...a fun filled Friday...

So Fridays always seem to be good days.  I'm not sure if it's because most staff and students are wearing school colors, the fact that I'm wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, or simply the anticipation of a weekend off.  But something is different.  I'm more apt to openly laugh at, errr with, my students.  This Friday was a good day.  Three classes, three stories.

Background:  So, we are on a unit about how to take good notes.  This means the experience my students have anticipated all semester has arrived:  Taking notes on how to take notes.  Somehow this concept boggles their minds.  But it is most definitely what they are doing.  Last year I achieved one of my major goals for work; I put the concepts of the textbook into PowerPoint form.  (Don't worry, we still use the book.)  So, Friday we were working our way through part of the chapter with PowerPoint.  I also give all of my students individual white boards, markers, & erasers for the sake of discussion while we go through it.  And yes, the desks are too small for their notes, books, and marker boards.  Or so I've heard a couple few gazillion times anyway.  Okay, now that you know what was going on, you're ready for the stories:

First Class:  I'm waiting for my students to answer this question on their marker boards:  How does where you sit in class impact your success?  A student sitting next to where I was standing held up his board, which said pay attention.  Of course that immediately put the song from Sister Act 2 in my head (I tried to upload it, but it's taken too long...maybe later).

And when a song is in my head, it must come out.  As I sing pay attention, the student gives me a look that says what the heck just happened?  I guess he doesn't know that song.  Then he makes a hilarious suggestion:  Miss O'Brien, you should sing for the class some time!  To which I respond with the look that says, Yeah right, you're out of your mind.

So, to transition out of that conversation, I get back on track and continue on with the notes.

The students response:  with a laugh (you know the kind that sort of comes out of your teeth with an sh attached to it somehow), Miss O'Brien, I like it when you use your fake voice.

Me:  My fake voice?
Student:  Yeah, your high voice.
Me:  Oh, well, that's really my acting voice.  What you don't understand is that really I'm an actress all day long.  What you are hearing and experiencing for the first time seems new and exciting.  But I've said it three times already yesterday, and I will say it again two more times today.  It will sound the same--same intonations, questions, and jokes.  So, when I'm using my fake voice, I'm turning on the act.
Student: Oh, well you should come to acting class sometime then.
Me (the perpetual narrator):  Bad idea.


Second Class:  I had a break through, epiphany, divine intervention even.
The Pencil Tapper.  You know him.  Every teacher has him, often they come in multiples.  He's annoying, without even trying to be.
Well the most extreme Pencil Tapper I've ever known is in my second class.  From our learning styles unit he has determined he is a musical/rhythmic learner.  He's right.
So we are taking notes, well not The Pencil Tapper.  He is perfecting a new beat on his desk.  I am developing Tourette's.  I walk to his desk and quietly ask him to stop.  I make a joke about needing to pad his desk.
That's when it happened....The break through.  The epiphany.  The divine intervention.
I took out an old mouse pad I don't use any more and put it on his desk.  It became his new drum.
He tapped away the rest of the period and didn't distract me or anyone else.  He even took notes between beats.

Third Class:  Okay, so the note taking, board writing continues.  This class is a little unique.  I have a couple students who don't speak English.  Sometimes class can be a bit of a struggle (for me and them).

Spanish Speaker sits next to a student that helps translate for him, and behind All English Boy.
I was sitting on a desk next to All English Boy.  He was struggling to remember the point of this conversation about taking notes was to actually take notes on it.  As I kindly encouraged him to write some information down, All English Boy demonstrated his frustration through a loud sigh.  Much to my surprise, Spanish Speaker (who is not understanding the content of the PowerPoint at all at this point, nor my conversation with All English Boy) says no te enojas amigo! (Don't get mad, friend!)
I couldn't help but die laughing.
Meanwhile, All English Boy has no idea what is happening.
Spanish Speaker just smirks.

At the beginning of this class another student, Mover, decided to sit in a different seat.  Back row, against the wall.  I told Mover I'd let him stay if he could promise that his head would not lean against the wall and he would not fall asleep.  He promised.
At one point during class, a white board popped up to get my attention.

So, of course the class is giggling, waiting to see what I'll do.
Then another white board pops up.  This time it's from Spanish Speaker.

I was cracking up while someone translated the Spanglish for the rest of my All English Students.
He may not understand the notes, but Spanish Speaker certainly knew why people were laughing & took advantage of his opportunity to keep it going.  Somethings just cross the language barriers easier than others.

I like Fridays.