It's the end of the school year...almost

On Friday, I had my last day of teaching normal classes for the school year.  I use the term normal classes because the system works here completely different from schools in the states.  Twelfth grade actually finished their final exams two weeks ago, but because they still have to take their national exams (required for graduating 8th and 12th grades) they continue taking classes to prepare them for these exams.  There is no more homework and no more grades, but they are still expected to come and be on their best behavior to prepare for these mandatory exams.  On Friday, I had three students.  I have to say it is not my favorite system.  While 12th grade takes their final exams and then classes for national tests, all the other grades are still on the normal schedule.  The last day of classes for 9th, 10th, and 11th grades was on Friday.  Now those grades enter into a week and a half of final exams, so I no longer am teaching them, but I am still continuing to give class to the few 12th grade students that decide to make an appearance. 
Friday felt like a day of madness.  In addition to having final exams, the students are required to complete a final project for each class.  As much as I tried to convince my students not to leave the project to the last minute, the majority did not heed my advice.  On Friday (the due date of their final project), I suddenly have a mad rush of students asking questions, and then even more questions as they receive grades much less than they had anticipated mostly because despite reading through the description of the project multiple times in class, they still did not follow them. 
Right at the start of the day I had one student come to me and ask "Miss, when is the project due?" My response was "I believe you were sleeping when I told the class the due date of the project on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Find somebody who wasn't."  I had another student tell me "I'm going to fail the semester no matter what, so I'm not going to do the project." He then proceeded to ask me if I thought it was worth it to take the final exam.
Looking back on this past school year, I cannot say these are unusual circumstances.  I have seen a huge lack of motivation in many students.  So much so that finding students that are highly motivated is surprising.  After the first month of school, I wondered if I would get anywhere with these students.  Looking back at the school year, I have seen some students go backwards but so many others make improvements. Some made huge improvements from failing first semester to having the fourth highest grade in the class, and other just small improvements, but I take anything I can get. 
After my first year, I love teaching these kids.  I love the students that I have even the most difficult students.  God has opened so many doors to share the Gospel whether it be one on one during lunch break or to the whole class as I broke from teaching math to answer students about who I think is "good enough" get to heaven with the response that no one is good enough but that it is by God's grace demonstrated through the death and resurrection of Christ.  I know that this is where God wanted me to be this year, and I believe it is where He wants me to be for at least the next year.
Although normal classes are over, there is still another week and a half of final exams and 12th grade classes.  After that week and a half is over, I still have another week of closing out the school year, while giving classes for students that failed either first or second semester in preparation for their "completivos" which are essentially second chance exams.  If they fail those exams they have a third chance to take "extraordinarios" which are in the two weeks before school starts in August.  Needless to say, it is very difficult to actually fail a class.
After I finish the school year, I will go to Monte Plata where I have been working the last five summers for a couple weeks, and then return home in the middle of July. The madness is far from over, but I am happy that I no longer have to make lesson plans and lose my voice from teaching all day.