Passing Notes, Part 3

This note was not intercepted in class, but rather left in the instrument storage room on the desk of my colleague:

To: The music teachers

From: Some Kid

Music sucks, Mr. J don't care, I HATE music

Music sucks, Mr. F don't care, I HATE music

Music sucks, Mr. J don't care, I HATE music

Music sucks, Mr. F don't care, I HATE music

8th grade sucks, that's the only people they care about

8th grade sucks, I don't like Mr. J and Mr. F

8th grade sucks, they think they are so perfect

8th grade sucks, (this) is a wack school

Forge Score and Seven Years Ago

Randomly, during an eighth grade graduation rehearsal, I had this conversation with one of my administrators. I think it's important to make note of the fact that I have not proctored, witnessed, or provided security for any middle school test in two years. Remember that this is an administrator; one of my bosses:

Ms. S: "Mr. F, could you come sign this?"

Mr. F: "Sure. What is this?"

Ms. S: "Oh this. It's just a paper saying we had test security. Which we did, I just need you to sign."

Mr. F: "But I didn't..."

Ms. S: "No, no I know. I just can't forge ALL of the signatures, you know? That would look bad, so I just need you to sign."

Beyond the Fail

The fact that music, as a subject, is not factored in to a student's GPA at times makes it difficult to use the idea of receiving a good or even a passing grade as an incentive for students to come to class, to behave in class, to not curse in class, etc.. One small weapon in my arsenal of incentives is that while music is not a weighted class, a passing music grade is required for a student to graduate from high school. Passing my class is really not difficult. I would say it is insultingly easy, and this is no blithe admission; I wish I could make it harder. To pass my class, you really just need to:

• show up on time (the class meets 3 times a week)
• have a pencil
• participate in class sometimes
• read basic rhythmic patterns
• do the 3 homework assignments assigned all semester

Seriously. I may as well just make the only requirement be having a pulse.

So I can't help but think it's comical that one student, N, has failed my class three times since I have been teaching (in other words, every semester that I have been teaching), and is well on his way to a fourth time. This was apparently news to him (though he averages 75% attendance, 100% tardiness, and 0% clue as to how to read music):

N (in front of the whole class): What I gotta do to pass your class! I come! I do work! I hit the drum, bang bang. Why I'm not passing your class?"

Mr. F: "We can discuss this in private. I'm not sure everyone needs to know your business."

N (continuing): "Why everyone else passes but not me? They talking to me about graduation next year, but they say I gotta pass your class. I failed three times now."

Mr. F: "Seriously, let's talk after class."

N (still ignoring me): "You're holding me back from my life! I know people that started with me that have masters degrees, but I'm stuck in your class! You're stopping me from getting on with my life!"

He'll be back in the music room next fall.

The Pig Picture

D can be described as the dumbest smart kid in the eighth grade; completely lacking in common sense, D has a knack for acing standardized tests while failing at putting together a saxophone (seriously; and it's only 3 pieces).  And it is now evident that he is well on his way to medical school:

D (hysterical and sobbing): "Mr. F, I can't play in the concert tomorrow!"

Mr. F:  "Is everything alright?  You seem really upset."

D:  "I'm sick, and won't be in school.  Does that mean I'm going to fail?"

Mr. F:  "Of course not, D.  If you're sick, you're sick.  No hard feelings, hope you get better."

D (unable to hold back tears):  "I have swine flu!"

Mr. F: "Why would you come to school if you knew that?"

D: "Well I haven't been to the doctor yet, but I'm pretty sure I do."

D was back in the school the day after the concert, well enough and just in time to attend the eighth grade class field trip.   At no point was he actually diagnosed by a medical professional with swine flue, bird flu, or any flu at all, for that matter.  He said the trip was "a lot of fun".

Pete and Repeat

Since it's May, the school likes to let parents and students know their status for promotion into the next grade level for next year,  so they can prepare for Summer school, a repeated grade, deportation back to Yemen, etc....

Out of 56 middle school band students, 21 of them are considered "promotion in doubt", or 37.5 percent.

Out of 34 high school general music students, 16 are considered "promotion in doubt", a staggering 47 percent.

Combined, this means that roughly 41 percent of my students are likely to repeat the grade that they are currently in.  Assuming this rate of failure applies to the entire 6 - 12 student body of 430 students (not an outlandish proposition), then this means that 176 students will be repeating a grade.  

At this rate of retention, the population of the school will be 200% over capacity in a mere 3 years.

Almost made it

Efforts to avoid classwork increase in direct correlation to the temperature.  A student of mine, H, attempted to leave class having written and signed a pass for himself (without permission, of course).  I intercepted the pass, though even if I hadn't, I'm quite sure his attempt would have still be unsuccessful:

"Pass to the labbarary for H and D"

After I confiscated the pass, he made another attempt, albeit a cryptic one:

"Door

Don't go out"

I'm not really sure.

Jumping the shark

I never thought my blog would come to this, but...

You might teach in an urban school if:

- The presidential inauguration is viewed on cable stolen from the police

- The Principal creates a lottery system with prizes because there is  40% absence rate on rainy days

- One standardized test is administered to five students in five different languages (English, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Spanish, and Chinese)

- During "random scanning" day with metal detectors, police finding three knives and two sets of brass knuckles is a "good" day