Recently I gave a test that included a short answer portion.
Before administering the test, I talked to students about how text language is never appropriate for an answer on an assignment. One example I often see is idk. We talked about how I don't know is NEVER an appropriate answer, and certainly not in text language form. In fact, I told them that if they didn't know an answer, they could at least write something amusing so that it made me smile rather than get frustrated that they didn't prepare. A few years ago I had a student do something like that...They were supposed to write the Six Steps in Good Note-Taking. Instead she wrote out directions to making Ramen noodles. Creative. She even included pictures. See, that's the kind of wrong answer that makes me smile when grading.
One of my students this year took this suggestion to heart. Here are a couple of his answers when he couldn't think of the actual answers:
1. Close the lid tightly.
2. Skydiving giraffes
See, you didn't even need to see the question to know that these were ridiculous. But it sure beats an empty line, or even worse, idk.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
...the end of the world...
Today was the last day of regular classes before finishing up the semester with final exams.
Students were basically spending most of the class studying...so we had some time for "stalling."
You never know what might be said when conversations go off on tangents...
Student: I was thinking last night, Friday can't be the end of the world.
Me: Oh really, why is that?
Student: Because if this Jesus guy is real, he won't want to end the world before his birthday! Then he would miss it!
Me: Ok, good point. So maybe not until December 26th?
Student: Well, no, because he will want time to enjoy his presents!
Me: Hmmmm....maybe next year, but then I guess we will run into the same problem...
Conclusion: The world will never end. Seemed logical to the class...
At the end of class I was asking students if they had any questions about their study guides....That same student spoke up.
Student: Can I make a confession?
Me: Yes.
As soon as I said it, I realized maybe it wasn't wise to so readily encourage a student to make a public confession about who-knows-what...
She got out of her seat and walked to the front of the classroom.
Student: I have a confession. Last year, when we were given those free toothbrushes...
(many nods and uh-huhs from the crowd acknowledging they remembered that day)
...well...
(she covers her face with embarrassment, then continues)
...I took mine to the bathroom and scrubbed the toilet with it. I mean, I got down in there. Then I gave it to Josh Anderson (name was changed to protect the innocent victim).
The class reacted with a mixture of disgust, shock, amusement, and more.
It turns out that Josh's cousin is in this class. I wonder if we will get a report sometime as to whether or not he used the toothbrush that cleaned a toilet bowl before he owned it. But the bigger question I have is, why did my student think of this random act from the past after an hour of studying, & feel the need to confess it to her peers? Some things will always remain a mystery to me.
Students were basically spending most of the class studying...so we had some time for "stalling."
You never know what might be said when conversations go off on tangents...
Student: I was thinking last night, Friday can't be the end of the world.
Me: Oh really, why is that?
Student: Because if this Jesus guy is real, he won't want to end the world before his birthday! Then he would miss it!
Me: Ok, good point. So maybe not until December 26th?
Student: Well, no, because he will want time to enjoy his presents!
Me: Hmmmm....maybe next year, but then I guess we will run into the same problem...
Conclusion: The world will never end. Seemed logical to the class...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of class I was asking students if they had any questions about their study guides....That same student spoke up.
Student: Can I make a confession?
Me: Yes.
As soon as I said it, I realized maybe it wasn't wise to so readily encourage a student to make a public confession about who-knows-what...
She got out of her seat and walked to the front of the classroom.
Student: I have a confession. Last year, when we were given those free toothbrushes...
(many nods and uh-huhs from the crowd acknowledging they remembered that day)
...well...
(she covers her face with embarrassment, then continues)
...I took mine to the bathroom and scrubbed the toilet with it. I mean, I got down in there. Then I gave it to Josh Anderson (name was changed to protect the innocent victim).
The class reacted with a mixture of disgust, shock, amusement, and more.
It turns out that Josh's cousin is in this class. I wonder if we will get a report sometime as to whether or not he used the toothbrush that cleaned a toilet bowl before he owned it. But the bigger question I have is, why did my student think of this random act from the past after an hour of studying, & feel the need to confess it to her peers? Some things will always remain a mystery to me.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
...rough start...
One of the best perks about the school where I work is that we have a full-time staff member whose office is the copy room. She spends her day making copies requested by the teachers in the building (among various other duties). Without her, I would never leave the building.
All semester, whenever I've submitted a copy request, I've asked for the same quantity. Well, recently I have noticed that my last class seems to run short on assignments, handouts, etc. This is quite mysterious since my rosters haven't changed. I don't understand it, but it has become a recurring problem.
This morning I remembered to be a little proactive...Before school started, I made my way to the copy room to make a few extra copies of an assignment for today so I wouldn't run into any problems during my last class.
The Copy Lady (as we reverently call her) was busy receiving money for students' lunch accounts. The copy machine was printing something that I figured a teacher had sent to from their computer. (Yeah, we've got one of those high-tech copy machines that function like a wireless printer.) I put my original in the machine, punched 8, then hit start. The machine spit out my copies. I picked them up, walked over the paper-cutter & cut them in half. (Don't worry, that was intentional.) Then I punched holes in the papers so students can easily keep them in their binders.
As I approached the door, through the sea of students making sure they could eat today, another teacher had walked in. I saw him approach the copy machine with a puzzled look on his face. I heard him mumble something about how he often prints documents to this printer, but when he gets there, he can't find them. I walked out the door.
Then I remembered the papers that were printing when I came in.
I walked back into the copy room.
Me: Uhhhhh...I may have accidentally taken your copies...and cut them...and hole punched them...
I checked. Yep. There they were: unfamiliar pages, cut in half, with holes in them.
Me: I'm so sorry! I just grabbed the papers off the machine and didn't even look at them before I slashed them!
Other Teacher: (laughing) Well, I guess they won't get a study guide!
Shoot. What a rough way to start the day...And I thought I was so on top of things...
All semester, whenever I've submitted a copy request, I've asked for the same quantity. Well, recently I have noticed that my last class seems to run short on assignments, handouts, etc. This is quite mysterious since my rosters haven't changed. I don't understand it, but it has become a recurring problem.
This morning I remembered to be a little proactive...Before school started, I made my way to the copy room to make a few extra copies of an assignment for today so I wouldn't run into any problems during my last class.
The Copy Lady (as we reverently call her) was busy receiving money for students' lunch accounts. The copy machine was printing something that I figured a teacher had sent to from their computer. (Yeah, we've got one of those high-tech copy machines that function like a wireless printer.) I put my original in the machine, punched 8, then hit start. The machine spit out my copies. I picked them up, walked over the paper-cutter & cut them in half. (Don't worry, that was intentional.) Then I punched holes in the papers so students can easily keep them in their binders.
As I approached the door, through the sea of students making sure they could eat today, another teacher had walked in. I saw him approach the copy machine with a puzzled look on his face. I heard him mumble something about how he often prints documents to this printer, but when he gets there, he can't find them. I walked out the door.
Then I remembered the papers that were printing when I came in.
I walked back into the copy room.
Me: Uhhhhh...I may have accidentally taken your copies...and cut them...and hole punched them...
I checked. Yep. There they were: unfamiliar pages, cut in half, with holes in them.
Me: I'm so sorry! I just grabbed the papers off the machine and didn't even look at them before I slashed them!
Other Teacher: (laughing) Well, I guess they won't get a study guide!
Shoot. What a rough way to start the day...And I thought I was so on top of things...
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
...12-12-12...
Here's a conversation I was a part of yesterday:
Someone in the classroom asked what the date was.
Student: Miss O'Brien, do you know what tomorrow is?!?!?
Me: The 12th. So, 12-12-12.
Student: Yeah! It's so cool! It's the only time it will ever be that! And at 12:12, I'm going to be so excited!
Me: Are you going to celebrate?
Student: Yeah!
Me: Are you going to sing a song?
Student: Yeah, it goes like this: 12-12-12, 12-12-12...
Me: Well, you might want to work on those lyrics, you have a full day to come up with something...
Unfortunately...well, maybe fortunately...I will not see that student at 12:12 on 12-12-12. I guess I will be missing a pretty big celebration. Maybe I'll hear about it from someone...
Someone in the classroom asked what the date was.
Student: Miss O'Brien, do you know what tomorrow is?!?!?
Me: The 12th. So, 12-12-12.
Student: Yeah! It's so cool! It's the only time it will ever be that! And at 12:12, I'm going to be so excited!
Me: Are you going to celebrate?
Student: Yeah!
Me: Are you going to sing a song?
Student: Yeah, it goes like this: 12-12-12, 12-12-12...
Me: Well, you might want to work on those lyrics, you have a full day to come up with something...
Unfortunately...well, maybe fortunately...I will not see that student at 12:12 on 12-12-12. I guess I will be missing a pretty big celebration. Maybe I'll hear about it from someone...
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
...paperclips...
I have a student who is very talkative. Not the uber-irritating kind of talkative though. He is very congenial, and always has a smile plastered on his face. But he just doesn't stop talking.
The last time I created a seating chart, I put him near my desk. I guess my thinking was if he is going to be talkative, at least he will be near me so I can monitor it more closely.
Well, this may have backfired. Now he just wants to talk to me ALL THE TIME. He may even have a secret mission to try to be my new best friend. (By the way, it isn't working.)
My classes were taking a test this week. Afterwards they were supposed to be working on a packet that required the use of their books. Of course Mr. Congenial didn't have his book with him. Naturally, he tried to use his time after the test to engage in conversation with me. As nice as it is to have a student interested in my life, it is disruptive while other students are still working on their assessment.
So, I needed to find a way to occupy his mind and keep him from talking. Impulsively I handed him my jar of colored paperclips.
Here, please sort these by color.
This meaningless, tedious task was enthusiastically received. He never even questioned why I would have him do such a thing. (Of course, he doesn't know that I have 6 little jars in my desk drawer with thumbtacks, separated by color.) He went right to work, making piles of red, blue, purple, and more.
Now, my desire was to give him some independent work. Sorting paperclips should keep him busy and away from the temptation to socialize. Well...it turns out that sorting paperclips seems like a pretty cool task...or maybe it was just because it was this particular student who was doing it. Who knows. Regardless of the reason for the attraction, over the next several minutes he unintentionally lured at least three other students to his desk who wanted to join the fun.
So much for keeping him from being a distraction.
Today I overheard him telling another student (who is not in any of my classes) about how I let him play with paperclips. I guess you never know what it might take to win over a student.
The last time I created a seating chart, I put him near my desk. I guess my thinking was if he is going to be talkative, at least he will be near me so I can monitor it more closely.
Well, this may have backfired. Now he just wants to talk to me ALL THE TIME. He may even have a secret mission to try to be my new best friend. (By the way, it isn't working.)
My classes were taking a test this week. Afterwards they were supposed to be working on a packet that required the use of their books. Of course Mr. Congenial didn't have his book with him. Naturally, he tried to use his time after the test to engage in conversation with me. As nice as it is to have a student interested in my life, it is disruptive while other students are still working on their assessment.
So, I needed to find a way to occupy his mind and keep him from talking. Impulsively I handed him my jar of colored paperclips.
Here, please sort these by color.
This meaningless, tedious task was enthusiastically received. He never even questioned why I would have him do such a thing. (Of course, he doesn't know that I have 6 little jars in my desk drawer with thumbtacks, separated by color.) He went right to work, making piles of red, blue, purple, and more.Now, my desire was to give him some independent work. Sorting paperclips should keep him busy and away from the temptation to socialize. Well...it turns out that sorting paperclips seems like a pretty cool task...or maybe it was just because it was this particular student who was doing it. Who knows. Regardless of the reason for the attraction, over the next several minutes he unintentionally lured at least three other students to his desk who wanted to join the fun.
So much for keeping him from being a distraction.
Today I overheard him telling another student (who is not in any of my classes) about how I let him play with paperclips. I guess you never know what it might take to win over a student.
Monday, December 10, 2012
...cover ups...
My students were taking a test, and working on a packet afterwards while they waited for their classmates to finish.
A girl was on her way back to her desk and all of a sudden she was on the ground.
As she stood up, she exclaimed, Who put that air right there? She gave the air in question a look of indignation.
That's one way to cover up an embarrassing moment...
A girl was on her way back to her desk and all of a sudden she was on the ground.
As she stood up, she exclaimed, Who put that air right there? She gave the air in question a look of indignation.
That's one way to cover up an embarrassing moment...
Thursday, November 1, 2012
...galaxy...
Do you like my nail polish? It looks like a GALAXY!
(she says as she shoves her hand, that looks a little something like this, onto my desk)
(she says as she shoves her hand, that looks a little something like this, onto my desk)
Thursday, October 25, 2012
...personality styles...
I teach a unit on learning & personality styles.
I give my students an abbreviated version of the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory. (I pretty well-known personality test, for those that have never heard of it.) The results are identified by four different letters, leading to 16 possible outcomes.
On the assessment for this unit, I include an essay question. This basically involves the students explaining their personality style.
Here is the beginning portion of my favorite answer:
My personality style is INFJ. My personality style is basically exactly like my real personality. I am quiet and loyal, just like a Hufflepuff.
Isn't it good to know the results were so accurate? I mean, it's basically her real personality! Phew!
If you don't know what a Hufflepuff is...well, it's one of the houses (or dormitories) from the Harry Potter series. If you have read/watched the series, you will understand how she quickly identified herself...she didn't even need a sorting hat!
I give my students an abbreviated version of the Myers Briggs Personality Inventory. (I pretty well-known personality test, for those that have never heard of it.) The results are identified by four different letters, leading to 16 possible outcomes.
On the assessment for this unit, I include an essay question. This basically involves the students explaining their personality style.
Here is the beginning portion of my favorite answer:
My personality style is INFJ. My personality style is basically exactly like my real personality. I am quiet and loyal, just like a Hufflepuff.
Isn't it good to know the results were so accurate? I mean, it's basically her real personality! Phew!
If you don't know what a Hufflepuff is...well, it's one of the houses (or dormitories) from the Harry Potter series. If you have read/watched the series, you will understand how she quickly identified herself...she didn't even need a sorting hat!
Friday, October 19, 2012
...sentences...
It's time for vocabulary sentences again.
Here is a sampling you might like...it reminds me of a You Tube video you may have seen...
Bonquesah made Stankesha cry because her words were very trenchant.
Needtoshutupesha saw her name on the roster for most outspoken.
Uglesha impeded our conversation.
"You need to forbear from talking too much," said Hotbreathesha.
Getintroubletoomuchesha tried to evade getting caught.
Beedeebeedesha was ripped asunder from her comb.
Here is a sampling you might like...it reminds me of a You Tube video you may have seen...
Bonquesah made Stankesha cry because her words were very trenchant.
Needtoshutupesha saw her name on the roster for most outspoken.
Uglesha impeded our conversation.
"You need to forbear from talking too much," said Hotbreathesha.
Getintroubletoomuchesha tried to evade getting caught.
Beedeebeedesha was ripped asunder from her comb.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
...pitfalls...
We are discussing personality styles. Today students were reading over full-page descriptions of their personality styles based on the Myers Briggs test. The page was broken up into various sections. One of these sections was titled Potential Pitfalls.
So, I asked: What does potential mean?
Student 1: When you have the ability to do something, but you don't actually do it.
I had to clean up some slightly misinterpreted parent/teacher conference lingo for them...
Then I asked: What does pitfall mean? Well, besides an old Atari game?
Student 2: It's a fall you pit into!
Close. So close.
So, I asked: What does potential mean?
Student 1: When you have the ability to do something, but you don't actually do it.
I had to clean up some slightly misinterpreted parent/teacher conference lingo for them...
Then I asked: What does pitfall mean? Well, besides an old Atari game?
Student 2: It's a fall you pit into!
Close. So close.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
...punctuation...
I was teaching a group of Juniors about some punctuation rules in preparation for the ACT English test. It went a little something like this:
Me: Who can tell me what a colon is? And don't tell me about your body...
Students give a little chuckle.
Student 1: I hate when people spell cologne like colon.
Me: Yeah, that is unfortunate.
Student 2: I know how to spell cologne! (He did not say the letters, but changed the pronunciation.) CO-LOG-NE!
Me: Good...
Student 1: Yeah, like I hate it when people say things like, Your colon smells really nice today!
Me: Who can tell me what a colon is? And don't tell me about your body...
Students give a little chuckle.
Student 1: I hate when people spell cologne like colon.
Me: Yeah, that is unfortunate.
Student 2: I know how to spell cologne! (He did not say the letters, but changed the pronunciation.) CO-LOG-NE!
Me: Good...
Student 1: Yeah, like I hate it when people say things like, Your colon smells really nice today!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
...hayride...
Sample vocabulary sentence: Jim looked very incongruous wearing a tuxedo on the hayride.
My question: What do people usually wear on a hayride?
Student: A farmer suit.
My question: What do people usually wear on a hayride?
Student: A farmer suit.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
...performance...
I usually play music during class.
The other day my students were quietly working on a timed test.
As the chorus of the song came on, all of a sudden we had a little impromptu choir. Several students in my class of 30 started singing along as they speedily answered the problems before them. The other staff member in the room & I both had grins of surprise on our faces.
I tried to get the students to quiet down so they wouldn't be a distraction to others, but it wasn't too simple. So, I told them to be quiet & I had an idea I'd share once time was up.
The timer went off.
Ok, if you are really loud, I'll turn the volume up & open the door to the classroom next to us & you can serenade them.
The once full choir turned into a few brave (foolish?) souls, that ended up encouraging several students to join in this spontaneous plan.
I turned the volume up. I started the song over. We waited for the chorus. They sang. I opened the door...
A student from the other room quietly entered my classroom, cautiously assessing the situation. No one really understanding what was happening, we soon had that entire class of sophomores slowly file into the room & stand in the front while these freshmen performed from their seats.
As the chorus ended, it became embarrassingly clear that my students didn't know the verses. As they fumbled over the words, I apologized to our guests & assured them that next time we would practice. They quietly walked back through the door & returned to their class. The faces on many of these students communicated there confusion as to what just happened. As the last student left, the one who had been the first to come to the concert, he turned to me and said, I don't even know why I came in here...and then everyone followed me...
I thought it was a little odd that the teacher never popped in or said anything. Well, it turns out that he was around the corner working with a couple of other students at the time. We found out after class that he didn't realize his students took a 45 second field trip. Amazingly enough, none of his students mentioned it to him.
Maybe they were still trying to sort out what they had just experienced.
The other day my students were quietly working on a timed test.
As the chorus of the song came on, all of a sudden we had a little impromptu choir. Several students in my class of 30 started singing along as they speedily answered the problems before them. The other staff member in the room & I both had grins of surprise on our faces.
I tried to get the students to quiet down so they wouldn't be a distraction to others, but it wasn't too simple. So, I told them to be quiet & I had an idea I'd share once time was up.
The timer went off.
Ok, if you are really loud, I'll turn the volume up & open the door to the classroom next to us & you can serenade them.
The once full choir turned into a few brave (foolish?) souls, that ended up encouraging several students to join in this spontaneous plan.
I turned the volume up. I started the song over. We waited for the chorus. They sang. I opened the door...
A student from the other room quietly entered my classroom, cautiously assessing the situation. No one really understanding what was happening, we soon had that entire class of sophomores slowly file into the room & stand in the front while these freshmen performed from their seats.
As the chorus ended, it became embarrassingly clear that my students didn't know the verses. As they fumbled over the words, I apologized to our guests & assured them that next time we would practice. They quietly walked back through the door & returned to their class. The faces on many of these students communicated there confusion as to what just happened. As the last student left, the one who had been the first to come to the concert, he turned to me and said, I don't even know why I came in here...and then everyone followed me...
I thought it was a little odd that the teacher never popped in or said anything. Well, it turns out that he was around the corner working with a couple of other students at the time. We found out after class that he didn't realize his students took a 45 second field trip. Amazingly enough, none of his students mentioned it to him.
Maybe they were still trying to sort out what they had just experienced.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
...feeling old...
We were going over the handbook.
We talked about the automated message system for important school announcements like snow days and whatnot. I made sure that students understood the importance of making sure the office is informed of any changes in contact information.
Me: So if your phone is disconnected, or your parents get a new cell phone number, or if they decide to get rid of their land line, make sure you inform the office.
Student 1: What's a land line?
I just kind of stopped & looked at her. At first I wasn't sure if she was serious. She was.
Me: Yeah, the kind of phone that is connected to the wall.
Student 2: You know, the kind that stays in the house.
Student 3: Yeah, a home phone.
I picked my jaw up off the floor. Seriously? You don't know what a land line is?
Student 1 gave me a look like I thought she was an idiot or something.
Me: No, this isn't about you. You are just making me feel really old...
We talked about the automated message system for important school announcements like snow days and whatnot. I made sure that students understood the importance of making sure the office is informed of any changes in contact information.
Me: So if your phone is disconnected, or your parents get a new cell phone number, or if they decide to get rid of their land line, make sure you inform the office.
Student 1: What's a land line?
I just kind of stopped & looked at her. At first I wasn't sure if she was serious. She was.
Me: Yeah, the kind of phone that is connected to the wall.
Student 2: You know, the kind that stays in the house.
Student 3: Yeah, a home phone.
I picked my jaw up off the floor. Seriously? You don't know what a land line is?
Student 1 gave me a look like I thought she was an idiot or something.
Me: No, this isn't about you. You are just making me feel really old...
Monday, August 27, 2012
...new sights...
I took a class of 19 students on a field trip today. We went to the local outdoor education center.
When it was time to break for lunch, our facilitator brought out a garbage can for the students to use when they were done.
The student next to me physically reacted...His eyes grew & were about to pop out of his face. A slow grin creeped onto his mouth. Then he quietly exclaimed, I've never seen a metal garbage can before!
Turns out they aren't simply from 80's movies, or instruments for Stomp. Metal garbage cans still exist, and people still put garbage in them.
At least one kid had a memorable experience today. So what if it has nothing to do with the intended objectives. I'm all about new life experiences...even trashy ones. (Sorry, I couldn't stop myself with that one.)
When it was time to break for lunch, our facilitator brought out a garbage can for the students to use when they were done.
The student next to me physically reacted...His eyes grew & were about to pop out of his face. A slow grin creeped onto his mouth. Then he quietly exclaimed, I've never seen a metal garbage can before!
Turns out they aren't simply from 80's movies, or instruments for Stomp. Metal garbage cans still exist, and people still put garbage in them.
At least one kid had a memorable experience today. So what if it has nothing to do with the intended objectives. I'm all about new life experiences...even trashy ones. (Sorry, I couldn't stop myself with that one.)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
...the pre-test dance...
We are starting the year with pre-tests.
Long tests full of questions students don't know the answers to, confirming they indeed do not know it.
A quiet room for most of the day. Bonus time for me to get things in order that I probably should have accomplished last week.
I had my music shuffling as all of my classes were testing. My students quickly learn that I have a wide variety of music.
Just now, I hit play on iTunes to give an example of what they might encounter:
Since You've Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson;
Rainbow Connection, Kermit the Frog;
Sweet Home Alabama, Jewel;
Brandenburg, Black Violin [love this one];
Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin;
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper;
Azukar, Kumbia Kings; &
Chicago, Frank Sinatra.
There's really no theme.
In one class, the students were quietly testing. I was working at my desk. Then it came on: Cha Cha Slide.
I simply said, Don't do it. Stay in your desks.
Small smiles creeped onto their faces. For the next 4 minutes & 10 seconds, quiet feet were moving in unison under 20+ desks in my room.
I could have just changed the song & everyone would have moved on and stayed focused.
But I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Long tests full of questions students don't know the answers to, confirming they indeed do not know it.
A quiet room for most of the day. Bonus time for me to get things in order that I probably should have accomplished last week.
I had my music shuffling as all of my classes were testing. My students quickly learn that I have a wide variety of music.
Just now, I hit play on iTunes to give an example of what they might encounter:
Since You've Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson;
Rainbow Connection, Kermit the Frog;
Sweet Home Alabama, Jewel;
Brandenburg, Black Violin [love this one];
Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin;
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Cyndi Lauper;
Azukar, Kumbia Kings; &
Chicago, Frank Sinatra.
There's really no theme.
In one class, the students were quietly testing. I was working at my desk. Then it came on: Cha Cha Slide.
I simply said, Don't do it. Stay in your desks.
Small smiles creeped onto their faces. For the next 4 minutes & 10 seconds, quiet feet were moving in unison under 20+ desks in my room.
I could have just changed the song & everyone would have moved on and stayed focused.
But I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
...kung fu panda...
I give my students 3-ring binders as I teach them how to get organized. Of course I get them the best binders I can. They are 2", so they can hold everything for all of their classes. They have the rings on the back, not the spine, so papers don't get caught in the rings. And they are view binders.
In some of my classes I have had time to pass out scrap paper and give the students time to decorate a page to slide into the front of their view binder. Some students didn't know what to do with it, so I offered some suggestions:
Write with your favorite color.
Write your name.
Draw your favorite animal.
Write about how much you miss your mom.
As students were working, I noticed one girl wasn't writing or drawing anything. So, I asked her why not. She said she didn't know what to do. Again I suggested drawing her favorite animal.
Girl: I want to draw a panda but I don't know how!
Me: Sure you do! It's easy!
I proceeded to pick up a dry erase marker and pretend that I am artistic. At one point I couldn't remember if pandas have black in the center or their stomachs or white...the class debated about it for a little while before we decided it is white. After completing the bear, I decided it needed a sword. Many students were quite impressed. I'm not sure they should have been. The girl asked if she could trace it. I said no.
The next class asked why Kung Fu Panda was on the board. When I explained the story, they asked if I could draw a penguin...So I did. I'm not nearly as proud of this one.
Another teacher saw my panda, then had me look up some panda pictures online. Turns out in some Chinese zoo people are dressing up as pandas when they take care of the babies. Crazy.
In some of my classes I have had time to pass out scrap paper and give the students time to decorate a page to slide into the front of their view binder. Some students didn't know what to do with it, so I offered some suggestions:
Write with your favorite color.
Write your name.
Draw your favorite animal.
Write about how much you miss your mom.
As students were working, I noticed one girl wasn't writing or drawing anything. So, I asked her why not. She said she didn't know what to do. Again I suggested drawing her favorite animal.Girl: I want to draw a panda but I don't know how!
Me: Sure you do! It's easy!
I proceeded to pick up a dry erase marker and pretend that I am artistic. At one point I couldn't remember if pandas have black in the center or their stomachs or white...the class debated about it for a little while before we decided it is white. After completing the bear, I decided it needed a sword. Many students were quite impressed. I'm not sure they should have been. The girl asked if she could trace it. I said no.
The next class asked why Kung Fu Panda was on the board. When I explained the story, they asked if I could draw a penguin...So I did. I'm not nearly as proud of this one.
Another teacher saw my panda, then had me look up some panda pictures online. Turns out in some Chinese zoo people are dressing up as pandas when they take care of the babies. Crazy.Wednesday, August 22, 2012
...book signings...
It's the beginning of a new school year. Time to pass out books. For my class, students use a paperback book that they keep. After having the books passed out, I distributed permanent markers for the students to borrow. I instructed them as to where I would like them to write their first and last names on the books. About thirty seconds later I heard, Oh man! I spelled my name wrong! I always do it the same way!
The first thing a kid learns to do in school is write his name...and here he is in high school, still struggling with it. Yikes! It may be a long year, yet certainly an entertaining one!
The first thing a kid learns to do in school is write his name...and here he is in high school, still struggling with it. Yikes! It may be a long year, yet certainly an entertaining one!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
...ribosomes...
So I came back to school to work in my classroom a couple days before having to report according to my contract. If you are a teacher, then you understand. The generous afternoon two days before school starts that we are allotted to work in our rooms just isn't sufficient.
Well, apparently another teacher in my hallway came back earlier than I did, and decided to visit my classroom.
He rearranged the letters on my bulletin board (that I had left up from last year of course).
I was pretty impressed with his ability to use every single letter.
Anyone want to guess what it originally said (and currently says again)?
Well, apparently another teacher in my hallway came back earlier than I did, and decided to visit my classroom.
He rearranged the letters on my bulletin board (that I had left up from last year of course).
I was pretty impressed with his ability to use every single letter.
Anyone want to guess what it originally said (and currently says again)?
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
...back to school...
Apparently it hasn't been a very funny summer because I didn't post a single blog.
Well, that is about to change. Back to school meetings start tomorrow, with students arriving just around the corner.
I took a sneak peek at my class lists...One of my students has a last name that is the name of a superhero. I kid you not. It's not Superman, but it isn't too far off. I hope he doesn't let me down for good material in the coming weeks. Who knows, maybe he will even have the ability to rescue me from some of his more, well, villainous classmates.
Here's hoping for a really funny year!
Well, that is about to change. Back to school meetings start tomorrow, with students arriving just around the corner.
I took a sneak peek at my class lists...One of my students has a last name that is the name of a superhero. I kid you not. It's not Superman, but it isn't too far off. I hope he doesn't let me down for good material in the coming weeks. Who knows, maybe he will even have the ability to rescue me from some of his more, well, villainous classmates.
Here's hoping for a really funny year!
Monday, May 28, 2012
...fire...
I was giving instructions for the final exam.
Student: Whoa! What the heck? Whoa! (other exclamatory remarks that I don't know how to type as he flails and scoots back in his desk) It looked like your hair was on fire! But it was just the light. Wow, that was so scary!
Once he recovered, I continued to tell students where to put their tests when they finished.
Student: Whoa! What the heck? Whoa! (other exclamatory remarks that I don't know how to type as he flails and scoots back in his desk) It looked like your hair was on fire! But it was just the light. Wow, that was so scary!
Once he recovered, I continued to tell students where to put their tests when they finished.
Friday, May 25, 2012
...wanna buy a duck?...
The funniest thing that ever happened to me in my entire life happened today. I'm not even kidding. THE FUNNIEST.
So I was working outside at the garage sale. We put all the furniture and big items outside, offering to sell on the spot before shoppers even entered. I spent 10 hours walking around, selling furniture, writing sold signs, and moving things around. I'm a little red from our sunny day.
At one point in the afternoon, I was the only person working outside for a few minutes. (This is the sad part of the story: I was unable to experience this with anyone.)
A young guy, maybe around 24ish, carrying a dirty towel started walking up toward the gym. I greeted him, as usual. Then I noticed that he was being followed...by a duck. So, without even thinking, I immediately said, You have a duck following you.
He responded: Yeah, is that okay?
Me: Oh, uhhh, yeah...as long as he doesn't go inside...
Duck Guy: Oh, no. He won't go inside.
After I tried to recover from this awkward situation, I let Duck Guy know that if he saw anything he wanted to let me know. I told him he could pay for it right there & I would mark it for him before he went inside. So, he told me he wanted a couch. We walked over to the couches, and by we I mean me, Duck Guy, and the duck. I'm not too convinced that he was really interested in a couch because he didn't even touch them, let a lone sit on one. Oh well.
Eventually Duck Guy found a couple of things that interested him. First he saw a vacuum cleaner. He asked if it worked, and I told him he could take it inside and plug it in to double check. As he considered this option, he said, Ok. Can you watch my duck?
Me, still slightly in shock: Yeah, sure. Go ahead.
What? Can I watch your duck?!?!? I said yes, but really I was thinking: What? Watch a duck? How do I watch a duck? How do I know if a duck is misbehaving? What do I do if it walks away? I'm not picking it up! I've never been so nervous to watch someone's duck before. Wait, what? Who has EVER watched a duck for someone else?
So, before going into the gym to check out the vacuum's sucking capability, he picked up the duck & said, I'll put him in the grass.
What? You'll put him in the grass? How is that helpful? He is a duck! How is putting a duck in the grass going to make my new duck-sitting gig any easier? Well, then he threw that dirty towel on top of the duck. He turned to me and said, He'll figure it out. Sometimes it takes him awhile.
As I'm watching the duck struggle to find his way out from underneath the towel, Duck Guy finds a grass seed spreader that he wants. He pays his $3, and I started to make a SOLD sign.
Me: Okay, what's your name?
Duck Guy: Philip. With 1 "L."
As I write "Philip" on the paper, I say: Okay, then I will put it over there while you go check out your vacuum inside.
A few seconds after he walked away, Duck Guy turns and says: Don't forget about the duck!
So here I am, standing in the parking lot full of furniture, and I realize that I am duck-sitting. None of my fellow volunteers are present to share this experience. So, I'm left to my own thoughts about how to make sure Philip is pleased with my care of his pet (or best friend maybe?). I continue talking with other customers about furniture. A few minutes later Philip returns, happily holding a functioning vacuum cleaner. He picked up the duck & brought him over to his other purchase. At this point a young girl asks Philip if she can pet his duck.
Philip: Yeah, he won't hurt you. His name is Burt.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THE DUCK'S NAME IS BURT?
At this point I had to walk away because I was dying!
Philip put the towel & Burt inside the grass seed spreader & started on his way. However, since the towel was keeping it from spinning well, the towel & Burt were ousted. So, just as before, Burt followed Philip to his car. As they were walking, other customers stopped what they were doing to gawk at the pair passing in front of them. One lady even verbalized what the rest of us were all thinking: Wait a minute; I have to watch this happen...
When Philip reached his car, he opened the hatch, put his purchases inside, then placed Burt next to them.
Well, now I can officially say I duck-sat.
For those of you who don't believe that this really happened, I wish I had a picture. I was just in too great of shock throughout the whole ordeal to even consider it.
So I was working outside at the garage sale. We put all the furniture and big items outside, offering to sell on the spot before shoppers even entered. I spent 10 hours walking around, selling furniture, writing sold signs, and moving things around. I'm a little red from our sunny day.
At one point in the afternoon, I was the only person working outside for a few minutes. (This is the sad part of the story: I was unable to experience this with anyone.)
A young guy, maybe around 24ish, carrying a dirty towel started walking up toward the gym. I greeted him, as usual. Then I noticed that he was being followed...by a duck. So, without even thinking, I immediately said, You have a duck following you.
He responded: Yeah, is that okay?
Me: Oh, uhhh, yeah...as long as he doesn't go inside...
Duck Guy: Oh, no. He won't go inside.
After I tried to recover from this awkward situation, I let Duck Guy know that if he saw anything he wanted to let me know. I told him he could pay for it right there & I would mark it for him before he went inside. So, he told me he wanted a couch. We walked over to the couches, and by we I mean me, Duck Guy, and the duck. I'm not too convinced that he was really interested in a couch because he didn't even touch them, let a lone sit on one. Oh well.
Eventually Duck Guy found a couple of things that interested him. First he saw a vacuum cleaner. He asked if it worked, and I told him he could take it inside and plug it in to double check. As he considered this option, he said, Ok. Can you watch my duck?
Me, still slightly in shock: Yeah, sure. Go ahead.
What? Can I watch your duck?!?!? I said yes, but really I was thinking: What? Watch a duck? How do I watch a duck? How do I know if a duck is misbehaving? What do I do if it walks away? I'm not picking it up! I've never been so nervous to watch someone's duck before. Wait, what? Who has EVER watched a duck for someone else?
So, before going into the gym to check out the vacuum's sucking capability, he picked up the duck & said, I'll put him in the grass.
What? You'll put him in the grass? How is that helpful? He is a duck! How is putting a duck in the grass going to make my new duck-sitting gig any easier? Well, then he threw that dirty towel on top of the duck. He turned to me and said, He'll figure it out. Sometimes it takes him awhile.
As I'm watching the duck struggle to find his way out from underneath the towel, Duck Guy finds a grass seed spreader that he wants. He pays his $3, and I started to make a SOLD sign.
Me: Okay, what's your name?
Duck Guy: Philip. With 1 "L."
As I write "Philip" on the paper, I say: Okay, then I will put it over there while you go check out your vacuum inside.
A few seconds after he walked away, Duck Guy turns and says: Don't forget about the duck!
So here I am, standing in the parking lot full of furniture, and I realize that I am duck-sitting. None of my fellow volunteers are present to share this experience. So, I'm left to my own thoughts about how to make sure Philip is pleased with my care of his pet (or best friend maybe?). I continue talking with other customers about furniture. A few minutes later Philip returns, happily holding a functioning vacuum cleaner. He picked up the duck & brought him over to his other purchase. At this point a young girl asks Philip if she can pet his duck.
Philip: Yeah, he won't hurt you. His name is Burt.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THE DUCK'S NAME IS BURT?
At this point I had to walk away because I was dying!
Philip put the towel & Burt inside the grass seed spreader & started on his way. However, since the towel was keeping it from spinning well, the towel & Burt were ousted. So, just as before, Burt followed Philip to his car. As they were walking, other customers stopped what they were doing to gawk at the pair passing in front of them. One lady even verbalized what the rest of us were all thinking: Wait a minute; I have to watch this happen...
When Philip reached his car, he opened the hatch, put his purchases inside, then placed Burt next to them.
Well, now I can officially say I duck-sat.
For those of you who don't believe that this really happened, I wish I had a picture. I was just in too great of shock throughout the whole ordeal to even consider it.
 |
| Burt looked kind of like this...only not as clean. |
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
...garage sale...
So my friend and I are orchestrating a major Missions Garage Sale to help raise money for short-term mission trips through Village Bible Church this summer. We have been taking donations all week long (it kinda feels like 2 full weeks, but it's only been four days) for the major sale this weekend.
We have several great volunteers helping throughout the course of the week. Some are working to help fund their own trips. Others are just giving some time because they want to support missions, and/or they just like doing it. We are thankful for all of these volunteers!
At this stage in the game we have departments throughout the gym and a large classroom. Furniture and big items have exploded into the hallway, Sunday School classrooms, and the foyer so we can move them outside for the sale. Some things have prices on them already, but we haven't gotten to everything yet.
Sometimes we have some young kids wandering, potentially helping, throughout the gym as their mom or aunt (or whoever) is working.
Tonight a little girl, probably about 7 years old came up to me as I was putting some books on a table. She showed me a placemat with the presidents on it. (Sweet find, right?)
Little Girl: Do you know how much this is?
Me: Yes. It's 25 cents.
Little Girl: Oh, okay...Wait! How did you KNOW?
Me: I have it in my head.
Her eyes grew three times their normal size. Little Girl: Do you mean that you have the price of EVERYTHING in this sale in your head?!?!?
Me: Yes, I do.
She may have gone into shock.
We have several great volunteers helping throughout the course of the week. Some are working to help fund their own trips. Others are just giving some time because they want to support missions, and/or they just like doing it. We are thankful for all of these volunteers!
At this stage in the game we have departments throughout the gym and a large classroom. Furniture and big items have exploded into the hallway, Sunday School classrooms, and the foyer so we can move them outside for the sale. Some things have prices on them already, but we haven't gotten to everything yet.
Sometimes we have some young kids wandering, potentially helping, throughout the gym as their mom or aunt (or whoever) is working.
Tonight a little girl, probably about 7 years old came up to me as I was putting some books on a table. She showed me a placemat with the presidents on it. (Sweet find, right?)
Little Girl: Do you know how much this is?
Me: Yes. It's 25 cents.
Little Girl: Oh, okay...Wait! How did you KNOW?
Me: I have it in my head.
Her eyes grew three times their normal size. Little Girl: Do you mean that you have the price of EVERYTHING in this sale in your head?!?!?
Me: Yes, I do.
She may have gone into shock.
 |
| A small section of the gym at the beginning stages... You can see why she was so surprised, right? |
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
...personal day...
Six years later, I finally took my first personal day. I know--some of you are thinking I'm totally crazy. But as a teacher, I usually find leaving my students more work than just sticking to the routine. Plus I have to miss school on a regular basis for the sake of a leadership group I sponsor...I just never take days and simply stay home. I mean, I've only taken 1 sick day in those 6 years too.
Well, apparently it's a big deal to students too if I miss a day.
This morning I was standing in the hallway, outside of my classroom as usual. A student came up to me from behind, and he turned to look at my face. I was a little weirded-out by this, gave him an odd look, & asked why he was looking at me like that.
Turns out there was a rumor that I was in a fight or something, and he expected to see a big bruise or scratch or something on my right cheek. I was so stunned by how certain he was that he would see evidence of the brawl on my countenance, that I didn't even think to ask for details.
My guess is that the teacher across the hall is spreading rumors about me...yet again.
Well, apparently it's a big deal to students too if I miss a day.
This morning I was standing in the hallway, outside of my classroom as usual. A student came up to me from behind, and he turned to look at my face. I was a little weirded-out by this, gave him an odd look, & asked why he was looking at me like that.
Turns out there was a rumor that I was in a fight or something, and he expected to see a big bruise or scratch or something on my right cheek. I was so stunned by how certain he was that he would see evidence of the brawl on my countenance, that I didn't even think to ask for details.
My guess is that the teacher across the hall is spreading rumors about me...yet again.
Monday, May 21, 2012
...celebrations...
At every PLC meeting, we try to start out with some celebrations. I'm sure when our administration encouraged this practice they expected things like, My students did really well on the last test! or I didn't have to write any referrals for a month! or other really great achievements regarding our students. However, our PLC tends to celebrate a little differently. Sometimes we celebrate discovering funny You Tube videos or learning new words in another language, that sort of thing.
1st: Over the past few weeks, I'll be honest, I've been disappointed with our dress code compliance. I know it's the end of the year, but it's been ridiculous. So, I just wanted to point out that today we do indeed have 100% compliance. Great job guys!
2nd: Post-assembly, Ben challenged me to a race back to my classroom. I won. That's right. I won. This is a fairly large accomplishment for me considering my complete lack of athleticism. I will take your congratulations via email, in the form or high fives, or with chocolate.
Thanks!
In response I received:
1. A digital high-five.
2. A digital chocolate rose (chocolate & flowers in one).
3. A ridiculous accusation by Ben that I punched him and threw garbage cans in his way.
4. A fun-size chocolate bar thrown at me during class, which of course I did not catch.
5. Congratulations from my students after I explained why a teacher just threw chocolate at me.
6. Several fun-size candy bars in my mailbox.
7. A confession from Ben that I won fair and square--no garbage cans involved.
I was pretty satisfied.
By the way, for you new-comers, Thursdays are Kaleidoscope Days...So it's basically impossible for us NOT to have 100% compliance. Even so, it is good to recognize Positive Behavior. (Right PBIS fans?)
Well, last week I felt the need to share some celebrations with my PLC via email. Here it is:
I have two things to celebrate:
2nd: Post-assembly, Ben challenged me to a race back to my classroom. I won. That's right. I won. This is a fairly large accomplishment for me considering my complete lack of athleticism. I will take your congratulations via email, in the form or high fives, or with chocolate.
Thanks!
In response I received:
1. A digital high-five.
2. A digital chocolate rose (chocolate & flowers in one).
3. A ridiculous accusation by Ben that I punched him and threw garbage cans in his way.
4. A fun-size chocolate bar thrown at me during class, which of course I did not catch.
5. Congratulations from my students after I explained why a teacher just threw chocolate at me.
6. Several fun-size candy bars in my mailbox.
7. A confession from Ben that I won fair and square--no garbage cans involved.
I was pretty satisfied.
By the way, for you new-comers, Thursdays are Kaleidoscope Days...So it's basically impossible for us NOT to have 100% compliance. Even so, it is good to recognize Positive Behavior. (Right PBIS fans?)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
...mail time...
So one day I checked my mailbox at school. Among the normal teacher recommendation forms and memos, I found three unexpected papers. I am not sure who put them there or what message he/she is trying to send. Nevertheless, I found them amusing. I decided to put them up for public viewing outside my classroom. So far several people have claimed to be the individual who placed them in my box.
Monday, May 7, 2012
...weight-lifting mix-up...
Student 1: Miss O'Brien?
Student 2: Wait, who is this O'Brien you speak of?
Student 1: What? Huh? That's your name, right?
He stood up, walked across the room, opened the door, and checked the name plate outside my door.
Student 1: Yeah! I was right! You are Miss O'Brien. Wait, who is the weight-lifting teacher?
Student 2: Uhhh...Ms. Esmond.
Student 1: Wait, I think I've been calling her Miss O'Brien all year!
Me: That's weird. Tons of students call me Ms. Esmond...we have the same first name...
Student 2: Wait, who is this O'Brien you speak of?
Student 1: What? Huh? That's your name, right?
He stood up, walked across the room, opened the door, and checked the name plate outside my door.
Student 1: Yeah! I was right! You are Miss O'Brien. Wait, who is the weight-lifting teacher?
Student 2: Uhhh...Ms. Esmond.
Student 1: Wait, I think I've been calling her Miss O'Brien all year!
Me: That's weird. Tons of students call me Ms. Esmond...we have the same first name...
Monday, April 30, 2012
...lumberjacks...
I was sitting at a table with some students working on homework for different classes after school.
Student 1: The questions says: Identify which group in Incan society had to pay the labor tax.
Student 2: Aren't lumberjacks the people who carry axes and chop down trees?
Me: Yes...but he didn't say lumberjacks. He said labor tax.
Student 2: Oh.
Student 1: The questions says: Identify which group in Incan society had to pay the labor tax.
Student 2: Aren't lumberjacks the people who carry axes and chop down trees?
Me: Yes...but he didn't say lumberjacks. He said labor tax.
Student 2: Oh.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
...administrative assistant day...
So, apparently today is Administrative Assistant Appreciation Day.
Somehow the staff divided up the administrative assistants in the building with each PLC responsible for somehow showing our appreciation.
Long story short, our PLC was not fully aware of the occasion until part-way through the day. Our PLC exchanged several emails about the situation and potential solutions...Truth be told, I have 33 emails in my inbox from this thread. Here is a sampling of various comments:
Isn't Lisa technically our assistant because she takes notes for us?
I think a handmade card would be nice...followed by a nice pair of mittens made out of yarn...
Hmmmm...What do we know she loves?
She loves Andy.
I have chocolate chip goldfish.
I just looked it up and saw that May 16 is "Give the Oldest Member of Your Department a Hug Day." Boy! So many celebrations all near the same time!!
A few of us had a real conversation in the hallway to get down to business and figure out what we would seriously do. I doctored up a picture we took earlier in the semester:
More comments via email after the picture was attached:
Why is the writing in French?
I hear she likes French, and French food is too expensive.
Oh we should get her French Fries. Everyone loves those!!!
It was an interesting day...with seemingly non-stop email checking. On my prep hour I had the picture printed, bought a frame, picked out a card, looked for a 100 Grand bar to tell our assistant that she is worth a 100 grand to us, couldn't find one, and settled for a Take 5 bar.
In the midst of the emails there was more discussion about what the guys were going to do for me. It was suggested that I get myself something while I was out. Well...I did. I got myself a Take 5 bar. When I told the guys how much they owed me to cover the cost, I included enough to cover that as well.
Everyone signed the card before another PLC member delivered this amazing gift of appreciation.
I had a meeting today. When I returned to my classroom, I found a photo copy of the card (that I purchased, wrote in, signed, and took around to the rest of the PLC members) on my desk. This was their gift to me. Man do I feel appreciated...or at least I will once I get that cash back...
Somehow the staff divided up the administrative assistants in the building with each PLC responsible for somehow showing our appreciation.
Long story short, our PLC was not fully aware of the occasion until part-way through the day. Our PLC exchanged several emails about the situation and potential solutions...Truth be told, I have 33 emails in my inbox from this thread. Here is a sampling of various comments:
Isn't Lisa technically our assistant because she takes notes for us?
I think a handmade card would be nice...followed by a nice pair of mittens made out of yarn...
Hmmmm...What do we know she loves?
She loves Andy.
I have chocolate chip goldfish.
I just looked it up and saw that May 16 is "Give the Oldest Member of Your Department a Hug Day." Boy! So many celebrations all near the same time!!
A few of us had a real conversation in the hallway to get down to business and figure out what we would seriously do. I doctored up a picture we took earlier in the semester:
 |
| Disclaimer to Spanish speakers: I know this is full of mistakes. |
Why is the writing in French?
I hear she likes French, and French food is too expensive.
Oh we should get her French Fries. Everyone loves those!!!
It was an interesting day...with seemingly non-stop email checking. On my prep hour I had the picture printed, bought a frame, picked out a card, looked for a 100 Grand bar to tell our assistant that she is worth a 100 grand to us, couldn't find one, and settled for a Take 5 bar.
In the midst of the emails there was more discussion about what the guys were going to do for me. It was suggested that I get myself something while I was out. Well...I did. I got myself a Take 5 bar. When I told the guys how much they owed me to cover the cost, I included enough to cover that as well.
Everyone signed the card before another PLC member delivered this amazing gift of appreciation.
I had a meeting today. When I returned to my classroom, I found a photo copy of the card (that I purchased, wrote in, signed, and took around to the rest of the PLC members) on my desk. This was their gift to me. Man do I feel appreciated...or at least I will once I get that cash back...
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
...progressive...
I had a student tell me that I remind them of FLO from Progressive commercials. Since I don't have TV, I had to do some You Tube searching...
How do YOU think I should interpret this?...more vocab sentences...
My friends and I pillaged my closet that was filled with food.
Ummmm...does anyone else store food in their closet? Or is it just this student?
The kid had a phobia of snakes ever since he saw one eat his dog.
Whoa! Either that was one giant snake, or one tiny dog!
Vikings pillaged early towns by killing all in their way, and taking all the riches they could find.
So....the late towns were spared? Maybe the Vikings had already passed through by the time they settled...
I feel no remorse for squishing bugs.
I know my last sentence was callous and weird, sorry.
No hard feelings...I'm not offended by killing bugs!
Ummmm...does anyone else store food in their closet? Or is it just this student?
The kid had a phobia of snakes ever since he saw one eat his dog.
Whoa! Either that was one giant snake, or one tiny dog!
Vikings pillaged early towns by killing all in their way, and taking all the riches they could find.
So....the late towns were spared? Maybe the Vikings had already passed through by the time they settled...
I feel no remorse for squishing bugs.
I know my last sentence was callous and weird, sorry.
No hard feelings...I'm not offended by killing bugs!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
...sarcasm...
I have a student who is convinced that I do not understand what sarcasm is.
He's been trying to teach me this afternoon.
While making these claims, he didn't seem to notice the surprised faces nor the contradictory comments made by others around him.
He might be right though; I could probably use some tips.
He's been trying to teach me this afternoon.
While making these claims, he didn't seem to notice the surprised faces nor the contradictory comments made by others around him.
He might be right though; I could probably use some tips.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
...vocab sentences...
Here are some samples of vocabulary sentences that I graded today and thought you might enjoy.
(I'm not finished, so I may just have some more to post in the future...we can only hope...)
Hitler was a Jew that became notorious.
No offense to Japanese people, but I despise sushi.
Don't underestimate the wrath of Chuck Norris.
(I'm not finished, so I may just have some more to post in the future...we can only hope...)
Hitler was a Jew that became notorious.
No offense to Japanese people, but I despise sushi.
Don't underestimate the wrath of Chuck Norris.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
...spontaneous applause...
My students were quietly working on an assignment.
Suddenly we heard mild applause coming from the class next to us.
Immediately, without hesitation, my class responded by clapping a little louder.
As if we were at a youth rally or something, the other class responded with more enthusiastic clapping and even a few, small cheers.
Of course my class erupted in celebratory noise.
Yet again, the cheers of my students were matched.
Then, as if my class knew what was going to happen, no one answered back, but one student got out of his seat. He walked to the door between our classrooms, opened the door, and said, Could you please quiet down? We are trying to work here.
Naturally this led to a good chuckle from both classes.
But the student turned red & walked back to his seat after the other teacher asked about the three metal paper clips that were pinching his ear.
My students sure are entertaining.
Suddenly we heard mild applause coming from the class next to us.
Immediately, without hesitation, my class responded by clapping a little louder.
As if we were at a youth rally or something, the other class responded with more enthusiastic clapping and even a few, small cheers.
Of course my class erupted in celebratory noise.
Yet again, the cheers of my students were matched.
Then, as if my class knew what was going to happen, no one answered back, but one student got out of his seat. He walked to the door between our classrooms, opened the door, and said, Could you please quiet down? We are trying to work here.
Naturally this led to a good chuckle from both classes.
But the student turned red & walked back to his seat after the other teacher asked about the three metal paper clips that were pinching his ear.
My students sure are entertaining.
Friday, March 2, 2012
...smells like Africa...
I have a student who is African.
Recently she went to Africa to visit her extended family.
Today I saw her pass a necklace to the student sitting to her left.
A few minutes later she passed it to the student to her right.
As she handed it to the second person, I heard her say, Do you want to know what Africa smells like?
Apparently this necklace stills smells like Africa, & she was sharing the experience with her peers.
I was tempted to check it out and see if her home-country smells like the Africa I know. I refrained. Maybe next time...
Recently she went to Africa to visit her extended family.
Today I saw her pass a necklace to the student sitting to her left.
A few minutes later she passed it to the student to her right.
As she handed it to the second person, I heard her say, Do you want to know what Africa smells like?
Apparently this necklace stills smells like Africa, & she was sharing the experience with her peers.
I was tempted to check it out and see if her home-country smells like the Africa I know. I refrained. Maybe next time...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
...red or purple Wednesday...
 |
| 100% Compliance |
Can't you just see the joy that we get from meeting our goals?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
...are you for real?...
Two students had drawn cartoon ponies.
Their friend took the pictures around and asked people to vote for which one looked better. The criteria for better was uncertain, making the decision somewhat difficult. I guess that's how it goes with art.
Another student turned to me and asked, Wait, are they real?
Slightly confused, I asked, What do you mean, are they real?
The student replied, Are ponies real?
Don't worry, I set him straight. He now knows the difference between ponies and unicorns, oh and horses too.
I will never cease to be amazed by teenagers.
Their friend took the pictures around and asked people to vote for which one looked better. The criteria for better was uncertain, making the decision somewhat difficult. I guess that's how it goes with art.
Another student turned to me and asked, Wait, are they real?
Slightly confused, I asked, What do you mean, are they real?
The student replied, Are ponies real?
Don't worry, I set him straight. He now knows the difference between ponies and unicorns, oh and horses too.
I will never cease to be amazed by teenagers.
Friday, February 17, 2012
...guns aren't allowed in school...
A young man with a sleeveless shirt walked into the room across the hall.
A teacher noticed.
He called several of us over.
Five teachers stood outside the door and attempted to be as serious as possible.
The student was called into the hallway.
He is turning red and acting nervous.
We're going to have to take you downstairs to talk to the police officer.
Getting defensive, What? Why? What did I do?
Guns aren't allowed in school.
What? Are you serious? This is why you brought me out here? Relieved, he shakes his head and goes back into the classroom. His guns were still out for everyone to see.
The five of us in the hallway have a good laugh before the bell rings as a signal for us to get back to business.
A teacher noticed.
He called several of us over.
Five teachers stood outside the door and attempted to be as serious as possible.
The student was called into the hallway.
He is turning red and acting nervous.
We're going to have to take you downstairs to talk to the police officer.
Getting defensive, What? Why? What did I do?
Guns aren't allowed in school.
What? Are you serious? This is why you brought me out here? Relieved, he shakes his head and goes back into the classroom. His guns were still out for everyone to see.
The five of us in the hallway have a good laugh before the bell rings as a signal for us to get back to business.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
...you'll poke someone's eye out...
I hate when students throw things. I don't care what it is--I hate it. There is always a chance that something is going to go wrong. I prefer they pass it, or wait for the opportune time to stand up and hand it over.
The other day a student threw a pencil across the room. I got mad and emphasized my desire for students never to throw things in my classroom. A student responds with, Yeah, you could poke someone's eye out.
That same student stood up to give a pencil to a classmate across the room. As he went, he was holding the eraser and letting the pencil swing back and forth. He poked himself in the eye.
True story.
The other day a student threw a pencil across the room. I got mad and emphasized my desire for students never to throw things in my classroom. A student responds with, Yeah, you could poke someone's eye out.
That same student stood up to give a pencil to a classmate across the room. As he went, he was holding the eraser and letting the pencil swing back and forth. He poked himself in the eye.
True story.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
...dodgeball...
Time: After school
Place: My classroom
Action: A teacher enters my classroom without saying a word to me. He takes a few pieces of paper from my growing stack of scrap paper, and wads them into balls. This teacher quietly makes his way towards the door that connects my room to another classroom. He slowly turns the handle so that no sound is detected. When he has mustered up all the mental preparation he can, he blasts through the door, fires the paper wads at the unsuspecting teacher sitting at his desk, and dashes straight out the door that leads to the hallway.
My role: Absolutley nothing. I'm purely a spectator. I'm being used for my resources and strategic location.
Place: My classroom
Action: A teacher enters my classroom without saying a word to me. He takes a few pieces of paper from my growing stack of scrap paper, and wads them into balls. This teacher quietly makes his way towards the door that connects my room to another classroom. He slowly turns the handle so that no sound is detected. When he has mustered up all the mental preparation he can, he blasts through the door, fires the paper wads at the unsuspecting teacher sitting at his desk, and dashes straight out the door that leads to the hallway.
My role: Absolutley nothing. I'm purely a spectator. I'm being used for my resources and strategic location.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
...he made it...
Last week one of the guys in my hall came to tell me his latest prank. We teachers enjoy pranking each other.
Mr. Smith was in his room, getting his class started for the period. He saw another teacher, Mr. Shaw, walk by. Mr. Shaw has his prep period that hour. Mr. Smith stealthily moved his entire conglomeration of students down the hall, and into this unsuspecting teacher's room. The students found seats, and he began teaching. Of course Mr. Smith was distracting himself because he wasn't sure when the victim would return, and he was really curious as to how Mr. Shaw would react.
As Mr. Smith told me about this, I expressed that I was quite proud of his achievement. This was impressive. As he saw my approval, he enthusiastically asked, Is this going to make the blog?!? When I said, yes, he was so excited that students passing by knew that something amazing must have happened.
That night I posted a blog...but it was about a lame joke. Ironically, in the past Mr. Smith has attempted to tell me lame jokes with the hope that I would think they were funny enough to make the blog.
Mr. Smith was a little irritated. I told him I needed more of the story.
Well, I got it.
We had a PLC meeting, in which we began with celebrations. One celebration was the smooth execution of a prank. So, Mr. Shaw proceeded to share his side of the story.
As he reentered his classroom that day, he was hit with confusion, and a myriad of conflicting thoughts shot through his brain instantaneously.
Thought #1: Why did I leave my classroom when I have a class?
Thought #2: Smith must be covering me.
Thought #3: How long have I been gone?
Thought #4: I can't believe I did that!
Thought #5: Wow, Smith is a life-saver!
Thought #6: Wait, he isn't teaching Spanish.
Thought #7: He is teaching his class.
Thought #8: Smith is messing with me!
Once Mr. Smith saw Mr. Shaw realized what happened, he proudly paused his lesson and dismissed his class back to the correct room.
Well, he finally did it. Mr. Smith made the blog. Keep up the good work!
Mr. Smith was in his room, getting his class started for the period. He saw another teacher, Mr. Shaw, walk by. Mr. Shaw has his prep period that hour. Mr. Smith stealthily moved his entire conglomeration of students down the hall, and into this unsuspecting teacher's room. The students found seats, and he began teaching. Of course Mr. Smith was distracting himself because he wasn't sure when the victim would return, and he was really curious as to how Mr. Shaw would react.
As Mr. Smith told me about this, I expressed that I was quite proud of his achievement. This was impressive. As he saw my approval, he enthusiastically asked, Is this going to make the blog?!? When I said, yes, he was so excited that students passing by knew that something amazing must have happened.
That night I posted a blog...but it was about a lame joke. Ironically, in the past Mr. Smith has attempted to tell me lame jokes with the hope that I would think they were funny enough to make the blog.
Mr. Smith was a little irritated. I told him I needed more of the story.
Well, I got it.
We had a PLC meeting, in which we began with celebrations. One celebration was the smooth execution of a prank. So, Mr. Shaw proceeded to share his side of the story.
As he reentered his classroom that day, he was hit with confusion, and a myriad of conflicting thoughts shot through his brain instantaneously.
Thought #1: Why did I leave my classroom when I have a class?
Thought #2: Smith must be covering me.
Thought #3: How long have I been gone?
Thought #4: I can't believe I did that!
Thought #5: Wow, Smith is a life-saver!
Thought #6: Wait, he isn't teaching Spanish.
Thought #7: He is teaching his class.
Thought #8: Smith is messing with me!
Once Mr. Smith saw Mr. Shaw realized what happened, he proudly paused his lesson and dismissed his class back to the correct room.
Well, he finally did it. Mr. Smith made the blog. Keep up the good work!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
...breaking my mold...
Last fall I realized in order to meet the dress code within my hallway, I needed more options for Green Tuesday. I went to Wal-Mart and perused their green scarves. I found one I liked that also had some magenta flowers on it.
So, on the occasional Tuesday, my students and coworkers might see me sporting this accessory in order to be in compliance.
I'm wearing it today. In class a student asked, Miss O'Brien, what's on your scarf? Are those skulls?
I quickly responded, No, these are flowers.
But as I took a closer look, I realized I was totally wrong. She was right. I am definitely wearing a camouflage scarf with magenta skulls.
I was breaking my fashion trend without even realizing it. Oh well, I already paid for it. I will continue wearing this accessory that I never would have picked up if I had realized what it really was. However, it will never quite feel the same.
So, on the occasional Tuesday, my students and coworkers might see me sporting this accessory in order to be in compliance.I'm wearing it today. In class a student asked, Miss O'Brien, what's on your scarf? Are those skulls?
I quickly responded, No, these are flowers.
But as I took a closer look, I realized I was totally wrong. She was right. I am definitely wearing a camouflage scarf with magenta skulls.
I was breaking my fashion trend without even realizing it. Oh well, I already paid for it. I will continue wearing this accessory that I never would have picked up if I had realized what it really was. However, it will never quite feel the same.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
...same old banana...
Two students had finished their assignments and were waiting for their classmates to finish so we could go over them as a class.
One was sitting behind the other.
Student 1 taps the student in front of him.
Student 1: Knock knock
Student 2: Who's there?
Student 1: Orange...Dang it! I messed it up!
Slight pause
Student 1: Knock, knock
Student 2: Who's there?
Student 1: Banana
Yeah, he continued to tell the joke after he had ruined it. No twist. It was the same old joke that we tell to the little tykes when introducing them to knock knock jokes. This time it was told by one fifteen year old to another. If only he hadn't blown it with the first attempt. Well, I guess he got a laugh out of me anyway.
One was sitting behind the other.
Student 1 taps the student in front of him.
Student 1: Knock knock
Student 2: Who's there?
Student 1: Orange...Dang it! I messed it up!
Slight pause
Student 1: Knock, knock
Student 2: Who's there?
Student 1: Banana
Yeah, he continued to tell the joke after he had ruined it. No twist. It was the same old joke that we tell to the little tykes when introducing them to knock knock jokes. This time it was told by one fifteen year old to another. If only he hadn't blown it with the first attempt. Well, I guess he got a laugh out of me anyway.
Friday, January 27, 2012
...under the door...
There is a door that connects my classroom to the one next to me. It's pretty atypical. In fact, I think they might be the only two classrooms in the building that do that. I'm not totally sure why, but it might have something to do with being interior rooms. (Yes, take a moment to feel sorry for me because I don't have a window.) It actually works out well since the teacher next door has a section of the same subject, plus he kind of functions like the little brother I never had. Well, that isn't 100% positive since little brothers are often annoying.
Today, during class I noticed a few white-board markers on the floor near our connecting door. I recognized them as his markers, not mine. So, I decided to go ahead and kick them under the door so that they would inevitably sail across the front of his classroom while he had a room full of students. (Sometimes you just gotta get back at the annoying little brother in subtle ways, you know?) Of course, some students saw this happen and were slightly amused by this immature act. One student didn't see me kick them, but asked, Oh yeah, did you ever see those markers that came from Mr. Shaw's room?
I told him that I just kicked them back.
Apparently the markers had made their way into my room during this student's Spanish class...I don't know how long they'd been sitting there.
Oh...another story about that door (this one is for free):
Yesterday I was standing in front of the room & all of a sudden a student sneezed. I mean, that little girl SNEEZED! The sound of that sneeze was so loud and, well, sharp is the only word I can think to describe it. I felt like I had been attacked by it, and I was at least 8 feet away. The whole class was kind of stunned. After a quick recovery, I took the risk of interrupting the class next door, opened up our connecting door, and asked if they'd heard the sneeze & if everyone was okay, since I had personally felt like I was attacked. The teacher confirmed that they were all okay, but they had indeed felt the repercussions of the sneeze.
Today, during class I noticed a few white-board markers on the floor near our connecting door. I recognized them as his markers, not mine. So, I decided to go ahead and kick them under the door so that they would inevitably sail across the front of his classroom while he had a room full of students. (Sometimes you just gotta get back at the annoying little brother in subtle ways, you know?) Of course, some students saw this happen and were slightly amused by this immature act. One student didn't see me kick them, but asked, Oh yeah, did you ever see those markers that came from Mr. Shaw's room?
I told him that I just kicked them back.
Apparently the markers had made their way into my room during this student's Spanish class...I don't know how long they'd been sitting there.
Oh...another story about that door (this one is for free):
Yesterday I was standing in front of the room & all of a sudden a student sneezed. I mean, that little girl SNEEZED! The sound of that sneeze was so loud and, well, sharp is the only word I can think to describe it. I felt like I had been attacked by it, and I was at least 8 feet away. The whole class was kind of stunned. After a quick recovery, I took the risk of interrupting the class next door, opened up our connecting door, and asked if they'd heard the sneeze & if everyone was okay, since I had personally felt like I was attacked. The teacher confirmed that they were all okay, but they had indeed felt the repercussions of the sneeze.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
...oompa loompas...
Students are working.
All of a sudden...
Student 1: Wait, Miss O'Brien, are Ooompa Loompas real?
Me: ODD LOOK TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM
Student 1: No really...are they real people?
Student 2 with frustration building up: They are midgets! They are just midgets with orange make-up!
P.S. I hate that movie. It traumatized me for life.
All of a sudden...Student 1: Wait, Miss O'Brien, are Ooompa Loompas real?
Me: ODD LOOK TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THIS IS COMING FROM
Student 1: No really...are they real people?
Student 2 with frustration building up: They are midgets! They are just midgets with orange make-up!
P.S. I hate that movie. It traumatized me for life.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
...dress code...
I can't believe I haven't written about this yet this school year.
But I just made a quick glance over my posts, and I didn't see anything.
Well, my PLC (department for newcomers to the blog) has a dress code. No really, we do.
In the past one of my coworkers used to say that he put his shirts in his closet and each day he would simply wear the next one. Another guy in my hallway got into the habit of wearing a blue shirt every Monday. He had some kind of reasoning...though I'm not really sure what it was. I'm not sure when it started, but it is possible that he has been doing it for the past five years. I'd have to ask him to be sure.
Last year the guys often ended up wearing the same color shirt on the same day, most frequently the blue one. It turned into a kind of joke. Somehow it became official that our hallway honored Blue Mondays. Honestly, I was the one most likely to break the trend. I got reprimanded quite often at the beginning of the week.
Well, this fall we decided to take it a step further and make an actual dress code. Not just for Mondays, but for all week. That's right a daily dress code. We had some debate, and we even made some adjustments a few weeks in.
Here it is:
Mondays = Blue
Tuesdays = Green
Wednesdays = Red OR Purple (throw in a little variety, but not too much--we couldn't have red & green the same day because that would lead to a Christmasy theme that is inappropriate for most of the year)
Thursdays = Kaleidoscope Day (aka, wear whatever you want--people wanted to have an outlet for all the other colors in their wardrobe)
Friday = School Pride
We are fairly successful and are always excited when we have 100% compliance on any given day. I'm doing much better with Blue Mondays by the way. I think it helps knowing there is a particular expectation for each day. And it definitely makes choosing my outfit a quicker process in the morning. Oh, and in case you were curious, it doesn't have to be the color of the shirt, though that is the most frequent choice. It can be the color of accessory, i.e. tie, scarf, etc. On occasion I have even gone with following the dress code by the color of skirt I wear.
Rumor has it, other staff members finally caught wind of our dress code this week, wrote it down, and might even be attempting to follow suit. I'll be sure to check it out on Monday.
Our biggest downfall? Dan doesn't have a green shirt. We've never had 100% compliance on Tuesdays. We knew since the very beginning that he didn't have one, but we put it on the schedule anyway. I guess we all figured he would go out and get one by now. I mean, I know one teacher used a Christmas gift card to expand his options in the purple department.
One of these days, I think one of us is going to come to school with a green shirt for Dan, at at least a green tie.
But I just made a quick glance over my posts, and I didn't see anything.
Well, my PLC (department for newcomers to the blog) has a dress code. No really, we do.
In the past one of my coworkers used to say that he put his shirts in his closet and each day he would simply wear the next one. Another guy in my hallway got into the habit of wearing a blue shirt every Monday. He had some kind of reasoning...though I'm not really sure what it was. I'm not sure when it started, but it is possible that he has been doing it for the past five years. I'd have to ask him to be sure.
Last year the guys often ended up wearing the same color shirt on the same day, most frequently the blue one. It turned into a kind of joke. Somehow it became official that our hallway honored Blue Mondays. Honestly, I was the one most likely to break the trend. I got reprimanded quite often at the beginning of the week.
Well, this fall we decided to take it a step further and make an actual dress code. Not just for Mondays, but for all week. That's right a daily dress code. We had some debate, and we even made some adjustments a few weeks in.
Here it is:
Mondays = Blue
Tuesdays = Green
Wednesdays = Red OR Purple (throw in a little variety, but not too much--we couldn't have red & green the same day because that would lead to a Christmasy theme that is inappropriate for most of the year)
Thursdays = Kaleidoscope Day (aka, wear whatever you want--people wanted to have an outlet for all the other colors in their wardrobe)
Friday = School Pride
We are fairly successful and are always excited when we have 100% compliance on any given day. I'm doing much better with Blue Mondays by the way. I think it helps knowing there is a particular expectation for each day. And it definitely makes choosing my outfit a quicker process in the morning. Oh, and in case you were curious, it doesn't have to be the color of the shirt, though that is the most frequent choice. It can be the color of accessory, i.e. tie, scarf, etc. On occasion I have even gone with following the dress code by the color of skirt I wear.
Rumor has it, other staff members finally caught wind of our dress code this week, wrote it down, and might even be attempting to follow suit. I'll be sure to check it out on Monday.
Our biggest downfall? Dan doesn't have a green shirt. We've never had 100% compliance on Tuesdays. We knew since the very beginning that he didn't have one, but we put it on the schedule anyway. I guess we all figured he would go out and get one by now. I mean, I know one teacher used a Christmas gift card to expand his options in the purple department.
One of these days, I think one of us is going to come to school with a green shirt for Dan, at at least a green tie.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
...tuesdays...
Today is Tuesday.
It happened during first hour.
Usually right after the bell, the intercom beeps, we stand up and say the pledge led by a senior girl, then sit down as she encourages us to have a nice day.
Today the bell rang, but the beep didn't come right away, so my co-teacher and I kept looking at the intercom (as if we were going to see something), waiting to tell the students to stand up before beginning the day.
As we waited, one student started talking--to whom, I have no idea--loud enough for both of us (and several students) to hear.
Tuesdays are weird. I mean, Tuesdays are just weird days. Monday is the beginning of the week, Wednesdays are the middle, Thursdays...
The intercom beeped.
My co-teacher and I exchanged amused looks and tried not to bust up laughing as we put our hands on our hearts and began, I pledge allegiance...
It happened during first hour.
Usually right after the bell, the intercom beeps, we stand up and say the pledge led by a senior girl, then sit down as she encourages us to have a nice day.
Today the bell rang, but the beep didn't come right away, so my co-teacher and I kept looking at the intercom (as if we were going to see something), waiting to tell the students to stand up before beginning the day.
As we waited, one student started talking--to whom, I have no idea--loud enough for both of us (and several students) to hear.
Tuesdays are weird. I mean, Tuesdays are just weird days. Monday is the beginning of the week, Wednesdays are the middle, Thursdays...
The intercom beeped.
My co-teacher and I exchanged amused looks and tried not to bust up laughing as we put our hands on our hearts and began, I pledge allegiance...
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