A 12th grader smacked this down on top of my overhead projector today somewhere around the 8th time I asked him to please turn around, face the front of the classroom, and focus on Spanish. The 8 requests don't seem all that shocking, but this combination of spelling and handwriting definitely caught me off guard. I expect this from 1st graders, but not seniors.

The bottom line is that basic literacy is a problem in low-income schools, and it's holding kids back from success in every subject, not just English. It's a reminder to me to work on these basics. It's not just the ESL kids (spelling "cheek" as "chick") but every one of them that needs help.

1 Comment

1. Unknown on May 14, 2010 at 12:58 PM

   This perspective may surprise you but I believe that kid respects you. He was seething inside and his anger could have exploded during class. He didn't want that kind of a showdown with you. He wasn't angry at you or he would have said things.
   Instead he put a request on paper and waited until the end of class to give it to you. I think he is asking for space.