4th hour

Last Thursday class was a bit of a mess!
As I think I wrote on the previous post, on Monday we worked with the structure of the emails, plus some tips of how to write them (using pronouns, possessive adjectives, contractions). I gave them a photocopy to have an example of a real one and I asked them to compose a five sentences email as homework to do. They were supposed to send the email to an electronic adress I gave them, before Wednesday 9pm. Well, the thing is that only 2 out of, 20ish students of the class sent me the email.

I was really disappointed. I tried to do my best, elaborating a personalizade email for them, taking their preferences, hobbies and so on. I explained to them, we went over what they were supposed to do and so...Only to realized that two of them had sent it. I felt totally stupid and not being taking seriously. So the following session, this Thursday I had a serious talk with the class.

I told them how I felt they let me down, and that I thought I wasn’t asking too much. Only five sentences, with a list of vocabulary I already gave them, with a copy of one to inspire them...I think it was a pretty easy task to do. Some of them used the excuse that they didn’t have computer or the internet was broken. Which in the vast majority of cases is totally false, because two days ago we were talking about what do they use computers for. And all of them told me about printers, Facebook, MSN, scanners and so on. I discarted the lack of technology at home as a valid excuse.

I tried to show them the effort that I was putting in this unit, using only original content made by me, because I wanted to teach them while having as much fun as we could, trying to avoid the “John and Mary” typical workbook exercises. I also told them that my grades were as valid as my tutor’s one, and that she will take them seriously to elaborate the final grade. I asked them if they don’t see me as a “real teacher” or what was going on. Why they didn’t give out the homework? I chatted a bit about the effort culture and what do they want and expect.

After this ten minuts where I was talking, they didn’t mess around, neither talk. I confessed them that I like to teach and I like them as a class, but they should change their attitude, because I was going to grade them anyway and still ask for homework to do.

After that, we went to the ICT’s room, to do a collaborative writing in a Simpson’s wiki I had created in the Didactica Especifica classes. Since it was late when we started the class at the computers room, I asked them to finish the writing for Monday. Tomorrow we will see how many of them had turned the homework.

As I remember from the CAP classes I told them that they could send it or print it and give it to me, until Friday, but they will get a lower percentage of the grade. However, a lower grade is more desireable than a zero. Only few more students gave me the homework in this second chance. What’s the matter??!

This is pretty much all. Let’s see how the ICT activity turns out and see how this final week of my unit goes on.