[etni] School/Yeary/Magen

From: "David R. Herz" <drh16@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:01:45 +0200
You all make it seem so benign.  It is not.  The school grade is expected to
accord, in large part, to the Bagrut grade.  If it does not, there is hell
to pay.  Thus, if I have a strong three point class that wants to push
itself and shoot for four (I know I am dreaming, but aren't these what a
teacher is supposed to do: inspire students to step out of themselves and
never give up on them), there is pressure for me to align my grades lower so
that it will match the Bagrut, all their effort by damned.  Or if I have a
bright but lazy class that deserves a bunch of zeroes for ignoring projects,
assignments and so forth to work on a Purim Carnival, there is pressure to
make up any old piece of crap project and give a grade that will accord with
the Bagrut, this time the lack of effort be damned.
 

Both of these actually happened to me in the context of one four point class
of mine.  I have the following before, so you can ignore it if you've read
it before.  I had a group that worked like dogs (in this case mostly
Ethiopian, of which some did not have great prospects on the exams), and a
group that pretty much ignored me and did what it wanted.  When the white
kids saw that their grades were going to suck, instead of coming to me and
making up the work, which was all class work and which they had ample
opportunity to do, they complained to the administration, which decided to
replace my grades with matkonot and jimmy up some projects.  Thus, the
Bagrut became close to 100% of the grade anyway.

 

I will admit to having been a relatively new teacher and not having yet
mastered the art of inspiration, but the whole system operates to undermine
it anyway.  The focus is the Bagrut and not learning.  When I tried to tell
my students that what is important to my class is learning, they predictably
laughed in their sleeves.  When I tried to set my grading system up in
accord by giving credit for doing the assignment without attaching a grade,
and giving the opportunity to correct tests to make up the grade etc., my
Ethiopian students brought up their grades, and the native Israelis . . .
well, I don't know what they did.  It doesn't help that I despise the whole
notion of grading schemes anyway and would give everyone hundreds if I
could.

 

It is said that when a student acts out, it is a symptom that something is
wrong with how the teacher is running the class.  If a teacher is reaching
and communicating with his students, then outbursts would not be happening
or would at least be minimized.  By this standard, I was a complete failure.
Maybe I just did not give myself the time to become a great teacher, and
learn how to put all the institutional impediments to the side.  I could be
a great teacher, but I have another credential (I am a lawyer), and legal
clients sometimes appreciate what you do for them, and pay much better for
the services provided.

 

I must say that I greatly admire those of you who continue to reach students
despite all the institutional barriers.  Without you, this world would be a
much poorer place, including those of you with whom I have clashed over HOTS
and such drivel.  But I don't have the will to conform myself to such a
cracked system.

 

Al my best,

 

David R. Herz

drherz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

www.educatingisrael.com

Bet Rimon

052-579-1859

 



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[etni] School/Yeary/Magen

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