Wednesday, September 10, 2008

So I Suggest Ya'll Stay Healthy.....

LOL

One of my students actually wrote that in an assignment that she turned in to me. I miss that age, where you didn't think writing how you talk was a problem. Meanwhile, the chick who wrote this STAYS in a fog. I call on her, and she say "I don't know"....I swear, I'm sick of I don't know. You think they'd know by now, that doesn't faze me--you don't know? Well, we gon' figure it out but I am not going to call on anybody else. I'm that teacher that calls on the people who DON'T raise their hand, not the ones that do. Why call on someone who I know KNOWS it? I need to get those kids that don't get it, and work on them.

Anyways, I've been kinda ghost--grades is due so I was hittin' it hard these past couple of nights, and I was just tired. Can you believe its the 3rd week already? Also, as I'm putting in grades its already some people who got like 50 and 60 percents. I don't even grade hard....hail, we ain't really DONE nothing. Most of the grades are based on effort, and I've only assigned two real homework assignments. Can we discuss why some papers I can't even enter a grade in because they don't write their name on their work? I'm like...HELLO, how old are ya'll? I think its just me....I know they don't do this for the other teachers, I REFUSE to believe that they do. What else...oh, how you lose assignments that you not even supposed to take home? I mean, for classwork, I should at least how the work---now whether or not you completed it, that's a different story. But how for classwork I have missing assignments? What part of the game is that? smh This week, we did another lab "experiment"/ activity. It involved water, never again. Took 'em the lab, one girl broke something....mind you, we weren't even using beakers. She is a walking, talking, accident! Can't carry a bucket of water wit'out getting half of it on the desk or the floor. Sometimes, I just wanna be like "you can't POSSIBLY be this dumb....get it together man" We had to call two parents today, matter of fact, we've had a LOT of parent drama this week. One mama ain't had a clue about what her son is doing in school. It's the third week and she's like "his backpack is always empty....planner? I've never seen that" I was sittin' there just shaking my head---my fellow teachers was like "hmmm, somebody LYIN' " She said she checks his backpack everyday, but what is he doing with the work? Is he throwing it in the trash on his way home, is he putting it in the bushes? Is he even that smart to understand to do that? Anyways, we had a nice long convo and real talk, I felt bad for her. I know she prolly felt dumb as hail cuz she was just TOTALLY outta the loop. She was trying though, which I give her that. Today, there was no REAL change in her son's work....at least not in my class; he still ain't doing nothing. What happened to the good ol' days when kids was actually scared of their parents? I mean, I got a couple that get shook offa phone call, but I think a majority don't care a hill of beans. One dude hung UP on his mama. You write in their planner....nothing changes the next day, which i think is bull, I think these kids just scribble an initial, in which, hey, I could see myself doing that as a child. Anyways, this one kid---we having a conference with his mama next week (the kid who hung up on his mama) The bad thing about it, he ain't even THAT bad! He just be doing stupid stuff; he not getting into fights, he's not cussing and throwing furniture, he's not being totally disrespectful (at least not to his teachers, he was disrespectful to a woman who was not one of his teachers), he just won't work and you have to tell him two and three times to do something. I think I have like two actual assignments from him....the rest are just in limbo, or in his backpack, or GOD knows where. He's just wreckless. He's too easily distracted, which I find is his major issue. Ephiphany! I think I'm going to have him move to the front....although I already got one bad kid in the front, I don't know how two will work. If everybody didn't have an issue with EVERYBODY, then I might be able to pull something off. But its like nobody likes anybody....everytime I move someone, I get groans and moans. Sooooooo much drama.

I'm definitely getting used to the idea of being a teacher---the days go by quickly to me. I still dread my 3rd and 7th period, in which i don't think there will be anyway to get around that lol. They'll just always suck. womp womp womp. At one point today, I was standing in a sea of chaos....one dude (the guy who is having a conference next week) was actually RUNNING in MY class room. Mind you, there's not even enough space to go anywhere. People were talking loud, he was flicking water in some girl's face. I just stood there for a minute, shook my head, and was like "OK! EVERYBODY....SIT.....DOWN!" I mean, the WHOLE class just got shut down. I was the fasciliator of the experiment instead of them doing it, which they were the ONLY class who got shut down. They are ALWAYS the only class to get shut down; my other classes, while they may be noisy, they still managed to get work DONE. Which, hey, I don't mind noise as long as I know the end result is happening. But that 3rd period....nah. They just doing whatever. Playing. I dont know, but I shut it down. I didn't have time. I DON'T have time. lol After I shut it down, things calmed down and it was quiet. Maybe they can't handle not having a teacher in charge....nah, that ain't it. Once again, I think its in my class. I'm going to ask the other teachers how do they manage to do group assignments with this particular class. Then, when I write stuff on the board, they claim they can't see. WOMP WOMP WOMP. I wanna say "man, sit down--YOU CAN SEE" lol But we gon' see...we gon' see. Tomorrow is another day. 7th period is ok (the main culprit has been absent, which, I am beginning to wonder where he is.....) so its just 3rd period that's left on the crazy list.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

We gon' make it though....

LOL, now before you even go there, its just a little joke---you had to be there. Today, I went over some assignments I am going to have them do for the year; a weekly current event (I got that from a middle school teacher I had) and a Science report about a famous scientist. Which, why when I asked them if they had ever heard of Benjamin Banneker they said "NOOOOOO!" smh Anyways, so like I said before, these kids love to just ask questions without even processing what instructions I may have given, or even thinking about what I asked. So the one kid, I could already tell it was gon' be a DUMB question (cuz he had already asked a couple) so I told him to run it through his mind, and really think about it. So he asked it....and as soon as the words left his lips I just looked up in the sky. The rest of the class sighed and moaned as well, everybody KNEW it was a DUMB a** question. LOL So I was like "Aww man, I'm leavin'--I'm leavin' " and I start walking towards the door, while this guy is trying to justify his ridiculous question. Other kids are like "Nooo! Don't leave!" One lil' dude was like "Maaan, I'm comin' wit'chu" LOL So that was the lil' funny of the day. Of course, I calmed the class down and said "the only BS and that was a dumb question. Almost dumber than a girl asking if she could print a report on blue paper...uh, how about NO. I got so many excuses today as to WHY people couldn't turn in current events and reports "I don't get a newspaper" "My printer don't got no ink" "My print don't go no paper" "I looked and I didn't see no science section in the paper" LOLOL I'm like....wow....we have a computer lab, and I have two computers in the back of my class with printers. NONE of those are valid reasons as to WHY you can't turn it in. Excuses, excuses, EXCUSES. That's all I hear, all the time. It's gon' be tough, but I'mma break that bad habit quick.

Ok in terms of discipline...same ol', same ol'. Talking to the same people tellin' 'em the SAME things. One thing I notice is these kids are just sooooooo confrontational. If somebody brushes past them, its got to be an issue. If somebody giggles while you said something, it's an issue. If somebody LOOKS at them for too long, it's an issue. I had to pull one girl to the said, for the SECOND time, to talk to her about her temper and smart mouth. We gon' see if anything happens.

Last thing, so today, the kid's had to take a standardized test. He came in late and sat down in his seat, KNOWING he didn't have an answer sheet---he even put his folder to prevent people from "cheating" So when I found out, and ask him why he didn't say he anything he sat there.....liiiiiiiike, EARTH. lolol Poor guy. We gon' make it though, WE GON' MAKE IT!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

My Hypothesis...

Ok, so this is the start of week two. I finally got my blue bcbg's specks so I was able to rock some blue today. Which, let me say a liiiiiitle bit on that. Ok, so I put in my order for these jonts like 3 WEEKS ago, and at this point, I'm a lil' PO'd and I want my stuff. So I randomly decide to drop in tomorrow and see what's what. So I tell them my name, one girl comes back wit' my glasses. I'm like? Huh? How long have they been in. Bunch prom queen lookin' chicks, lookin' at each other. At least my students have the sense to come up with an excuse or grunt or say something, they just silently looking at each like I'M the dumb one. And I didn't even get no cloth with my glasses!!!

Anyways, back to what I wore; Nuttin' too deep---fuscha RL 3/4 sleeve shirt, blue dickies, blue Calvin Klein hills. Ya know, just tryna keep it nice for 'em. Funny thing, I was walkin' down the hall this morning and my crush was like "Brown" ( we refer to each other by last name) I'm like "how you know it was me?" Cuz he hadn't even turned around. He laughed, but didn't really give a definite answer. So that made my day start out a lil' bit nicer. We actually shared quite a few words today...and he came into my classroom twice. Once to.....uuh, I don't know why he came in (hmm, that's good too :) but later on it was to let me know of a team meeting we were having. So, in THAT department, my day was EXCELLENT. He looked nice today too, I'm tellin' you boi....we do not PLAY.

Ok, on to actual schooling. The main focus of today was complete sentences. Actually no, our REAL focus what on conclusion paragraphs, but we couldn't get those because they couldn't give me complete sentences. It got so bad, I just said "LOOK! YOU'RE SENTENCE SHOULD START WITH "MY HYPOTHESIS" OR "THE HYPOTHESIS" IF IT DOES NOT, CHANGE IT" And also, I don't know what it is about my directions, but every time I tell 'em to do something, they give me a bunch of questions. Of course, this doesn't apply to my GT class. At first, I always thought there was no real difference in my GT class and my regular classes, but now I know--there is a BIG difference. No lie, I'll write the SAME directions on the board---GT, no hands raised. People get to work. Other periods, "does these questions go wit' this chart?" "I don't get number 3" "I don't get number 2" "Where is my composition notebook?" Just on and on and on and on and ON. I'm like "Put you hand down, and answer the questions. This was the set up: I wrote a hypothesis for them to use, and I had a data table complete with numbers, this table had "Results" next to it. I gave clear instructions, "based on the following results, write a conclusion paragraph" matter of fact, that's what I did for GT. For the regular classes, I gave them questions to answer. I GAVE THEM TO THE QUESTIONS TO ANSWER. You shoulda seen it....just hands flyin' up, ain't even TRIED to comprehend what I'm askin' them to do. With this group, I didn't even write it....I told each group, INDIVIDUALLY, before they even walked into the class what their assignment was. Literally, like in their face, "answer the questions on the board" Then, when they ask these silly, SIMPLE, RIDICULOUS a** questions, they look at me all funny when I just stand there and look at them with a dumbfounded look on my face. I don't say it, but I'm thinking "you can't POSSIBLY be this stupid" Or maybe it's just stone cold LAZINESS. Or maybe they can't read....I don't know. But they gon' have to start following these instructions. And I'm sorry, but really--that's what it is. I said it before, and I'll say it again---KIDS IS SOFT. Too many people was lettin' 'em get by wit' just straight BULL. "Why do you think your hypothesis was right or wrong" You'd think I was askin' 'em for the square root of the circumference of the earth. "Discuss something we didn't talk about it in our activity" And I know I wasn't too over their heads, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE GOT IT, it's like everybody was lost, that's a sign that usually you really just too far gone, but again, some people got it. Again, lost faces. And I don't know if its because nobody required then to actually THINK or if they are tryna play me. Regardless of what it is, I'm not finna dumb it down. They need to get it now, sooner than later. I ain't the one, and I let 'em know on the regular "uh uh, that's too easy--you are in the 6th grade" This is isn't about just passing a test, this is about preparing them to successful in life. I read some of what these kids want to be when they grow up, and I'm thinking "ok, I got my work cut out for me" How you want to be a lawyer and you can't write a complete sentence? Can't spell legibly? Uh uh, boo--that ain't gon' cut it.

Ok, in terms of behavior....same ol', same ol'. A lil' bit better, but I know there is more room for improvement. And one lil' girl, I think she must like the boy or something cuz she always grinnin' and hit on him and this and that. Those two were just back and forth today, back and forth. Basically, these kids don't need to have one IOTA of free time, I mean like not one milisecond, I just need to have work in front of them CONSTANTLY. It's like that saying goes "give a ___ an inch, and they take a mile" only this group takes like 10 miles and I only have 'em half an inch. lol I love 'em though, just as funny as they wanna be. They get my nerves, mind you, but I just maintain....maintain, maintain, maintain. The most important thing is that I am able to teach something, and not just yell the entire time. But like I said, there is always room for improvement. I stopped by my mentor's room today, and she said that overall I am doing well. My assisstant principal always wrote me a praise note for my lesson about the scientific method. My Principal came in today and walked around, and I think she thought it was cool too. I had my objectives on the board (big deal down here) and I was in the proper dress code. The students were taking notes, and I hope the ones she looked at had something on their papers lol.

Tomorrow we do some testing, so I'll get a break. I'm doing seat changes in most of classes too, so I'll let you know how that works out. Also, not related to the classroom, but I got a lil' change august paycheck and it's official ya'll---I'M ON THE COME UP PART OF MY LIFE. Chaka says life is a dance......so right now, I'm bankhead bouncin' and doin' the electric slide. BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE.