I wish I could use this girl’s real name, because it’s better than anything I could make up. Let’s call her “Wander.” She’s much smarter than the failing grade she’s getting, but she is very lackadaisical about doing her homework, and equally so in the classroom.
I make them copy most of the warm ups into their notebooks, so the info gets reinforced, and so they have something to study later (not that they do or anything). They also have to click in their answers for the record. So all the warm ups are “copy and click.” But I always (daily) tell them that they can also “click and copy” so that their click is recorded before the timer runs out, and then if they need extra time to copy, they can do that while we talk about the answer.
The other day, “Wander” ran out of time again on a warm up question, and didn’t get clicked in.
“I was still copying, and I forgot to click.”
“You can always click first, and THEN copy. See, you can keep copying after the timer runs out, but you can’t click.”
“Why didn’t you tell us that before?”
The class roars.
“I did. I remind you almost every day.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I don’t really pay attention.”
No way, really?
As we say in the South “Bless her heart!” If it makes you feel any better, I teach high school kids and they are just as scatter-brained. Also, if you watch very closely and listen very carefully, you will notice that many of your co-workers are just like your kids. . .
I have a little boy in my class like that. I think he is ADD. He can’t follow directions unless I get his attention and give them to him specifically.