Ugh.

Very depressing grades this marking period. I am blaming myself right now. I did not contact parents often enough when kids didn't hand in major projects. Other years, I've immediately called the parents of any child who missed a big project. This year, I just let it slide. I did not provide enough extra help for students who were struggling with quizzes. I did not, I did not, I did not... There's another part of me that knows that it will all be okay. I have the records in my book to justify these grades; it's not MY fault if you never turn things in! My quizzes are so similar it's almost criminal to fail them after you've taken 2 or 3. But still I feel guilty. Another teacher who was happier this winter, who liked the subject matter enough to motivate the kids more - maybe they would have done better. I'm not looking forward to parent conferences this time around, as I'm going to look like the bad guy of all the teachers. *sigh* It's going to be a long week. I hate grading time.