The Downside of Spring

Blog originally published April 16th.

Ugh.

Stayed up too late last night having fun with friends, but I'm paying for it now.

Working with 4th period now-- which is typically the angelic focused class-- but they're all over the place today.

Adding to tired grumpiness and crazy 4th-period'ers is the job situation stress: EVERYONE at my school, which is closing down (have I mentioned that...?) is freaking out about jobs, and it is so CONSTANTLY tense.

Adding to tired grumpiness, crazy 4th'ers, and stressed out teachers is the fact that close to 30% of students have skipped class this week.

It's sunny. It's warmer. We're doing standardized tests in the morning, so many kids don't even NEED to show up until 11:15, at which point, they simply don't.

I saw two boys that were absent yesterday at a nearby cafe, when I was driving home after school. Today, I pulled them aside.
"I saw you yesterday at the cafe, but you were gone in class. Tell me... is there ANYTHING I can do to help get you folks to class?"
They were a flurry of protestations and denials.
"No, I'm asking sincerely, I'm truly soliciting your opinion: I know it's spring, the weather's getting nicer... I know that kids are going to want to skip... So what can I do to get people to still come to class?"

"It's not you," one kid replied. "I just didn't feel like coming. There's nothing you can do, it's just us."
I sighed. "We put a lot of effort into planning lessons for you guys that are engaging, and interesting, Kyle. When you don't come... it's hard not to take it personally."
He shrugged. "It's not you. I just didn't want to go."

Last Friday, when we had similarly low attendance, one kid in 5th period said, "So we're talking about Africa and then starting the book, right?"
"Yeah!" I said, laughing. "Do you guys talk to each other out in the halls about what we're doing in class that day?"
He grinned and nodded. "That way we can decide whether or not to come!"
My smile disappeared. "So..." I paused. "How should I interpret the fact that so many people are missing?"
His grin disappeared as well. He shrugged.

It's hard not to take it personally.

I posed the same question to our sparse 4th period today. "We're coming up on the really nice weather. What can I do to get people to come to class? I'm a new teacher, I'm trying to do the best I can to get things right, so tell me: from YOUR perspective... How do I keep you all from skipping class?"
The suggestions were random and mostly joking.
"Give us cupcakes every day!"
"Let us go outside!"

Viola has warned me about the utter disintegration of student focus when taking a class outside. I sighed.

It's not me, they say. Viola, the student, other teachers, say. It's not me. But when I plan these lessons that I think are fun, engaging, IMPORTANT... and 30% of our classes simply don't show up...?

It's hard not to take it personally.