blessing #10 - failure

My class is ridiculously unable to sit without talking when it's just myself in the room, but when the principal is in the room, they are as silent as a newborn rock.

*sigh* ...

~this was taken during our archaeological dig expedition in the class ... aren't they just adorable? :p

Lately my quizzes and tests (well, the ones my students take) are incredibly either high or low, rarely in-between as far as grades go. :/   ugh.   I can't do much when half of the class fails and the other half - that studied! - passes with flying colors (whatever THAT idiom means ) ... suggestions?  they need to know the material, but a good portion of the class is having trouble listening in class, and i'm sure i'm just a terrible teacher. ugh .... but the failures are a good thing, because maybe this is the wake-up call some parents need to start paying attention to their babies ...