Ugh. High School. Post #2

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Introduction
Ugh. High School. Post #1

Sorry that it has taken so long to get this post published. I've been enjoying life a little too much so take my lack of blogging as I sign that things are going pretty good.

Anyways, back to high school.

This post is more centered around those wanting insight on what a day in high school is like. Whether you're a parent trying to make sense of what your child's going through because, well, they refuse to speak to you, yet alone tell you about their day or maybe a thirteen year old who's only known thoughts of high school came off of Lizzie McGuire.

Either way, I'm here for you.

High school is like a big hot mess with a pile of "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm just gonna go with it" slapped on top. And sprinkled with the occasional fabulousness, because even the worst things can shine with a little greatness at times.

I should throw a few things out there before I go any further though:

There aren't really any defined cliques. We don't get half an hour in the hallways. The food sucks. Most girls are too busy worrying about how they look, to notice how you look. The food sucks. Kids can be mean. A lot of teachers allow us to use our phones, so don't get alarmed when we text you during class about something. The food sucks. There are more weird people than you ever want to see in your life in that building. Did I mention, the food sucks?

Now that we got that out of the way, a day in the life of a teenager in my high school goes a little like this:

First we have this teacher who is solely responsible for 75% of the reported tardies that take place in our school along with 90% of dress code infractions. Most teachers are kind enough if your a couple seconds away from class when the bell rings, but oh no, not this lady. Ten feet away from your first period? Tardy. You already checked in with your teacher, but you forgot to get a note? Tardy. Even if she just happens to get a glimpse of you, SHE. WILL. TRACK. YOU. DOWN. It's awful to say the least, and don't even get me started on dress code. I sincerely hope none of you or your children have a teacher like this and if so, I'll pray for you. Hard. I'll pray for you very, very, very hard.

At my school we have four blocks, each an hour and a half long. We have 25 minutes for lunch (and we spend a majority of it in line, but that's another rant). We get five minutes in the hallway, which sounds like a lot of time, but there are some flaws. It is IMPOSSIBLE to use the restroom, go to your locker, and get to your class. Even if you don't need to go to your locker, the girls' bathrooms are always so crowded there's just no hope. The worst part is, teachers can't get that through their minds when we ask to use the bathroom during class.

Speaking of teachers, a majority of the teachers that top my favorites list, are from high school. The poor things are over stressed and under paid (actually, all teachers are but, I'm gonna roll with it), but somehow they get the job done. Honestly if you're a teacher of any grade level, kudos to you.

In my state we have had EOGs (end of grade) tests all the way up until eighth grade in both reading and math with the occasional science EOG in fifth and eighth. When you reach high school you take EOCs (end of course), although the only EOCs you have to take are in Algebra I, biology, and English II. Other than that, as long as you only miss a certain amount of days (it varies from county to county and depends on your average in that class), you can get away with only having to take a minimum amount of tests in your high school career. Just recently they've added what they call MSLs or the Common Exams which you now have to take in every single class unless it already has an EOC or CTE (it's a test for all of the career oriented classes and they're usually no big deal). The only classes that they've yet to make an MSL for are foreign languages, P.E., band, and theater  So for example, if I'm taking chemistry, pre-calculus, English II, and P.E. in one semester I'd have to take two MSLs and one EOC, where before as long as I didn't miss x amount of days, I'd only have to take the English II EOC. Not only that, but they're using the results of the MSLs to "grade" the teachers on how well they teach. But I should probably get off my soap box before I go any further.

I feel like I should cover more, but I feel I'm just kind of rambling so if you have any questions, ask away! I'll be sure to answer them in my next high school post.

So this is what a typical American high school is like in shortened form. Of course I'm sure certain things vary from state to state, even county to county, but this has been my experience. Thanks for reading.

Have a fabulous Saturday.


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Ugh. High School. Post #3
Ugh. High School. Post #4