Keith,
Sounds like you are between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
Probably the best you can do about the past is try to diffuse the
situation. Perhaps you can come up with some kind of a compromise that
everyone can live with. It seems to me the critical issue is the future.
Hopefully, you can do something to avoid this sorry state from occuring
again. If this is the first semester of a two semester course you really
have your work cut out. If you get to start over with a fresh batch of
students you have a better chance.
First I think you need to identify the causes of this difficulty. Are your
expectations too high, are the students lacking prerequsite skills, are the
students not doing the work, are you an ineffective teacher? Perhaps all these
contibute something to the problem. My suggestions:
1. Verify your standards by comparing your tests with those of other teachers
and with standardized tests including those from textbook publishers, NY State
regents exams, review texts (25 yrs ago I used AMSCO review books. Are they
still around? I still use my old book for test questions.), achievement tests
from the college board folks and ACT, and advanced placement tests.
2. Survey the students to determine what they know already. They may not
understand a word you are saying because they have never been exposed to
or have not learned material which you assume they have mastered. Find out
what science and math classes they have already had, who there teacher was, and
what their grade was. Give them an inventory test to determine which of the
skills you assume they have mastered are actually available to them. If you
find students who have gotten an A in math through pre calc, yet when told to
solve F = ma for a they can not then at least you know where the problem is.
When we give a math assessment test at our community college we find it common
for students with B grades in math through pre Calc to place in either our
arithmetic or intro algebra courses. Less than 5% of the ones I've seen are
actually ready for Calc I! Once you see where the students are, you must meet
them where they are. If there is a big spread you may want to work on some
tracking system so those that are prepared can actually learn Physics.
3. Make sure the students know what is expected of them. Give quizes,
practice tests, grade homework, etc. so there are no surprises on the tests.
4. Look at the assignments you give the students. Are they appropriate in
the work they require and do they lead to the desired results? Are the
students doing the work? Do the students do the work with the right frame of
mind and the right attitude? Attitude means a lot in HS and you can make a
big difference in attitude. It does neither you nor the student any good to
get a poor performance and it wastes a lot of tax dollars. You and the
students have to form a team to get the most out of the tax dollars. Convey
this attitude to them and get them to work with you and you work with them!