Oh my gosh. It's finally here and it's over!
We just had a half day today and we didn't actually have any classes. It was more of a clean-up-your-classroom day. Students are allowed to come, but lunch isn't served, there isn't a bell schedule, and basically they just wander.
I had to finish up some paperwork, so I didn't get to start cleaning up my classroom until about 9:30. Talk about a quick clean up! My room felt like a disaster and I had until our faculty luncheon at 12:00pm. Yikes.
Somehow it worked out though! There are still a few little things I would have liked to clean up, but for the most part, it is taken care of. Summer here I come!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Teacher drawings
At the end of the year, the art classes draw huge, poster-sized drawings of almost every faculty member. The art teacher helps with touch-ups, but for the most part, the students do it all. The posters are then hung up by the main office. One of my students drew mine, so today I had him hold it up so I could take a picture.
A couple weeks ago when he was explaining the project to me, first of all, I had no idea what he was talking about because I haven't been at Centennial. I asked him why he chose me, and he said that no one else knew who I was. How flattering. Besides that, he said that the smile he drew was a crazy one...as in it made me look like I need to be in an insane-asylum. Isn't he just charming? Well, here's the picture, so you can decide for yourself:
Isn't it great? I was the only teacher with curly hair. And the glasses aren't half bad. My eyes aren't blue, but hey, I can't be too picky, right?
-Ms. Damron-
A couple weeks ago when he was explaining the project to me, first of all, I had no idea what he was talking about because I haven't been at Centennial. I asked him why he chose me, and he said that no one else knew who I was. How flattering. Besides that, he said that the smile he drew was a crazy one...as in it made me look like I need to be in an insane-asylum. Isn't he just charming? Well, here's the picture, so you can decide for yourself:
Isn't it great? I was the only teacher with curly hair. And the glasses aren't half bad. My eyes aren't blue, but hey, I can't be too picky, right?
-Ms. Damron-
"Five doesn't even exist."
My principal put a self-evaluation sheet in my box today. There were four categories and you were supposed to give yourself a number: 4 being "proficient and competent" and 1 being "needs improvement" so to speak. I filled it out and brought it to him during my prep period. I asked him if there was anything else I needed to fill out. I had given myself a 3, then a 4, then a 3. The last category was "Professionalism" and I felt like I could give myself a good score on that one. Well, what do you know, I gave myself a 5.
So when my principal was looking over the self-evaluation, he said, "You gave yourself a five. Five doesn't even exist." I quickly responded by saying, "It does in my book!" He just laughed and said, "Maybe we should make you the poster child or something." I told him that he should probably frame that paper.
We got a pretty good laugh out of that, but when I saw him later that day, I just help up five fingers and pointed to myself. He just laughed. So basically, I'm so good I'm not even on the scale.
At least that's what I tell myself. ;)
-Ms. Damron-
So when my principal was looking over the self-evaluation, he said, "You gave yourself a five. Five doesn't even exist." I quickly responded by saying, "It does in my book!" He just laughed and said, "Maybe we should make you the poster child or something." I told him that he should probably frame that paper.
We got a pretty good laugh out of that, but when I saw him later that day, I just help up five fingers and pointed to myself. He just laughed. So basically, I'm so good I'm not even on the scale.
At least that's what I tell myself. ;)
-Ms. Damron-
Lagoon tomorrow!!!
Don't worry. Tomorrow I'm going to Lagoon as a teacher chaperone. HECK. YES. I stinking love Lagoon. And I'm excited to go with my wonderful 8th graders. I will miss them so much. The 7th graders can be endearing...but for the most part, I love my 8th graders more. I made my 8th grade classes take class photos and they weren't all that happy about it, but still. I love pictures and I'm planning on making a cute scrapbook and writing memories about various students. I would put them up on this blog, but I can't due to privacy laws.
Two students in my second period, I call them the bromance boys because they have the craziest relationship, weren't even looking in the picture. So during 7th period I called them down to get a picture of them. They are so funny. They know they have me wrapped around their finger, but it's okay. One of the 7th grade girls in that class period asked me why I didn't act like that around them. I told her I play favorites HARD CORE. (My 7th period is...hmm...tricky to say the least.)
I can't believe this week is half over. I was not looking forward to Monday or Tuesday because they were still "academic days," but I knew that most of my kids would be passing their classes and they wouldn't have any other homework to work on, so what were we going to do for 85 minutes? Free time on the computer I guess. Sheesh. I did help a few kids pull up their grades at the last minute. I had one student stay in my class during my prep period and get the rest of his assignments completed. I told him he should be proud of himself because he worked really hard.
**Interesting story about him actually. We'll call him George Washington in case I need to use his name again. Yesterday I pulled him out of his 3rd period science class to come work in my class. He was taking a test and the classroom was total chaos. There was no way he was going to get that test done...and done well. It was practically a party in there and he was just sitting at his desk staring off into space. So when I came into the room and told him he was coming with me, he said, "Yes!"
I told him to do his very best on his science test because the more problems he got right, the less test corrections he would have to do. Well, he got a 72% on his test!!! I made the biggest deal out of it. (He hasn't passed a single science test in months.) With the re-works, he got a B on his test. I was so proud of him.
Well, after we finished completing assignments during my prep period, I was rambling about how great he was and how he should be excited and proud of himself. He wasn't sounding that excited though, so I said, "George Washington! Show some excitement and appreciation! I helped you pass like three classes." He then said, quietly and meekly, "I got one up by myself." I had to pause because he was right. How dare I take credit. He did the work and I was so proud of him.
I hope that I never take credit for something that my students accomplish. They need to hear positive feedback and they need to know that they can get their grades up by themselves and they can do well in school. They can do it!
-Ms. Damron-
Two students in my second period, I call them the bromance boys because they have the craziest relationship, weren't even looking in the picture. So during 7th period I called them down to get a picture of them. They are so funny. They know they have me wrapped around their finger, but it's okay. One of the 7th grade girls in that class period asked me why I didn't act like that around them. I told her I play favorites HARD CORE. (My 7th period is...hmm...tricky to say the least.)
I can't believe this week is half over. I was not looking forward to Monday or Tuesday because they were still "academic days," but I knew that most of my kids would be passing their classes and they wouldn't have any other homework to work on, so what were we going to do for 85 minutes? Free time on the computer I guess. Sheesh. I did help a few kids pull up their grades at the last minute. I had one student stay in my class during my prep period and get the rest of his assignments completed. I told him he should be proud of himself because he worked really hard.
**Interesting story about him actually. We'll call him George Washington in case I need to use his name again. Yesterday I pulled him out of his 3rd period science class to come work in my class. He was taking a test and the classroom was total chaos. There was no way he was going to get that test done...and done well. It was practically a party in there and he was just sitting at his desk staring off into space. So when I came into the room and told him he was coming with me, he said, "Yes!"
I told him to do his very best on his science test because the more problems he got right, the less test corrections he would have to do. Well, he got a 72% on his test!!! I made the biggest deal out of it. (He hasn't passed a single science test in months.) With the re-works, he got a B on his test. I was so proud of him.
Well, after we finished completing assignments during my prep period, I was rambling about how great he was and how he should be excited and proud of himself. He wasn't sounding that excited though, so I said, "George Washington! Show some excitement and appreciation! I helped you pass like three classes." He then said, quietly and meekly, "I got one up by myself." I had to pause because he was right. How dare I take credit. He did the work and I was so proud of him.
I hope that I never take credit for something that my students accomplish. They need to hear positive feedback and they need to know that they can get their grades up by themselves and they can do well in school. They can do it!
-Ms. Damron-
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Mr. Christen
Another first year teacher, Mr. Christen, teaches 7th grade science. He's a pretty good friend and we always enjoy sharing stories. He's also great about covering IEPs if I need him at the last minute. Love that man! Anyway, during one IEP I let him look at my computer to see the IEP. When the IEP ended, he said, "You're going to want to look at your computer."
This is what I found:
I am Miss Damron and I think I am cool. Unfortunately I must live with the fact that I am not as cool as Mr. Christen. Oh, how I wish I could be as cool as Mr. Christen. I sure hope that he never finds this secret note about my desire to be as cool as him.
Sniff, sniff.
Adieu.
Is that great or what?
The students all love him because he's such a fun teacher. Some students in the computer classes worked with photoshop and used his picture to make this little gem:
He told me about this picture and said that he was walking down the hall and just saw it. Talk about a shocker! It made me laugh.
I'm so grateful for wonderful teachers who are also my friends. :)
-Ms. Damron-
This is what I found:
I am Miss Damron and I think I am cool. Unfortunately I must live with the fact that I am not as cool as Mr. Christen. Oh, how I wish I could be as cool as Mr. Christen. I sure hope that he never finds this secret note about my desire to be as cool as him.
Sniff, sniff.
Adieu.
Is that great or what?
The students all love him because he's such a fun teacher. Some students in the computer classes worked with photoshop and used his picture to make this little gem:
He told me about this picture and said that he was walking down the hall and just saw it. Talk about a shocker! It made me laugh.
I'm so grateful for wonderful teachers who are also my friends. :)
-Ms. Damron-
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Last. IEP. Done.
Yesterday (Tuesday, May 15) I finished my last IEP.
YYYYEEEEEEESSSSSS!
It was quite the day though. I started off the morning with an IEP at 7:30. I learned a good lesson because when I got there I explained to the parent that the school psychologist wouldn't be able to attend and the parent was pretty bummed because he likes the insight that the pysch brings. I offered to re-schedule, but he said that since we were all gathered together, we might as well hold the IEP. Shoot. Next time I'll be better at communicating and making sure that the parent is fully aware of the situation.
The IEP went a little into first period, but only about ten-fifteen minutes. One of the paras watched the class until I got there. :)
Then after school I had another IEP. I hadn't written that IEP though, so I spent my prep period with the student whose IEP I was holding. I don't have her in class, so I had to give her several worksheets to check her progress. Poor girl. It took a good half hour or more! Because that took a lot of my prep period, I ended up writing most of the IEP during my lunch, then sneaking away for a few minutes during 7th period to finish it.
When I set up the IEP, mom told me that she works until 3:00, so she would rush over as soon as she could (she said maybe 3:10). Don't worry. I waited out by the main office until 3:30 with the 8th grade school counselor, Dr. Summers. The poor man waited forever with me, but sadly he had to leave at 3:30. I had given up, when all of a sudden, one of the paras, Lisa, called me and said that mom was by the main office. This was at 3:40pm.
Lucky for me (and mom!), Boyd, the vice principal, was still there. I can't hold IEPs without an LEA (if you really care what that means, you can ask me personally), so I would have had to re-schedule with mom after she finally got there.
While I was walking with mom to get Mrs. Scott, a general ed English teacher, mom was very confused and asked why we had to have so many people at the meeting. I explained that we always have an LEA, general ed teacher, and Special Ed teacher...She said that she had never had that many people at these meetings before.
Umm...it's required by law...so I sure hope that she had all of those people at previous meetings!
Because Mrs. Scott had a student in her classroom, and Boyd was supposed to be somewhere else by that time, we had a more...unconventional IEP and held it on a bench in the hall! I flew threw the IEP, got signatures, then everyone was dismissed! Yikes. Mom and I chatted for a few minutes after, but still. I felt a little unsure about everything, but if mom was happy, then it was all okay!
I was just so relieved that I FINISHED!!! Some sort of celebration is definitely in order.
-Ms. Damron-
YYYYEEEEEEESSSSSS!
It was quite the day though. I started off the morning with an IEP at 7:30. I learned a good lesson because when I got there I explained to the parent that the school psychologist wouldn't be able to attend and the parent was pretty bummed because he likes the insight that the pysch brings. I offered to re-schedule, but he said that since we were all gathered together, we might as well hold the IEP. Shoot. Next time I'll be better at communicating and making sure that the parent is fully aware of the situation.
The IEP went a little into first period, but only about ten-fifteen minutes. One of the paras watched the class until I got there. :)
Then after school I had another IEP. I hadn't written that IEP though, so I spent my prep period with the student whose IEP I was holding. I don't have her in class, so I had to give her several worksheets to check her progress. Poor girl. It took a good half hour or more! Because that took a lot of my prep period, I ended up writing most of the IEP during my lunch, then sneaking away for a few minutes during 7th period to finish it.
When I set up the IEP, mom told me that she works until 3:00, so she would rush over as soon as she could (she said maybe 3:10). Don't worry. I waited out by the main office until 3:30 with the 8th grade school counselor, Dr. Summers. The poor man waited forever with me, but sadly he had to leave at 3:30. I had given up, when all of a sudden, one of the paras, Lisa, called me and said that mom was by the main office. This was at 3:40pm.
Lucky for me (and mom!), Boyd, the vice principal, was still there. I can't hold IEPs without an LEA (if you really care what that means, you can ask me personally), so I would have had to re-schedule with mom after she finally got there.
While I was walking with mom to get Mrs. Scott, a general ed English teacher, mom was very confused and asked why we had to have so many people at the meeting. I explained that we always have an LEA, general ed teacher, and Special Ed teacher...She said that she had never had that many people at these meetings before.
Umm...it's required by law...so I sure hope that she had all of those people at previous meetings!
Because Mrs. Scott had a student in her classroom, and Boyd was supposed to be somewhere else by that time, we had a more...unconventional IEP and held it on a bench in the hall! I flew threw the IEP, got signatures, then everyone was dismissed! Yikes. Mom and I chatted for a few minutes after, but still. I felt a little unsure about everything, but if mom was happy, then it was all okay!
I was just so relieved that I FINISHED!!! Some sort of celebration is definitely in order.
-Ms. Damron-
Most Awesome-est Teacher Ever
The other day, that same student who told me "Thank-you," said,
"Good-bye most awesome-est teacher ever," when he was leaving the classroom the other day. Love him.
-Ms. Damron-
"Good-bye most awesome-est teacher ever," when he was leaving the classroom the other day. Love him.
-Ms. Damron-
Thursday, May 10, 2012
"Thank-you"
Yesterday was a fairly horrible day. In first period, one of my students absolutely refused to do any work. He played with his "finger boards" the ENTIRE period. In my second period, two boys were being totally disrespectful: throwing pencils at each other, throwing paper and binders, not following directions, totally off-task, punching each other...Ug. Plus, second period was just a little rowdy in general.
To make things better, I had three volunteers from BYU in my classroom. How embarrassing! I had warned them that second period was kind of crazy, but when all the students had left, they said, "We don't know how you would have managed without us!"
Yeah...it gets tricky.
Third period I didn't get to do the lesson I had prepared because one of the students was missing. There are only four students in the class, so when one is missing, it's a big deal. So I had them to do some other things. PLUS time I felt like I was running from student to student and not accomplishing anything. Fourth period was much better, but by that time I was just tired! I wanted to call in sick and go home and get in bed!
This morning I had to intervene. I couldn't have another day like yesterday! So I said a very heartfelt prayer and asked that the non-compliant student in first period would do work and the two boys in second period would be good...etc.
Guess what?! (I'll bet you don't even have to guess, we all know prayer works!) Today was wonderful. That student in first period did THREE assignments. And they were poetry assignments! He wrote...well, I wrote while he dictated and played with his finger boards...two haikus, two quantrains, and a free verse (which is 16 lines if you didn't know). I was really impressed. Second period the two boys hardly talked to each other and everyone seemed to be on-task! I even got to help a couple of students study because I wasn't running around getting assignments for kids, answering questions, and keeping students on-task.
During second period, one of the particularly naughty boys asked if I could pull him out of his 5th period (art) so that he could work on assignments. I told him I would think about it. After lunch, he found me and pestered me again. I told him he should do his assignments during Resource Learning and PLUS time. He still wanted to work in my classroom though, so I told him I would pull him out half way through the period.
Another student needed to finish a math assignment before tomorrow and he worked on science for the entire period that he was in my classroom. So, I had two students in my classroom during my prep. Some teachers might complain, but it actually made me happy that they feel comfortable coming to me for help.
So here's Tender Moment #1: While I was at my desk and the student doing his math assignments was...doing his math assignment, he looked in my direction and said something. I thought he had a math question, so I asked what he needed. He said, "Oh - I don't need anything. I just wanted to say thank-you." My heart did a little happy dance right there. It was so sincere and cute. :)
Tender Moment #2: Then after school, I was driving to an appointment and I saw the second student who was working in my classroom. He said, "Thanks for letting me come into your room."
Two very simple statements, but they made me feel good about my day today. Teaching really is the best. :)
-Ms. Damron-
To make things better, I had three volunteers from BYU in my classroom. How embarrassing! I had warned them that second period was kind of crazy, but when all the students had left, they said, "We don't know how you would have managed without us!"
Yeah...it gets tricky.
Third period I didn't get to do the lesson I had prepared because one of the students was missing. There are only four students in the class, so when one is missing, it's a big deal. So I had them to do some other things. PLUS time I felt like I was running from student to student and not accomplishing anything. Fourth period was much better, but by that time I was just tired! I wanted to call in sick and go home and get in bed!
This morning I had to intervene. I couldn't have another day like yesterday! So I said a very heartfelt prayer and asked that the non-compliant student in first period would do work and the two boys in second period would be good...etc.
Guess what?! (I'll bet you don't even have to guess, we all know prayer works!) Today was wonderful. That student in first period did THREE assignments. And they were poetry assignments! He wrote...well, I wrote while he dictated and played with his finger boards...two haikus, two quantrains, and a free verse (which is 16 lines if you didn't know). I was really impressed. Second period the two boys hardly talked to each other and everyone seemed to be on-task! I even got to help a couple of students study because I wasn't running around getting assignments for kids, answering questions, and keeping students on-task.
During second period, one of the particularly naughty boys asked if I could pull him out of his 5th period (art) so that he could work on assignments. I told him I would think about it. After lunch, he found me and pestered me again. I told him he should do his assignments during Resource Learning and PLUS time. He still wanted to work in my classroom though, so I told him I would pull him out half way through the period.
Another student needed to finish a math assignment before tomorrow and he worked on science for the entire period that he was in my classroom. So, I had two students in my classroom during my prep. Some teachers might complain, but it actually made me happy that they feel comfortable coming to me for help.
So here's Tender Moment #1: While I was at my desk and the student doing his math assignments was...doing his math assignment, he looked in my direction and said something. I thought he had a math question, so I asked what he needed. He said, "Oh - I don't need anything. I just wanted to say thank-you." My heart did a little happy dance right there. It was so sincere and cute. :)
Tender Moment #2: Then after school, I was driving to an appointment and I saw the second student who was working in my classroom. He said, "Thanks for letting me come into your room."
Two very simple statements, but they made me feel good about my day today. Teaching really is the best. :)
-Ms. Damron-
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Warning: Inappropriate content
The title is not a joke. My 7th period today was...inappropriate? haha I want to leave details out of this story, but you need to know exactly what happened to get the best understanding of just how awesome my 7th period was today.
After the Daily Language Review, I passed out a Reading Enrichment packet. The topic is "Did you know" and it includes some fun facts. The BEFORE READING section asks students to write five interesting facts. I googled "Did you know" and pulled up a page for students to copy some interesting facts from. I did this yesterday morning with a great website. When I pulled this website up, I quickly scanned the page, but of course my students found this comment first:
Coffee drinkers have more sex than non-coffee drinkers. They also enjoy it more.
Awesome. My students totally lost control and were cracking up over this. I even got a, "Ms. Damron? Do you drink coffee?" Oh my goodness. I scrolled up so that they couldn't see that fact anymore. As I was waiting for my students to write down their facts, a student said, "There's more inappropriate stuff on this page." For the love! As I was reading through, I found this fact:
The tongue is the only body muscle that is attached from one end only. (Please don't send me corrections to add the penis; the penis is not a muscle).
Yup. That happened.
At that point, I left the page and found the original website from the day before with the innocent did-you-know facts. You can imagine the uproar when they read this fact:
Did you know armadillos have 4 babies at a time and are all the same sex?
My students wouldn't even listen to the explanation that in this case, "sex" means "gender." The student who spotted the word went up to the board and pointed to the word "sex" and then started shouting, at the top of his lungs, "SEX!!! SEEEEX! SEEEEEEEX!"
Are you joking? ARE YOU JOKING? Did that really happen?
Yes. Yes it did.
By the time all of the students had copied down five facts, three of the students were whispering into each others' ears. Well, you know that if the content so far was not that appropriate, then they certainly were not whispering appropriate things. So at this point I separated the entire class. I had each of them take a chair and go to a random place in the classroom. They couldn't touch or play with anything, and if they said one word or made a sound, they got a lunch detention.
I explained to them that it was pretty sad if I had to physically separate them to different places of the classroom to get them to listen and pay attention to what I was saying. I set a timer for ten minutes and then went around the classroom filling out lunch detention slips and setting them near the student. If a student talked, they would sign the lunch detention slip.
It was DEAD silent. Two of the Aides walked in during the "time out." Lisa said she almost started laughing because it was somewhat comical. After the ten minutes of silence I had them write a Rule Essay and answer the following questions:
1. What do you think you did/did not do wrong?
2. How you should have acted --
3. What will you do in the future?
They were not happy about the essay. When we came back together as a group they were very respectful though.
All I can say is that I learned my lesson about screening websites before I let students look at them. Wow.
-Ms. Damron-
After the Daily Language Review, I passed out a Reading Enrichment packet. The topic is "Did you know" and it includes some fun facts. The BEFORE READING section asks students to write five interesting facts. I googled "Did you know" and pulled up a page for students to copy some interesting facts from. I did this yesterday morning with a great website. When I pulled this website up, I quickly scanned the page, but of course my students found this comment first:
Coffee drinkers have more sex than non-coffee drinkers. They also enjoy it more.
Awesome. My students totally lost control and were cracking up over this. I even got a, "Ms. Damron? Do you drink coffee?" Oh my goodness. I scrolled up so that they couldn't see that fact anymore. As I was waiting for my students to write down their facts, a student said, "There's more inappropriate stuff on this page." For the love! As I was reading through, I found this fact:
The tongue is the only body muscle that is attached from one end only. (Please don't send me corrections to add the penis; the penis is not a muscle).
Yup. That happened.
At that point, I left the page and found the original website from the day before with the innocent did-you-know facts. You can imagine the uproar when they read this fact:
Did you know armadillos have 4 babies at a time and are all the same sex?
My students wouldn't even listen to the explanation that in this case, "sex" means "gender." The student who spotted the word went up to the board and pointed to the word "sex" and then started shouting, at the top of his lungs, "SEX!!! SEEEEX! SEEEEEEEX!"
Are you joking? ARE YOU JOKING? Did that really happen?
Yes. Yes it did.
By the time all of the students had copied down five facts, three of the students were whispering into each others' ears. Well, you know that if the content so far was not that appropriate, then they certainly were not whispering appropriate things. So at this point I separated the entire class. I had each of them take a chair and go to a random place in the classroom. They couldn't touch or play with anything, and if they said one word or made a sound, they got a lunch detention.
I explained to them that it was pretty sad if I had to physically separate them to different places of the classroom to get them to listen and pay attention to what I was saying. I set a timer for ten minutes and then went around the classroom filling out lunch detention slips and setting them near the student. If a student talked, they would sign the lunch detention slip.
It was DEAD silent. Two of the Aides walked in during the "time out." Lisa said she almost started laughing because it was somewhat comical. After the ten minutes of silence I had them write a Rule Essay and answer the following questions:
1. What do you think you did/did not do wrong?
2. How you should have acted --
3. What will you do in the future?
They were not happy about the essay. When we came back together as a group they were very respectful though.
All I can say is that I learned my lesson about screening websites before I let students look at them. Wow.
-Ms. Damron-
Monday, May 7, 2012
Only two more Mondays left...
That's right folks. Less than three weeks of school left. I just thought I'd share. :)
Vultures
While I had a sub a couple of weeks ago, I had my students do a worksheet on a study skill: drawing pictures to help you understand what you read. Students were supposed to read a short passage, then draw some pictures to help them retain the information. The paragraph was about vultures.
I don't know if my students actually read the passage or not, but the pictures they drew were very interesting. My first period is full of boys, so they drew a lot of blood and included helicopters, bombs, and even alien spaceships. My seventh period was very lazy and didn't really do the assignment. When I told them it was a grade and they needed three separate pictures, they re-did the assignment. One of the girls drew this cute picture:
I don't know if my students actually read the passage or not, but the pictures they drew were very interesting. My first period is full of boys, so they drew a lot of blood and included helicopters, bombs, and even alien spaceships. My seventh period was very lazy and didn't really do the assignment. When I told them it was a grade and they needed three separate pictures, they re-did the assignment. One of the girls drew this cute picture:
Notice the ridiculous drawing at the very top, and then the three drawings underneath. I thought the drawing was so cute that I had to show you!
-Ms. Damron-
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Switch
This past week has been full of...energy? I don't quite know how to explain it. I'm pretty sure spring time does something completely insane to middle school students. They are all crazy! Wednesday I had the craziest 6th period. I was late to class because I was asking my facilitator a question about an IEP I had after school. She talked to me for a couple of minutes after the bell, so I was zooming to my classroom when I ran into the parent and student of the meeting I had scheduled after school! The mom had a doctor's appointment that she forgot about, so she wanted to re-schedule. Awesome. I really needed to get this IEP done in order to stay in compliance with the law and whatnot, so we scheduled it for the next morning at 7:30am.
By the time I got back to my classroom, I would say it had been about ten minutes. Oops. My students had gotten their materials out, but they were all laughing and giggling about these drinks called "Switch" drinks. Apparently one of them had "bought out" the a la carte and had about 5 (maybe more) of these drinks in his backpack. He was giving them out to the other students and so at least four of them were drinking these sparkling fruit drinks:
My heavens. I don't think the drinks are caffeinated, but holy cow were my students hyper and totally incapable of accomplishing anything. We got through our journal entry and the daily review, but after that, I had to relinquish control and just enjoy the show. There was no controlling them! I didn't want to teach a lesson that none of them would retain!
During their craziness, we covered quite a few topics. I don't remember how we got onto the topic of girlfriends, but one of the students said the following,
"Girlfriends are like mustaches...you have to shave her..."
There was a delayed reaction, but everyone started cracking up. This poor kid was like, "No! That's not what I meant! I meant you have to take care of her like you have to take care of a mustache..."
There was no hope. He definitely got mocked for that one. All I can say is that I hope the next three weeks go by quickly because I feel like I'm losing more and more control because spring fever is hitting everyone (especially me!).
-Ms. Damron-
By the time I got back to my classroom, I would say it had been about ten minutes. Oops. My students had gotten their materials out, but they were all laughing and giggling about these drinks called "Switch" drinks. Apparently one of them had "bought out" the a la carte and had about 5 (maybe more) of these drinks in his backpack. He was giving them out to the other students and so at least four of them were drinking these sparkling fruit drinks:
During their craziness, we covered quite a few topics. I don't remember how we got onto the topic of girlfriends, but one of the students said the following,
"Girlfriends are like mustaches...you have to shave her..."
There was a delayed reaction, but everyone started cracking up. This poor kid was like, "No! That's not what I meant! I meant you have to take care of her like you have to take care of a mustache..."
There was no hope. He definitely got mocked for that one. All I can say is that I hope the next three weeks go by quickly because I feel like I'm losing more and more control because spring fever is hitting everyone (especially me!).
-Ms. Damron-
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