Today, while observing in my cooperating teacher's Multicultural Film Studies Course, I was able to get a glimpse of student grades. They are posted on the wall in the classroom with student ID numbers, and they were recently updated because there are only a few weeks left of the third quarter.
I was stunned to see how many zeros appeared on that grid; it reminded me of the target I used to have as a child for my bow and arrow. It was literally filled with "holes." I thought to myself, "Wow, these students really don't take this course seriously, do they? I'm going to have my work cut out for me!" Then I began to wonder why they don't really complete the assignments. In his first film studies course of the day, I quickly found out. The class was watching Pineapple Express, the latest stoner movie to hit the heads of ever teenager in America. It was, as Mr. Lace confirmed, the movie the students selected for their "Student Choice" selection.
Here's an idea: students who haven't completed a crumb of work for the entire quarter shouldn't be able to watch this film. If this were my classroom (Ugh! If only it was!) the students with an incomplete would not have been given the privilege of voting.
In the beginning of class, he also reminded students that their screenplays would be due next week, and he had only received one rough draft so far. I asked some students if they had started theirs, and I received a unanimous "NO!" One student said, and I quote, "We are all basically here to enjoy the movies, then we realize suddenly, 'Wait! We have to do work, too?'" It got me thinking about the difference between film studies and simply movie watching. There is a difference!
My cooperating teacher continually reminds me from week to week that I should start out with something that will surely captivate the students. I plan on using "The Battle of Algiers," which I am positive will knock the socks off my students, even if there aren't continual bong hits and references to the kush weed that seems so cool to these kids. Ugh. I just had to vent. Sorry.
