WOW!!!

That is ALL I can say about an incident in school today. I took some of my kiddos with me to our Spanish teacher's classroom. She has several posters around the room--one of them being a portrait of George Washington. I had a student ask "Is that the Mexican George Washington?"
SAY WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!? Then, the question was asked by another student "Do you say announcements in Spanish?" We were both confused, but figured out what was being asked--Did the Spanish class get the morning announcement in English or Spanish? Well, since the entire school is connected, the answer would be NO!

Eye-Opener

I subbed for a 5th grade math teacher in summer school the other day. I think I have figured out a HUGE part of the problem with the math scores in this country....KIDS CAN'T READ!!!! OR, THEY CHOOSE NOT TO!!!!

Approximately 95% of the students missed one of the problems. It was a fairly easy problem...but they skipped the word "twice". They knew the process to use to solve the problem, but becuase they missed that one little word, they got the problem wrong. I asked one kid to read the problem outloud to me, and he refused. Eventually, he gave into my goading and read the problem. When he finished, I asked him what major word did he skip over the first time. He told me!!! He then took about 5 seconds to calculate the correct answer. UGH!!!

If we are going to test the math ability of students, WHY ARE WE USING A STINKIN' READING TEST TO DO IT???????

KG escapee

I was subbing the other day. I had one of many lunch recess duties. I was in charge of the third grade class. Some other classes also came outside while I was out there. Teachers and staff know to strategically place ourselves in the correct "position" so that we can view all areas of the playground with just the turn of our heads.

It was rather chaotic and as we tried to watch all the kids, I see a young student climbing over the fence. CLIMBING OVER THE FENCE! I ran over, shouting, "hey, what are you doing?" To which the boy responds, "I needed my car." WHAT? Since I did not want him climbing back over, risking getting hurt upon going back over the fence, I walked alongside of him...him on the outside, me on the inside...to the door. Then once he was inside, I ran to the recess door and met him in the hallway. We chatted about it, and we both went out to recess. I watched him like a hawk and when it was my time to go back inside, I asked the other teacher to use the radio and ask our principal to meet me outside my classroom's door.

I told him what happened and he sighed and sorta laughed. Apparently this student is known to do odd things. I do not know what the punishment was...but is was rather amusing that a KG student climbed over the fence.

First time for everything.

Interesting observation....

Many teachers on my campus are showing movies these last few days of school....what else is there to do when half of your class is being pulled out for this incentive or that program and your grades have to be turned in almost a week before school is out???? Because this time of the year has the kids turning into complete aliens--as in forms of life we don't recognize--our team has an incentive party. This year, only 10 students were not allowed to participate. SWEET!!!! (We make them responsible for their behavior--and most step up to the plate!) One of the activities we have are movies in the afternoon. Each room shows something different. Almost every room had a "new" movie....one the kids have probably seen a million times....or at least twice! The kids were talking and doing things other than watching. I showed 2 movies...one that has been re-done recently and one based on a true story. Both are pretty old considering--one from 1971 and the other from 1995. The kids watched the first intently and were TOTALLY mesmerized by the second....I almost wonder if these kids would have ever seen either movie if i hadn't shown them.

That would be sad.

The End is Near....

Yup, the end of the school year is almost here. Our academic team had an awards ceremony the other day. I created a memories video--and cried. I'm really gonna miss a lot of these kids. Every year, you have a group of kids that you really get to know and love. Some years, more than others. That's this year. I really enjoy ALL of my kids--even the ones some people refer to as PITA's. I'm very thankful for the kiddos that I have.

I have a lot of plans for this summer....I'd venture a guess that I don't even finish 25% of what I want to!!! How sad is that????

Tell me why.....

Do parents think they know more about how I should do my job than I do??? I've been chastised TWICE this year about how I conduct things in my classroom. The first parent complained because I showed a movie. After I explained, she was cool. Now, I have a parent complaining because I'm still teaching.

Please, Parents, LET ME DO MY JOB!!!!!!!!!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Yup, that's this week. Do I care? Not really. However, I am slightly aggravated with others that I work with. You see, they have posted not one, but TWO status updates on a social networking site about it. Telling people it is this week and there are only two days left. To me, that is like DEMANDING that someone appreciate you. It's when people appreciate you when you least expect it that makes all the difference....and means SO much more!!!!

For example, this past Friday our school hosted a fun event for the kids. It was an evening full of games--4 hours worth! I thought it would be boring, but I was WRONG! (The best part was the student-teacher dodgeball game. The kids could only come as far forward as the half-court line. The teachers could cross and go all the way to the free-throw line. Teachers also had unlimited life. LOVED IT--even though I did take a couple of balls to the head/face. Thankfully they were soft.) While at the event, two parents started a conversation with me about their kiddos. Both thanked me for what I do to help their kids and said they were thankful for the work that I give their kids because it prepares them for high school. On Saturday, I helped chaperone the fine arts departments trip to a local water park. (Fun, fun!!! But, I forgot the sunscreen so I'm a bit red at the moment...) One of the music directors and I engaged in a conversation about kids and homework. She also thanked me for preparing her child for high school. (He's now a sophomore in college.)

Another example?? A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to leave after a late night when I noticed a police car in the parking lot. I asked the other coach if she knew what was going on. Before she could answer, the police officer was standing at the door. We opened it and the officer pointed to me and said "I'm looking for you!" (About a million thoughts went through my head--none were correct!) I had taught this particular officer a few years ago and she was now tutoring some kids who were having difficulty in math. She remembered a strategy I used and wanted to use it with these kids.

That is what teacher appreciation is! Not some cheesy gifts that cost way too much money from PTA's/PTO's/Parent Booster Clubs/Administrators!!!! (I hope that doesn't make me sound ungrateful....I do appreciate when those groups do activities or supply gifts....I'm just saying....)

Kids these days.....

We have several students who have not been successful on our state test in the past. We offer many different strategies to help them become successful this year. My question though is "How do you make THEM care?" I feel like I have participated in an IronMan competition and they haven't even crossed the starting line. I have stayed after school to provide tutoring--even purchasing snacks for them with my own money--and they don't even attend. I am not in my classroom the last period of the day, but I have another teacher in there. I have told her to NOT let them leave the room. Yet, every day, I return to an empty classroom. I have called parents. I have sent letters. I have even assigned detention to get them there. To no avail.

This is the future of our country!!!!! Pretty scary!!!


I actually had a conversation with one of the kids the other day that went like this....

Teacher: Are you breathing?
Student: What do you mean?
T: Are you breathing?
S: I don't know what you mean.
T: Are you breathing at the moment?
S: Yeah, I guess.
T: Good--because that is the only thing you are doing!!!

April Fool's Day

Last Thursday was April Fool's Day. I really hadn't planned on pulling any pranks on my kids, but it just seemed to happen naturally...after I realized that I can keep a straight face quite well. Earlier in the week, the top of one of my desks came unfastened on one side. This caused the desk to flip up if pressure was applied to the front. The first student in my third period class to bang the top while signing for their progress report happened to be the daughter of our Parent Booster club. I thought I would mess around with her. (When the desk first became loose in that class period, I told the boy who sat there that he would have to pay for the desk if it came apart.) So, I told this girl that she broke the desk and would have to pay for it. She was kind of upset, but I figured she would realize I wasn't serious. After school that day at tennis, I asked another student about it. She commented that she thought I was serious. I couldn't believe that. The next day, I polled the class and THEY thought I was serious! So, on April 1st, I said a lot of things and they kept asking "April Fool's?" WHAT FUN I HAD!!!!

vacation

I was subbing the other day and had a bit of time at the end of the day before dismissal (I was a sub for a reading teacher and guided reading groups were over), so I wandered into the office. There was a student sitting there who was talking to the secretary and this is how the conversation went:

student: Can I have a vacation form?

secretary: Are you going on vacation?

student: No, I just want the form.

me: So, do you think just by having the form you will be going on vacation?

student: Yup.

secretary and me: Hahahhahahahahhahaha!!

WTF????

If your child came home from school saying "Mom, we get to use the F-word, the N-word, and WTF if math class", WHAT WOULD YOU DO???? Hopefully you would question your child more instead of just calling the school and complaining.

These are 3 teaching methods I use in class. The F-word means Formula Word. There are five formula words that we use--Area, Perimeter, Circumference, Volume, and Surface Area. The N-word means NOT. For some reason, kids skip over that three-letter word that means so much. WTF=What's the Formula?? When we are finding the area of a shape, I make the kids do a multi-step process. List the shape, list the "F-word", write WTF and the formula, plug and chug (fill in the numbers and solve), write the answer, write the label. If they do this every time, they are almost certain to get the correct answer!

This just makes learning a little more fun!

Homework

What is the deal with students and homework? When I was in school--many, many, many years ago--we had homework daily. Researchers suggest students are successful if they have 10 minutes for every year in school they are in--seventh graders should have 70 minutes of homework a night. My students have about 15-20 minutes of math homework a night--if they waste time in class and don't finish. No other subject in our school gives homework regularly...well, reading has them read their library book for homework. I average 1-7 kids per class period DAILY who do not have their homework finished. WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?????? My policy is to have the kids call home each day when they do not have their homework finished. I have kids who call home DAILY! AND THEY ACTUALLY TALK TO THEIR MOM OR DAD DAILY!!! Why are these parents not requiring their kids to do their work?????? Then, when the kid fails, the parent has the nerve to question ME!

In order to be successful in Math, you HAVE TO HAVE HOMEWORK!!!!!!

pronouns

Has it really been that long?

This past Monday and Tuesday, I was subbing in a third grade classroom. I was introducing object and subject pronouns. For whatever reason, the kids were just not getting it. We talked about pronouns in general at first..how they take the place of nouns. What is a noun? What is a pronoun? Then when we replace the noun with a pronoun and it was originally the subject of the sentence, it is the subject pronoun. The object pronouns were more complicated. If it comes after an action verb or is the object of a preposition, it is an object pronoun. We dissected sentences, I made up sentences that were not on the ditto, etc, to try to get across how to know the difference.

Finally, one girl says, "My light bulb just went on!" I cheered and had the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with teaching. A few minutes later, another student says to me, "Miss L, my light bulb is only flickering. Can you explain it again, please?"