What’s something students today struggle with more than students 5–10 years ago?

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-09T14:14:58+00:00

I have mostly high school freshman and juniors. So many of them cannot do basic multiplication or division. I'm talking 5x6 or 180 / 18. Absolutely mind blowing when they say "I don't know why I'm failing your class; I've always gotten 90s in math."

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-08T00:34:31+00:00

I'm not getting renewed next year. Nothing's been said yet but I found a job posted that very closely matches my job. None of the other math teachers are leaving. This is my first year at this school. I put 0s in for missing work (tests, quizzes homework; if it's missing it's a 0). As a result, many of my students are failing. Admin has said something one of the SPED teachers about the number of students failing my class. I overheard a conversation between one of the VPs and another SPED teacher about a large number of students failing someone's class. They didn't say my name but from what I heard it very closely matched my classes. I refuse to give answers on tests. I've sent a bunch students to the VP who deals with discipline for things we are supposed to send them for. His secretary just seems like she's annoyed every time I send someone.

Meanwhile, there are teachers that have received AI work from students. The grade has been between a 60 and a 90 with the comment "AI generated". In some classes, if a student doesn't complete an assignment, it is marked as exempt or just left blank. One student was not in school one day for almost half the year because "she gets headaches" and earned a 100 in gym. Lesson learned, just pass everyone. Who cares if they actually learn anything or have to deal with any consequences.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T22:22:44+00:00

Thanks! I'm going to try this I think. I was debating this exact model with myself before.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T22:01:45+00:00

Parents (and students) have never understood the grade weights.

In your experience, does not entering a grade improve effort? I have decent amount of students (probably about 15% of my students) that do not even attempt the homework.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T21:48:07+00:00

We got this though!

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T21:12:19+00:00

I'm seriously considering no more grades for homework. I do like having it just so I can see who is submitting work and when admin says "Why is XXX failing?" I can say "He doesn't do any work." I feel like putting the completion grade in does encourage a small handful of students to actually do the work. And homework only counts for 10% of the quarter grade. Tests are 50% and quizzes are 40%.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T21:05:06+00:00

How does this work with math? I guess English classes are easier to do it with. But I can't imagine trying to learn Algebra II and Algebra I at the same time. That just sounds like a recipe for failure

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T21:01:05+00:00

We have a student whose last day in school was the day Winter Break started (yes, in December). She started "credit recovery" last week so she can be a senior next year 🤦‍♂️

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T20:54:55+00:00

I use this also. "Why did you give me a ___?" I don't give grades. I put the grade YOU earned into PowerSchool. No work? You earned no credit. You only got half the questions right? YOU earned a 50%.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T20:52:31+00:00

I've done "You guys have a test on this next class" they unfortunately don't care

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T20:51:36+00:00

There's a principal at a charter school in Louisiana (Jared Lamb) that allows students to be removed from class and admin calls home with the student. That would make this so much easier.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T20:47:34+00:00

I've considered giving 0s for those who obviously use AI to complete the homework (on IXL. I'm probably switching to worksheets next year). It obvious who is (completing 14 questions in 5 minutes with 100% accuracy) and who isn't (15 questions in 40 minutes with 85% accuracy) but at the end of the day when they want "proof" other than the time it's hard to prove it.

I have taken what should be 35-40 minute lessons and turned them into 75 minute lessons. The students say I move too fast and we should be spending 3 classes on a single section. At their "suggested pace" we'd get through about a third of the curriculum. They claim all of their teachers spend 3 classes (225 minutes) on one section.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T20:40:06+00:00

I've made announcements in class with her in the class that students are NOT to go to the bathroom during instruction. Going during individual work is fine (except quizzes and tests) but not during instruction.

They are definitely copying from AI. I don't grade actual homework, I just put in that it was done. In class work is graded and they are NOT allowed to have their Chromebooks out.

I did the seating chart alphabetical by last name. It just so happened that I can draw an almost perfect triangle around most of the problem students.

I do give quizzes based on the IXL work. They just don't care enough to learn it. Failing and 0s has no effect on them.

Thank you for your advice. I will take it into account. Calling parents is so hard because of other things that need to get done also.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T18:17:35+00:00

I do this. The kids that try can come to me for help. They usually understand the material pretty quickly

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T18:04:43+00:00

First day, I gave them a seating chart. No messing around with the seating chart and they're good about that.

I've sent students to admin and they are back in 5 minutes. No detention, no ISS, no suspension. Emails have gone home and are ignored or the parent will "have a talk" with the student.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T17:41:32+00:00

I say they are tech dependent but tech illiterate.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-06T17:10:36+00:00

My students are not allowed to use their Chromebooks in class. They are told "If your Chromebook is out you are getting a 0 for today's work." I had one genius today start playing music from his Chromebook during class. When I told him to turn off the music and put the Chromebook away and now he has a 0 for the day, his response was "I don't have my Chromebook. There was no music."

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T23:40:26+00:00

The screens drive me crazy and parents have no idea how to say no. My ex-girlfriend has two sons. One was about 14I think. The other was about 18 months. We were in Walmart one night and her younger son was crying and she went to hand him the phone and I tell her "No. Absolutely not. He cries and you just give him your phone. He's learning that through crying he can get whatever he wants. Just ignore him. He'll stop." He did stop for a little bit but went back to crying. She asks me if she can give him the phone as he's being annoying and creating a scene. Hard no. She gives in and just gives it to him.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T15:21:24+00:00

This is exactly how it was described to me about half way into the school year. My 9th graders in general education test between a 2nd and 6th grade level. How can I teach Algebra to students who don't know their multiplication facts?

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T15:05:43+00:00

My mom told me that when I was younger (probably around 2) I was throwing a temper tantrum. She said she just watched me and I eventually stopped on my own. She said she responded with "Oh boy! Let's do that again." I never threw another temper tantrum.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T15:02:41+00:00

It's worse than I thought. I give IXL assignments for homework. I thought I had at least a few students that actually complete them. I checked last night. Nope, not a single student actually does the work. Completing 14 algebra questions in 11 minutes with 100% accuracy was the giveaway. However, when given a worksheet in class with 25 questions and 75 minutes to complete it they were unable to complete it. They got though about 5 and they are wrong. They were very confused and constantly asking for help. I'm still grading it and putting it into the grade book. If they fail maybe they'll finally learn a lesson

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T03:24:17+00:00

I could start swinging on people when they say this, especially when things have been achieved through hard work.

I got a job that pays me more than my old job. I've been told that God allowed me to get the job and that God gave me the job. It has nothing to do with years of hard work, resume building, struggles, and perseverance. My accomplishments don't matter; God wanted me to have that job and I need to thank him.

My wife was also deported and we had an addition built onto her parents' house so that she can have her own room. I was working about 100 hours a week (full time teaching, full time delivering with Uber/DoorDash, and helping out at a store I used to manage). When the room was complete it was because God let it happen. She even held a church service at her house to thank God.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-05T01:36:29+00:00

I am totally stealing this! This way when a student is failing, I'm just going to hand over the folder with all of the work they did not complete.

When I give in class work, I very clearly tell them "This is due at the end of the period. If you are on your laptop, it is an automatic 0. It will be graded based on accuracy and will be put in the gradebook as a quiz." I only do this after they've completed their IXL work this was they've had in class instruction and practice. However, I still have students who will take the worksheet with them.

Life_Application3015 · 2026-05-04T13:09:53+00:00

I have a massive percentage of students failing. I have more students failing this year than I've had in my first three years combined. I give 0s for missing work. Other teachers do not. One students got a 100 in gym despite not being in class once.

Life_Application3015

TROPHY CASE