it.) 

Ms. S was not pleased. She wasn't upset with me. She said that Andrea had been trying to get around things all school year. 

But I was able to put Ms. S's mind at ease about a couple things. First, Andrea had left her cell phone in the classroom. (Ms. S had required all the kiddos to turn in their phones before the test. Andrea had as well.) Second, when Andrea left the room, she left her belongings behind. 

Could she have cheated? Of course. Ms. S knows who her counselor is, so she can verify if Andrea went there for the test. Odd that she'd try this on this last test. But whatever. 

There is a reason I keep detailed notes. It's so the teachers can catch the kiddos out when they pull this stuff with subs. 

Paper Deficit

Monday. My last day in the English class. 

As is my habit, the first thing I did was to get out my computer(s) and log on. Very quickly I discovered that there was no internet. I soon learned that the internet was out for the entire district. 

Not only was this a "transition day" where I was going to give the next sub access to the Google Classroom, lesson plans, and slideshows she would need to teach the class for the week, I also had grading to finish up from my tenure in the class (all done online along with the online gradebook). 

Oh, and the classes had a quiz. That was online. 

After I panicked, I began to contemplate how I was going to approach the day. Luckily, I had a prep period first, so I had some time to adjust. I thought about how I had seen the paper copy of the quiz in the digital file of quizzes for the class, and how I wished I had internet access to print out said paper. And that's about the time I remembered that Ms. A had a file cabinet, and wouldn't it be cool if there was a copy of that quiz somewhere in those files? 

There was a copy on paper of that quiz in Ms. A's filing cabinet. It took me not all that long to locate it. 

The copy machines are not dependent upon the internet. 

I decided to make an answer sheet to go along with the quizzes. (I had time. That lovely prep period.) I was in process when the sub who was taking over for me arrived, so I got a little sidetracked explaining what she was going to need to continue teaching the class. But eventually I got the answer sheet completed, and we headed to the copy room to make the copies we would need for the day. 

It was interesting to do the quizzes on paper. The kiddos were not used to this sort of thing. I had to explain how it worked. It wasn't all that long ago when no explanation would have been necessary. How quickly we adapt to new technologies. 

The online quiz and the paper quiz were pretty much the same. The only difference was the format. And yet, the kiddos who took the paper quiz didn't do as well as the classes that took the online quiz the previous Friday. (There was a 20% difference in average scores.) 

This makes me wonder. Was it the technology? Or were the kiddos who got to take the quiz online cheating somehow? (The quiz was "locked down", so the kiddos couldn't access another tab while taking the quiz. And I monitored them for cell phone use.) 

This is not the first time we've had an internet outage. (There was this time and this time that happened fairly recently.) I'm sure it won't be the last. 

Three Weeks Notice

Friday. Eleventh grade English, eighth period. 

The kiddos had a quiz on The Great Gatsby chapters four through seven. As they walked in and asked what the plan for the day was, I told them this. Some of them were surprised. 

Emmitt: "You are required to give us three weeks notice before you give a quiz." 

Now, normally I'd push back on this. Say something snarky. Point out that pop quizzes were a thing. But I didn't have to. 

"I kind of actually did," I said. 

Another student: "She told us about it the first day she was here." 

Now, that was a bit of an exaggeration. I wouldn't say I mentioned it the first day. When we began the book, I outlined the plan. Quiz after chapter 3, quiz after chapter 7. Final on whole book (after I was out of the class). 

I can list all the times I mentioned that they had a quiz coming, but that might be a bit of overkill. Suffice it to say that I mentioned it a lot. 

And yet still, some of them were surprised. Well, I can only do what I can do.

Unexpected Sixth

Wednesday. Sixth period. And the class showed up... 

Sixth period is ELD. The English language development class. One of the major things that they had to do during my tenure in the class was to take the ELPAC. I couldn't give it, but I got questions from the students and from the counselors as to when the class would take it. 

Last week the assistant principal got back to me about it. He scheduled it for this week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He told me he would get back to me with more information, but he never did. He informed me that they would call the kiddos out of class, and there was nothing for me to do. Okay, then... 

Tuesday, I had four students in fifth period. (A few of them didn't have to take the test.) This was fine as I was expecting no class. I hadn't planned for them to do anything. (I had moved the plans for the day as ELPAC was to take priority.) 

But Wednesday, the kiddos showed up. They had been called out of class the previous day and had finished their test. 

Uh... 

Well, the actual lesson plan for the day was study hall. That's what Ms. A had originally scheduled. It was a "buffer day". She had put in an extra day just in case I got behind on Of Mice and Men. I hadn't. 

I had the next day's plan ready to go, though, too. So, I gave the kiddos the option. They could get the study hall day on Friday. They picked Wednesday. Fine by me. 

It would have been nice, though, if the assistant principal would have let me know that all the students would be tested on Tuesday. You know, so I could plan ahead. 

At least it's done. And as I get ready to leave this long-term assignment (when this post goes live, I'll have already left), it's good to know this major component did get completed. Even if I didn't have to do any of the actual work involved. 

Sideways

Tuesday. 

You ever have one of those days? Nothing wrong, exactly. It's not a bad day. But things just kinda feel off. 

First off, I was running late. (I ran late all week. Just tired. Even though I'd been sleeping.) When I got home and looked in the mirror, I realized I had forgotten to apply makeup before leaving for school. And I didn't even notice all day. Sigh. 

I start my day with the daily Wordle. I do this as I log into the computers (for this gig, I've been using three, daily... well, four if you count the in-class TV screen). And... Hole in one:

And you know my first reaction? "Damn it! Now I have to find a new starter word." (It's now "tenor". In case you're interested.) 

Just as I was coming to terms with that (and while I was eating a muffin), the assistant principal dropped in. (It was my prep period. I was kind of trying to sort of prep.) I did need to see him. 

I have two ELD classes. They have to take a test yearly called the ELPAC. A few of them really need to take it so they can reclassify. (They'd be considered "fluent" in English, so they would no longer need to take an ELD class.) I can't give it because sub, so I have to coordinate with another teacher to get it done. 

The assistant principal came by to discuss when we'd get this done. He proposed doing it Wednesday/Thursday. But, long story short, that fell through as the teacher who would have done it then was actually out on Tuesday, so he couldn't coordinate anything. Naturally. 

I went back to getting prepped for the day. I looked over the next quiz the eleventh graders would take on The Great Gatsby. And as I read through it, I discovered that there are questions on it that I have not covered. Stuff like symbolism. And... Yeah, probably should mention some of this stuff so the quiz doesn't take them by surprise. 

It's always something. I suppose I should have realized that things were going too smoothly. I had to be missing something. Hopefully I found most of the issues. 

The Get-Out-of-the-Test-Free Card

Thursday. Sophomore math. Third period.

I had been in the class since Tuesday as the teacher had some foot injury that meant he couldn't put any weight on it. I was supposed to start Monday, but I stayed home with a cold. 

On Tuesday, the students got the study guide for Thursday's test. (Block schedule. The classes meet every other day.) They had some time to work on it, and then Mr. Y, the co-teacher, went over the problems so the students knew how to do them. (They were studying solving quadratic equations.) 

Then Wednesday happened. (If you haven't seen yesterday's post, you might want to check it out.) 

As first period ended and third period began, I was not surprised at the arrival of the principal, an assistant principal, and three counselors. Because, you see, the student had been in this class, and their passing would be very noticeable. 

(The student sat in the back of the room, so maybe some of them wouldn't have noticed. But one tends to at least have a passing acquaintance with the students in one's classes.)

I mean, this is when it would hit you, if you didn't have the student in another class before this. And three girls huddled in the middle of the room, one bawling while two others held her. Mr. Y found the tissue and made sure to distribute it. 

The principal talked about where the students could go for support. There's a whole system in place currently. The others said a few words. And then, when none of the students had anything to say, they left. 

Test time? Nah. Mr. Y wasn't going to make them take a test. Not now. 

While some of the students weren't close with the student who was now gone, some were. And, it just wasn't the day for it. 

Many of the students spent the period on their phones. Some talked. Some cried. I assume some were avoiding thinking about it. I understand. 

After class, Mr. Y wondered about when he'd give the test. I advocated for just cancelling it for them. (All the other classes took it.) Giving it the next week would throw third period off the same schedule as the rest of the classes. They'd be a day behind. 

(And, it was hard for Mr. Y as well. The previous class he sat with the student and talked to them for a bit. Later, before I left school on Tuesday, Mr. Y told me the student seemed off that day.)

Ultimately, Mr. Y will discuss this with Mr. R (the teacher I was subbing for), and they'll make that decision. (It'll hit Mr. R hard, too. All the teachers who had that student are feeling this.) 

It's such a weird time. I think missing one test won't make all that much difference in the grand scheme of things. 

Slow It Down

Monday. Third period world history. It was standardized test day. 

I just went on a search to find where I'd explained this particular test, and it appears I have yet to do so. Even though I've administered this thing many, many times. Basically, it's designed to figure out where the kiddos are in relation to their grade level. So, do they read at grade level, above, or below? Same with math. And then they test them twice a year to see if they've improved and if so by how much. 

I had warned the kiddos that we'd be doing the test, so they weren't surprised. I informed the class that I would be giving them extra credit points if they did not incur the wrath of the slow-down sloth. 

In an effort to reduce rapid guessing (thereby making the test results worthless), if the students go too fast at any point, their test gets paused and they get a screen with a sloth that says "slow down". It is then my job to remind the kiddos that they aren't to just guess, they should actually try to figure out the answers, and then I release the test again so they can finish. 

I logged in from my end and gave the kiddos their test credentials. (The test is online.) 

I was still confirming students when Jalen announced that I might as well give him the release code for the slow-down sloth. We weren't more than two minutes in, and Jalen had already gotten flagged for rapid guessing.

Deep sigh. 

If Jalen thought he could just rapid guess his way through the test...

Me: "If you get the slow-down sloth three times, your test is then stopped and you have to do the whole thing over." 

Every time before that I've had to warn students of this, I felt bad. Apologetic. This time? I would have enjoyed making Jalen start all the way over. 

Jalen did not see the slow-down sloth again. 

Getting It Done

As I started this class at the beginning of the semester, I was not in danger of having grades due. So, of course I would have to do some standardized testing. 

All in all, it went pretty well. For first period. 

For third period, I had absent students and the slow walkers. There are some students who need more time to do tests, and I get that. That's fine. But some students just kind of stare into space and/or sleep rather than getting the thing done. 

Day one I had planned on only testing that day. On day two, I hoped to get the stragglers and the absent students done. And that worked perfectly for period one. 

For third period, I had two students absent. Again. (One had been suspended, so that was going to be unavoidable.) And I had one student who took his time, so he did not finish. 

Which meant that on Wednesday, period three again had to work on the test. 

(This is a very, very long time for seventh graders. The students who were finished had other work to do, but I couldn't change things up a bit until all the tests were complete.) 

I had two students who were just starting the test, and I had two students who had started but were only half way done. 

The two students who were just starting? Yeah, they were playing the slow walking game. And I was not going to have it. 

I started hovering. 

As the test proctor, I had access to what question they were on, but I couldn't see anything else. (The test was online.) So, when the boy was on question 12 for a very long time, I went over and gently asked if the software was stuck. It wasn't. He got going again. 

When the girl was stuck on question 15, I went over to her. She was staring into space. I urged her to get back on task. 

One of the boys who had already started finished. Then the other boy finished. Woo-hoo! 

I went and hovered over the other two again. 

Then the girl finished. 

We had a half hour left of class. Then twenty minutes. Then fifteen...

The boy finished.

And it was all I could do to not throw my arms up in the air and shout "Woo-hoo!". 

I celebrated by putting a video on for the kiddos. One we had started before the testing. 

And then I closed out the software and deleted all the emails about the testing. Because I was done. 

Whew. 

The Retest

The prior week the kiddos had their first test. And it went rather well.  

One of the things the seventh grade science teachers have been doing, though, is offering a retest. Any kiddo who wants to gets the opportunity to redo the test, keeping the higher of the two scores. 

There's a catch. They have to do a review paper before they can take the test. 

Wednesday, first period. I had five students (out of a class of thirty), turn in the review. 

When I mentioned the review, several students who probably should have attempted a retake decided not to. "Too much work." Okay, then.

One student who wanted a retake? She got nineteen on her first attempt. Out of twenty. 

She wanted that perfect score. 

And she got it. 

(I had a few perfect scores. Many nineteens. And eighteens. Like I said, the test went rather well.) 

Fifth period. I had two students who had been absent on the day of the test, and four students who wanted a retake. 

Then, at the end of the period, a boy approached. He wanted to know what he could do to raise his grade. He had a C. His mom had threatened him with consequences if he didn't get his grade up to an A.

(One of the consequences was giving away his dog to his aunt. Which seems a bit harsh.)

His grades weren't bad. He had a few assignments where he didn't get full points. He had gotten a C on the test. (The test was 40% of their grade. This will dilute a bit once they've had more tests.) 

I guess I'm a soft touch. I said he could retake the test even though he hadn't done the review. 

And? He scored two points lower than his initial attempt. 

Ah well. He tried. (And he kept the higher score, so he didn't lose anything.) 

Of the retesters, about half gained a point or two. The other half lost a point or two. 

The New Cell Phone Rules

Because cell phones are an ongoing problem, at the end of the last school year the teachers at the middle school got together to come up with a school-wide policy. 

When I started this long-term assignment, I was filled in on the policy, and I've been enforcing it since the beginning. 

Basically, the students must leave their cell phones in their backpacks. (In the science class, the rule has been that the students leave their backpacks in the back of the room during class.) If I see the phone, I can take it. Depending upon how many infractions the student has, they can get it back at the end of class, or they must retrieve it from the main office. 

(I hear the 8th graders have really hated this policy, but the 7th graders don't know it was ever different.) 

I have not had to confiscate many phones. I remind the kiddos to keep them in their backpacks, and most have complied.

Thursday. Sixth period.

It was test day. We did a review Kahoot! I decided to award the winners prizes. Second place winner came up to get her prize... with her cell phone in her hand. Deep sigh.

It was her first offense, so she got the phone back at the end of the period. On the one hand I felt bad. She got punished for getting a prize. But then again, her phone wasn't where it was supposed to be.

A bit later, another student was called to the main office. The rest of the class was taking the test. When the student returned, I went over to her to let her know what she needed to do with the test. That's when I spied her cell phone sitting on her chair...

So, I got to confiscate another cell phone from another girl who hadn't given me any issues. Another deep sigh.

I guess I have to remind them daily to put their cell phones away in their backpacks. (I do actually announce it as the students arrive in class daily.) At least they're not using them in class, but it's a matter of time.

Because, they're not "forgetting" to put them away. They're sneaking them. They want the phones on them "for emergencies". And I understand. But I also know they don't have the maturity to leave them alone, so they really need to keep them away during class.

While the class was taking their test, I walked the room. I heard music. It was a phone ringing. From a backpack. 

I left that one alone. The phone was where it needed to be. And the ringing stopped after just a bit.

Bad Timing

Monday. I arrived early to get some stuff done. That's when I saw the email about the "social media threats". It was non-specific, and I really didn't want to know any more. We were assured that administration was dealing with the issue.

But, "threats". 

I wasn't terribly surprised when first period arrived and a third of the kiddos were missing.

And now I had a dilemma. The next class session they were to have a test. And while I had hinted at this test the prior week, I hadn't officially announced it. 

Luckily, they do have a Google Classroom.

So, I posted the study guide assignment in Google Classroom for the missing students, and we went on with our day.

(From what I've been able to pick up, the threats were directed at another school, but then picked up on social media towards other schools. Law enforcement was notified. Nothing happened at school that day.) 

When test day rolled around, some of the students who had missed were a bit surprised by the test. But, when I started the class back in August, I read through the syllabus with them, and I explained that it was the responsibility of the student to find out what they missed if they were out of school. 

I reminded them of this, and then I told them, "A good place to start is to see if I've put anything into Google Classroom." 

(I keep a list of the daily agendas in Google Classroom. I have since week two. I showed them all this.)

When I went to collect their study guides, I got a surprise. A couple students who had been absent actually had papers to turn in. They were a bit worried about having done it on paper (rather than the worksheets I had passed out that they didn't get because they were absent), but I assured them that paper was perfect. 

Some of them are paying attention. And some of them are trying. (Actually, more than some.) 

When I went to check, some of the absent students had actually done the assignment digitally. (Which was fine.) 

I mean, there are a whole bunch of students who didn't do it. But I was pleased how many had figured out how to take care of what they needed to do. (And as I accept late work, those that missed out can still turn it in.) 

This is excellent for seventh graders. I'm rather pleased.

And as for the test, it went rather well. The grades were pretty good on average.

Class Swapper

Last week was state testing. In the spring, the schools are all mandated to do these official tests that the state then uses to classify schools and check progress and that sort of thing. 

As a sub (even a long-term one), I was not required to proctor the testing. But I was required to be on campus. "My" classroom was being used to administer the test. So, I borrowed the desk of the class' co-teacher as she has a desk in the special ed learning center. 

The testing block was the first two hours of the day. You might think having to be on campus was a bad thing, but I had actual work to complete. The computer science classes had turned in their resumes, so I had to grade them. Then once I got those done, it was again time for progress reports, so I had school time to input grades.

Oh, and I also got the math classes' test and study guide for that test finalized. That took longer than expected as I forgot to include one of the problem types on the study guide. And there was one problem on the test that would not format no matter what I did.

(Every time I tried to move this triangle to the spot it should appear on the test, it vanished from the test. I won't go into how many times I tried things to get this to work. In the end, I had to just leave it where it was and modify the other questions to work around it.)

Just when I was back in the classroom...

The math teacher next door was also a coder at one time, so he's familiar with computer science. Mr. J had asked him to explain something to the computer science classes. But Dr. K had his own classes. Of course.

Well, there was a simple solution. We traded classes. Dr. K explained what the kiddos needed to know. And I watched Dr. K's kiddos take a test. I got the easy part.

Make Ups

Remember Jordan?

Jordan is in Mr. J's second period sophomore math class. She pretty much took the month of February off. And much of March. And April. She merited a blog mention when she was surprised her grade had dropped because of a missing test (that I didn't just cancel for her). 

Since I last mentioned her, we had another test in the math class. That put her two tests behind. 

Just after we took the second test (with me), Jordan managed to come to class and... gasp... make up that first test. And she did pretty well on it. (She didn't get an A, but she didn't fail it, either.) 

Tuesday. Jordan showed up to class. And she asked if she could make up that second test.

Well, of course she could.

While I was teaching the last lesson in our current unit, Jordan finally got caught up on her missing test. 

At the end of the period, Jordan turned in her test. And then she asked me, "Will this be in the gradebook right away?"

Ahem. 

Before she left, I restated something just for her that I had told the whole class. Thursday we'd do a study guide for a test that would happen on the following Monday. (By the time you see this post, that test will have happened.) 

Will she show up on Monday and stay up-to-date? I'm doubtful. But we'll see. 

(If you ask me in the comments, I'll be able to tell you whether she was there or not.) 

Oblivious Student and the Test

Second period integrated math 2. (Sophomore math. It used to be geometry before they changed the sequencing.) This is the one period that isn't co-taught, so it's just me and the 22 students. (It's a small group.)

Malakhi sits right up front. He's frequently late if he shows up at all. He asks to use the restroom and then is gone for twenty minutes. (The restroom is just around the corner, about two rooms away.) While I'm teaching, he is usually on his phone. Or asleep. And when they have time to practice the problems, he is again on his phone or asleep.

On Thursday the class had a test. On Tuesday I went over a study guide with basically all the same problems that were going to be on the test. 

On Tuesday, I emphasized the point: "Now's the time for any questions. If there's anything you don't understand..."

Malakhi spoke up. So, I re-explained the question I had just done. I solicited more questions. No one asked.

Thursday. They had had the test for maybe ten minutes when Malakhi asked to use the restroom. He was gone his usual twenty minutes. 

He returned. And then he slept. 

The students finished the test and turned it in. We were in the last five minutes. Malakhi still had his test. It was time to collect it, as he was the only one still with a test. 

Malakhi: "I don't know how to do this." 

His test was blank.

Deep sigh.

If I had not been available for questions, that would be one thing. (I discovered the secret of getting questions from the students--find the ones who are struggling and offer my help. It's kept me busy.) And the rest of the class has gotten better about actually asking for help. (Me: "Don't sit there stuck. Ask. This is literally my job.")

But Malakhi? Even when I hover, he doesn't ask. That's mostly because he isn't attempting the problems.

It's no wonder he doesn't know what to do.

But I can't do it for him.

(He expressed the same sentiment after the last test. I had not been in class to teach those lessons, though.)

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter

The Wrong Answer

I started the long-term math class right at the end of a unit on solving quadratic equations. All that was left was a study guide (that I went over with them) and the test.

The test...

(See yesterday's post for the explanation for why they didn't really learn anything about solving quadratic equations.) 

Grading the test, I saw how much they really didn't know. Deep sigh. If only I'd gotten to them sooner...

One boy clearly did not read the directions as he attempted to solve the equation using a different method than instructed. (He was supposed to use the formula, which was given on the test, but didn't.) His answer wasn't even close.

Then the next paper I graded... It was the exact same "solution" without using the formula. I went back and double checked. Sure enough, this whole paper was pretty much exactly like the first boy's. 

Then there was a third paper. Identical.

If the answers had been right, I wouldn't have noticed. But all of the wrong answers were the exact same wrong answers.

I graded a few more tests. Then I found a fourth paper identical to the other three.

*rolls eyes*

I mean, if you're going to cheat, you might as well cheat off of someone who knows what they're doing.

But no one in this group knew what they were doing. 

The worst part? I watched them. I stood in front of the class (and the four boys sat at the front of the room) and watched them take the test. I did not see them sharing answers. 

The Cheater

Thursday. Fifth period integrated math 2 (read: math for sophomores). They had a test.

Ms. L, the co-teacher, warned me about Adriel a couple days prior.

As Ms. L was going over the study guide for the test, I had noted that Adriel wasn't doing much of anything. I prompted him to get on task, which he ignored. I moved on to helping other students who had questions over what they'd be tested on.

Ms. L said that Adriel didn't do much in class besides watch his phone. And then she'd find that his computerized class assignments had him getting 100% after working on the problems for five minutes. (It should take a bit longer than that.) Clearly, he had found a way to game the system.

And, apparently, he had attempted to cheat on a test previously this school year.

On test day, Ms. L took her special ed students to test in a different room while I monitored those that weren't special ed identified. Mostly, kiddos don't attempt to cheat on tests, but this time I knew to watch Adriel. 

I didn't intend to make it obvious. However, Adriel was also watching me. 

All the other kiddos were focused on their tests. Occasionally they'd look up. Adriel? He wasn't looking at his test paper at all.

I didn't watch Adriel. But I kept an eye on him (as well as the others in class). I did not catch him on his phone. I did not catch him with anything he should not have. 

But that doesn't mean he didn't sneak something by me. I hope he did not. We'll see...

At least I know where to focus my attention. Although, any student who is watching me when they have something to work on is someone who I need to pay attention to anyway.