Spelling List Racket

Yeah the spelling lists were a racket.

Pre-test on Monday.

Attach homework assignment.

Write a sentence for each word on the list.

Due tomorrow.

On tuesday go over the "homework".

Another half period used.

Give the test on Friday.

Group correct test on Friday.

Another period burned.

Two to two and a half classes per week dedicated to fifteen spelling words and fifteen sentences.

40 to 50 % 0f instructional time.

40 t0 50% of preparation time.

Result: we discovered who had dyslexia.

Result: we found out who could spell whch might mean that they could read or write.

Result: We found out who could memorize.

Result: We found out who would do their homework.

Result: We found out those who put their learning at a low priority because unless a person was dyslexic, what possible reason could a student have for not getting 100% on a fifteen word test that they already were given the answers to four days earlier and had those answers reviewed, three days earlier.

Result: We had numbers in our Bardeens to justify elevating the kids who could read, the kids who could spell, the kids who could memorize, the kids who did their homework, the kids who followed instructions, the kids who could re-gurgitate. 

And everybody loved it

Result: We had numbers in our Bardeens to bury everybody else.

Including the dyslexics

who didn't know the difference between god and dog anyways.

Back in the day, spelling lists helped us achieve three of our major purposes.

Identify the winners.

Identify the losers.

Identify the mediocre.

In this way, we could

a) spend more time with the winners.

b) bury the losers

c) tolerate the mediocre.

Every so often a loser would get sick of being buried and would try to move up to being tolerated.

Rarely

Every so often a mediocrity would chafe at toleration and want to be included amongst the winners but more often the chafing resulted in a bond with the losers and yet another behavioral problem.

To be buried

Since the winners could actually learn, it was most effective to spend most time teaching them.

Since the losers couldn't slash wouldn't learn, it was best to get them out of the classroom somehow and if that wan't possible, herd them over to the corners where they could all not pay attention together.

Or pay attention to things that didn't matter.

Like being cool.

And as far away from the winners as possible

The mediocrities.

Who cares?

There's always a place for dull tools.

Where would we be without hammers?

They might be able to learn something but God forbid they learn too much.

There's s difference between a hammer and an axe.

Make sure you've got that straight next time your hanging a picture in the living room.

They might chafe and rebel and become losers

To be buried.

This is why God created Bardeen's.

Crowd control.