The "Ms. Bruce" I Was..

This  is the first gift
I received from a student
in either 2002 or 2003.
His name was Farzad Aleem.
Even though he failed the class,
he still respected me...
and I appreciated that.

A policy in my former school system states that teachers who teach classes that meet everyday input four grades a week, while teachers who teach classes that meet every other day input two grades per week. It was expressed to our English department that these grades be meaningful and one of them be an assessment. Well...I could not meet said expectations. Here is my rationale and the actual letter I sent to the Assisstant Principal in charge of the English Department. I guess I was lucky that no further action was taken...?
: - )

Dear {Edited because no one cares anymore},

Honestly, I was not going to respond to the professional responsibility form. I teach Research and College Summit, two electives in the English department. I take my classes very seriously, jumping at the opportunity to teach them new things in innovative ways. To that end, my classes did not have two grades per week because of the curricula and teaching methods I choose to employ to reach my students. I’m not trying to be insubordinate; I’m trying to give my students a healthy dose of reality. I want my students to be lifelong learners who feel high school is more than just HSAs and unnecessary hassles. It’s not that I think grades don’t have anything to do with the real world; I don’t have a problem with students being rated on their achievement. I just think making sure they have a chance to master concepts (instead of merely memorizing and regurgitating them for a fair grade) is far more important.

The Research class introduces many new concepts to the students, and I often take time to address concerns and discuss practical examples in class. My Research classes will have 11 or 12 grades at the end of the quarter, which I think is acceptable for about eight weeks of work at the level I expect it to be completed. I have devised a new system that will give you the data you desire for the 3rd and 4th quarters without compromising the integrity of the class.

College Summit is a sore subject for me, however. I have repeatedly told my students that I am preparing them for college. In college, they will not be given complimentary grades for warm-ups or book work. In fact, they may only receive four or five grades for an entire semester. That being said, I conduct College Summit as an advisory, trying to fortify my students with all the skills they need to be young adults. I try to address all the issues that other classes don’t. I honestly do not feel it is necessary to grade everything (every discussion, every time someone cries, every time expresses that they don’t want to live, which has happened at least three times already this year) just like all the academic classes must. My class is about personal growth, not necessarily academic gain. I assess my students; I do not want that to be misunderstood. I am more concerned, however, that they communicate with their parents, receive honest information about the choices they have for postsecondary education, and make healthy decisions than I am with them having two grades a week. All I can say is that 3rd and 4th quarters will be different. I will give you what you want. The 2nd quarter College Summit grade books will be submitted with seven grades, however, because I will not “pad” the grades to meet the policy. The students who always work hard have grades to show their work, and many have progressed and stepped up to the challenge of doing work that matters with a level of excellence. Whether I had six grades or 16 grades, the students who are going to work always do so.
If you would like a copy of the curriculum I use for Research class, any of the PowerPoints I send my students to help them with understanding writing skills, or a copy of the book they use as a reference, I would be happy to supply them. If you would also like to discuss how I use the Navigator as a part of the College Summit class, I would be open to a meeting with you and/or {edited because, once again, nobody cares}.

Sincerely,

Tyauna Bruce