Summer School

I can't believe it. Summer School is almost over. One more day with my kiddos!! Then, one day with two 5th graders. Then, I'm done. Finished. Kaput. I'm so excited!!!!! I can't wait!!

I've decided that summer school is not designed to help students. The main purpose is to tear down perfectly good--sometimes great--teachers.

During the school year, discipline procedures are in place to take care of difficult students. A lot of the time, the threat of detention is good enough to cease undesirable behavior. In the summer, there is no such thing as detention. The ONLY discipline option is to send the kid to the office. Since we are trying to get them to pass a test, this isn't always an option, either. Some of the teachers were talking, and we all feel like we have no classroom management at all.

The other thought is about the group of kids we have. The majority of the students were behavior problems during the school year. Where there might be one or two bad apples in a class of 25, you now have five or six in a class of 10.

Throw in no consequences for their actions, and you have some big problems!!

We really need to come up with a better system.

Funny or Sad?

Being the cheer sponsor, I have a ton of stuff in my classroom--boxes and boxes of koozies, totebags, water bottles, t-shirts, concession cups, towels, and seat cushions. (I counted at least 12 boxes the other day!)

Recently my team hosted our final academic pep rally. One of the activities at this pep rally was a relay race. Since the theme was based on auto racing, we had each team design a car out of a box. My cheer stuff had to be moved into different boxes. For a few days, the seat cushions were piled up on the floor. (These are your basic plastic covered pads with advertising on one side.) The following conversations ensued.

Me: Watch out so you don't trip over the seat cushions.

Few minutes go by.

Kid: Miss, are those life jackets?

Me: Yup (Thinking "Are you serious?")

A day or two go by.

Me: Quit goofing around and leave the seat cushions alone.

Kid: Miss, you said those were life jackets.

Me: No, you said that. Do you really think they would float since they have holes in them?!

And, this is the future of our planet.

WOW

School will be over tomorrow at 12:30. Well with kids anyway. I will still have the rest of the day and all day Friday. Summer school starts on Monday for teachers and Tuesday for kids. Nice normal weekend. It will be a nice change, I hope.