Frustration Reared Its Ugly Head

This is the first week we have a hope for a 5-day week in at least a month, and my students have forgotten that the purpose of school is to learn. They are at school to socialize. I've spent part of my precious instructional time in every subject correcting and admonishing students. They turn around. They leave their seats to wander. They talk. They pass notes. All of these behaviors while I'm teaching! Do they not know me at all????

So today they got the full tirade. For a full 10 minutes I lectured them on the purpose of school and their job as students. I spoke eloquently (and emphatically) about coming to school to learn versus coming to school to just be there. I told them that if they still can't simplify a fraction, the fault is theirs, not mine because I HAVE TAUGHT IT OVER AND OVER AND THEY HAVEN'T LEARNED IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WANT TO LEARN AND PAYING ATTENTION IS WHAT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LEARN DO. I also promised failing grades to students who weren't learning what had been taught because I'm doing my very best and I expect them to do their very best, too. I don't think I've ever been as frustrated with a group of students.

I hope this helps. They sure did sit up straight and start paying attention.