Yep! Summer is officially over. I have now been teaching more than two whole weeks. I don't have much to blog about yet. I am still trying to get to bed before 10:30 and am still getting to school late because I am slower than molasses when my alarm goes off. My students are learning that I mean what I say. I'm learning they REALLY like to talk!
The other day we were working on a group project. I was walking around helping the groups and making sure everyone was on task. That is when I noticed that one kid, we will call him John, had removed himself from the group and was sitting by himself at the round table. I said, "John, go back to you seat. This is a group activity."
To which he replied, "No, I don't want to go back. It stinks over there!"
Now, this is an interesting development. "You need to go sit at your seat. You can not complete this activity on your own."
"I don't want to. Someone stinks over there."
By this time I am standing at his table and I am subtly sniffing around to see what I can find out. "Get back to your seat. You do not get to pick and choose when you work with a group. If there is a problem you need to talk to me about it." I state this with the teacher glare and John goes back to his seat. He then promptly pulls his shirt up over his nose. The ever sympathetic teacher that I am finishes the interaction with, "Take you shirt down and get to work." How old are we five? Criminently!
At this point John pulls his shirt down and gets back to work. I have yet to smell anything more offensive then a normal sixth grader after recess (which is enough to make me light the Gold Canyon Candle and park myself next to it for conferences). Welcome back to sixth grade. All in a day's work.
1 month ago
