Leigh is my roommate, friend, and history crony that is more dedicated to updating her blog with interesting things and even photos. Check it out to get a better update on me.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Dirty Rodent
Let me give you a preface of my mentor teacher Ms. Moore, before I tell this story. She is all business. She's very strict with the students. She not only demands respect but she doesn't tolerate ANY shenanigans. She even scares me at times. She walks into the classroom and the students turn silent. If the students even think about putting their heads on the desk, she'll say, "No you Didn't! You get yo head up boy. I don't teach in your bedroom, don't you dare sleep in my classroom!" And then she'll just continue lecturing. She said, "If anyone in this classroom makes any negative comments about any other ethnic group. Oh, your life is gunna be bad. I mean, real bad. I'm just warning you. Just warning you." She repeats her last sentence just to make sure "we're on the same page." She is a master at managing behavior in the classroom. I feel lucky to have her as my mentor.
So, yesterday I walked into class and sat down at my desk. Ms. Moore was teaching the students at the front of the room. Suddenly I hear a gasp from the students and they all pull their feet to their chests, and simultaneously, Ms. Moore screams out loud and sprints to the back of the classroom. She pushed a student out of the way in order to get to the back of the class and then jumped on a chair and lifted up her skirt (like they do in the cartoons), as if the mouse is going to crawl up her skirt while she's standing on a chair! Apparently there was a mouse that scurried across the classroom floor. She's deathly afraid of mice.
I could scarcely believe my eyes. I was chuckling out loud but no one seemed to notice due to all the ruckus. I cannot hold it in. And Ms Moore has this terrified look on her face but starts to smile bc she realizes she just reacted like a child. Then she says, "Miss Wright, come on the other side of my desk, towards us over here. There's a dirty rodent over by you." and I respond with, "It's okay everyone, just take some deep breaths. It's going to be alright. I'll take care of this Ms. Moore so you won't have to worry about it. I had pet mice as a kid. I'm not afraid of them." She says, "okay, well, then you go ahead and hunt that dirty rodent down." So I am kinda poking around the book shelf and between the books and maps behind her desk. I don't see the mouse. I get down on my knees and put my head close to the ground to look underneath the bookshelf and she yells, "Miss Wright, you watch out! That rats gonna jump out and bite your face! I don't have the money for a rabies shot... YOU GOT HEALTH INSURANCE?!" I can't quit laughing. Who says that? And then she says, "Can you get my briefcase off my desk and bring it over here to me? I'm already worried about contracting the swine flu.. I don't need to come home while I'm making dinner and open my bag to realize I've exposed myself and my daughter's life to the Dirty Rodent Flu with some dead rat that's been gnawin on my pocketbook!" She has such a serious look on her face and she's legitimately concerned. I tell her, "The rat won't bite me, and yes I have health insurance, you go ahead and continue teaching, I'll take care of this for you Ms. Moore. Don't let it worry you anymore."
She climbs off the desk and resumes her position at the front of the classroom and begins teaching again.
"Okay, now in the Paleolithic Era, the humans... WHY IS THE WORLD MAP CLOSER TO MY DESK?!!"
I just smile and try not to laugh. She is dead serious and immediately on edge-body stiffened. Her eyes are fixed on the tubed map on the ground. I stand up and approach the map and I say, "You know what? I think the mouse is inside the map." She loses all color in her face and says nothin and doesn't move an inch. "I think he knows we're talking about him, and he's trying to hide himself in the map in order to crawl over to your briefcase and climb inside and then join you and your daughter for dinner tonight." She immediately bursts into laughter. She's bent over laughing and clapping her hands together. She realizes how dramatic she's being and then all the students are laughing too. Then she says, "Miss Wright, you belong here. You really fit in well in DC and you know what?? You're fun!" I think she is pleasantly surprised on a daily basis because I'm not the typical white girl. I told her, "Ms. Moore, you bettah rec-uh-nize... I'm only white on the outside!" She reacted like that was the funniest thing she's ever heard in her life. Laughed for 5 minutes. Apparently, I'm some sort of anomaly round these parts.
So, yesterday I walked into class and sat down at my desk. Ms. Moore was teaching the students at the front of the room. Suddenly I hear a gasp from the students and they all pull their feet to their chests, and simultaneously, Ms. Moore screams out loud and sprints to the back of the classroom. She pushed a student out of the way in order to get to the back of the class and then jumped on a chair and lifted up her skirt (like they do in the cartoons), as if the mouse is going to crawl up her skirt while she's standing on a chair! Apparently there was a mouse that scurried across the classroom floor. She's deathly afraid of mice.
I could scarcely believe my eyes. I was chuckling out loud but no one seemed to notice due to all the ruckus. I cannot hold it in. And Ms Moore has this terrified look on her face but starts to smile bc she realizes she just reacted like a child. Then she says, "Miss Wright, come on the other side of my desk, towards us over here. There's a dirty rodent over by you." and I respond with, "It's okay everyone, just take some deep breaths. It's going to be alright. I'll take care of this Ms. Moore so you won't have to worry about it. I had pet mice as a kid. I'm not afraid of them." She says, "okay, well, then you go ahead and hunt that dirty rodent down." So I am kinda poking around the book shelf and between the books and maps behind her desk. I don't see the mouse. I get down on my knees and put my head close to the ground to look underneath the bookshelf and she yells, "Miss Wright, you watch out! That rats gonna jump out and bite your face! I don't have the money for a rabies shot... YOU GOT HEALTH INSURANCE?!" I can't quit laughing. Who says that? And then she says, "Can you get my briefcase off my desk and bring it over here to me? I'm already worried about contracting the swine flu.. I don't need to come home while I'm making dinner and open my bag to realize I've exposed myself and my daughter's life to the Dirty Rodent Flu with some dead rat that's been gnawin on my pocketbook!" She has such a serious look on her face and she's legitimately concerned. I tell her, "The rat won't bite me, and yes I have health insurance, you go ahead and continue teaching, I'll take care of this for you Ms. Moore. Don't let it worry you anymore."
She climbs off the desk and resumes her position at the front of the classroom and begins teaching again.
"Okay, now in the Paleolithic Era, the humans... WHY IS THE WORLD MAP CLOSER TO MY DESK?!!"
I just smile and try not to laugh. She is dead serious and immediately on edge-body stiffened. Her eyes are fixed on the tubed map on the ground. I stand up and approach the map and I say, "You know what? I think the mouse is inside the map." She loses all color in her face and says nothin and doesn't move an inch. "I think he knows we're talking about him, and he's trying to hide himself in the map in order to crawl over to your briefcase and climb inside and then join you and your daughter for dinner tonight." She immediately bursts into laughter. She's bent over laughing and clapping her hands together. She realizes how dramatic she's being and then all the students are laughing too. Then she says, "Miss Wright, you belong here. You really fit in well in DC and you know what?? You're fun!" I think she is pleasantly surprised on a daily basis because I'm not the typical white girl. I told her, "Ms. Moore, you bettah rec-uh-nize... I'm only white on the outside!" She reacted like that was the funniest thing she's ever heard in her life. Laughed for 5 minutes. Apparently, I'm some sort of anomaly round these parts.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
In case y'all didn't know about the future of our world's calendar
Me: Hello, students, as you know, my name is Miss Wright, and you may address me as such. Now, today we're going to do a quick review of the basics of history before we go into our lesson.
Now, by raise of hand, who can tell me what A.D. stands for?
Student: anno Domini
Me: Good. Perfect. And what about B.C?
Student: before Christ
Me: That's right, now why did historians change the acronym from B.C. to B.C.E?
Student: gives correct answer, then another student Ariel raises her hand.
Me: yes, did you have a question Ariel?
Ariel: Miss Wright, tell them what's gonna happen in 2012!
All the students are waiting anxiously for me to unlock some mystery.
Me: You mean the end of the Mayan calendar?
Arial: Yes, ma'am. (eyebrows raised as if the matter is of immediate importance)
Me: I look around the class and look back at Ariel and say, "well, I'm not quite sure what you mean, please elaborate on that and enlighten us."
Ariel: Turns to face the rest of the class and says, "Well, in 2012, the year will no longer be A.D. It will change to T.C. Yeah." The class is silent and we're all looking at Ariel, including myself. Me: "T.C. huh?" I'm looking at her in disbelief and wondering what in the world she is going to say.
Ariel: Yes, Miss Wright, T.C.! TOTAL CHAOS!!" Then folds her arms and keeps a very serious and focused look on her face because she is 100% right, and so smart!
I burst into laughter and so do the rest of the students. Ariel pumps the air because she is so proud of herself and I say, "well, I gotta give you props on that one girl."
And then I quieted down the class and we continued.
I love the kids out here.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
A small skirmish in the cafeteria
Front entrance of Duke Ellington School of Arts
My mentor teacher, in all of her grandeur!
I absolutely love it here. The transit system is great and all the history is bomb. I love the museums and monuments and all the free shows. It's fantastic. Everyone is so nice too. Well, everyone except my students. They give me dirty looks and wonder who the White impostor is in their classroom and then when they find out I'm going to be their teacher they all treat me with RESPEK.
I love my school. I'm student teaching at Duke Ellington School of Arts. My life will get extremely busy in about 10 days and I'll be teaching lessons everyday. I teach ancient world history and geography. Both of which, I know nothing about... so I'll be learning along with my students. School starts at 8:30am and it takes me an hour to get there. School is out by 2pm so the students can focus on their arts until 5pm. My mentor teacher is Ms. Moore. She's fantastic.
That's her on the left.
There was an incident in the lunchroom with a girl who thought I was a fellow student. And when I approached the front of the lunch line (since teachers automatically get first dibs and jump to the front... and I had a staff meeting in 10 minutes and needed to hurry and get my food). While walking up to the front of the line, this tall black girl turns around and sees me and says, "Hey white girl, who you think you is, coming all up in my grill, thinking you can just prance on up here and cut me off like that, when I been waitin' in line for 20 minutes?" She is standing with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised looking me up and down repeatedly with her head bobbing left and right while she's talking. "Girrrrrrrl, you gots another thing comin'. You best not be throwin off all ours groove by comin' up hurr like dis." I responded in the most White and teacher-like response as I could, "I'm sorry, I beg your pardon?" Not gunna lie, I wanted to egg her on a bit. It worked. She went from pissed off, to ULTRA angry. Meanwhile her posse of girls were creepin' up behind her and surrounding me in a half circle. And she puffed her chest forward and leaned way into me and got right in my face and said, "Don't you be coming up hurr wit yo white phrases and Crap*, you don know who you dealin' wit. PSH... being all condescending and full o' yoself!"
And right before I peed my pants from sheer terror, I calmly said, "Oh, I don't believe we've met" I put my hand out, "I'm Miss Wright, I'm a new teacher here at Duke Ellington." Her entire demeanor changed. She said, "Okay yea, okay. I see. You can jump in line wit me anytime. Uh huh... thas jus fine... aint that right girls?" And her posse nodded their heads and agreed, while they slowly backed away from me. She shook my hand and said, "I'm Alivia, pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss.. Whad'yu say yo name was?"
"Miss Wright."
"Miss WHITE? Oh.. now thas ironic.. and a little un-fo-chu-nit."
I was trying not to laugh because this girl was quite the character and I thought she was funny but of course I had to remain a professional mantra, and I corrected with, "No, Miss Wright." and she laughed and said, "Well thas good, cuz you's about to get eaten up round here if yo name was Miss White."
And right before I peed my pants from sheer terror, I calmly said, "Oh, I don't believe we've met" I put my hand out, "I'm Miss Wright, I'm a new teacher here at Duke Ellington." Her entire demeanor changed. She said, "Okay yea, okay. I see. You can jump in line wit me anytime. Uh huh... thas jus fine... aint that right girls?" And her posse nodded their heads and agreed, while they slowly backed away from me. She shook my hand and said, "I'm Alivia, pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss.. Whad'yu say yo name was?"
"Miss Wright."
"Miss WHITE? Oh.. now thas ironic.. and a little un-fo-chu-nit."
I was trying not to laugh because this girl was quite the character and I thought she was funny but of course I had to remain a professional mantra, and I corrected with, "No, Miss Wright." and she laughed and said, "Well thas good, cuz you's about to get eaten up round here if yo name was Miss White."
I was waiting for my sandwich to be made and she said. "I apologize for my previous comment, jus disregard that. Also, please disregard my previous stare atchu. I di-int know you was a figure of athor-i-tee."
"It's just fine Alivia. We'll consider it a clean slate between us. We're all good."
She said, "Okay, yeah. I like that. Clean slate, I like you. That sounds good. Hmm mmm"
I was able to walk away with my dignity and luckily in one piece. Turns out, Alivia is in my 3rd period class and when she walked in and saw me she was of course SOO nice and she told the other students how cool I am and gave me some tips on how to handle the students in her class. She's building up my street cred and got the other kids to like me. So that worked out well.
*= Word was changed due to inappropriateness of original text
"It's just fine Alivia. We'll consider it a clean slate between us. We're all good."
She said, "Okay, yeah. I like that. Clean slate, I like you. That sounds good. Hmm mmm"
I was able to walk away with my dignity and luckily in one piece. Turns out, Alivia is in my 3rd period class and when she walked in and saw me she was of course SOO nice and she told the other students how cool I am and gave me some tips on how to handle the students in her class. She's building up my street cred and got the other kids to like me. So that worked out well.
*= Word was changed due to inappropriateness of original text
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