Best curve is a smile

The unexpected happenings

2009-01-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

On Monday during our morning bathroom break I stand in the hall wondering "what is taking my girls so long?" Then, "B" came out and whispered, "um, "D" needs a pad". To not draw attention I asked another female student to go with "B" to get a pad from the clinic.

When they came down the hall I noticed that it was wrapped in a brown paper towel Haha. I walked towards them and "B" handed it to me and I hid it in my sweater's sleeve and walked into the bathroom.

When "D" came out I had a side chat with her a little later to see if she wanted to call her mom. Me, "D, how are you doing?"...she rubs her tummy and said "it hurts." "Was this your first time?"... "uh huh". "would you like to call your mom?"... "no it's ok, but thank god its a short day. The pad is really thick"...I just wanted to hug her or give a big HIGH FIVE and say "welcome to the club".

FLE rears its ugly head even before we teach it!!!! hahahah

What teachers do for fun!

2009-01-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

My dear friend across the hall, we'll call her DJ because of her SWEET tunes afterschool has cracked me up this week. Yesterday she is in the middle of a lesson, class in a circle but she is facing the door. I stand in my doorway and proceed to start mouthing nonsense to her "Why aren't you my friend? I'm not talking to you". she tells me later that I completely distracted her and was not paying attention to a student who was talking and had to have them repeat themself more than once. HAHA

Today she repaid my amusement, thankfully someone else was leading Math, however half of my class was not paying attention to the teacher talking but me mouthing messages across the room through my door window. Poor woman said to my class "come on guys, you are too quiet" she didn't even know they weren't paying attention. SERIOUSLY, I am no better than them, I'm such a great role model hahahaha

COOM-TO

Losing and Gaining Kids

2009-01-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

1st week back at school and there are lots of changes. Monday, I gained a new student which is fine EXCEPT that I was told about it 4 minutes before school as I am walking down the hall with the girl right there. One of my old girls hasn't shown up this week so I got concerned and asked the office who then told me she moved to a private school. That poor girl, that is her 3rd school this YEAR!

Talking with people on my team we have determined that having so many kids boppin around has to be some form of child abuse. It makes me so sad, sometimes school is the only place that has stability and their parents even seem to mess that up.

Oh AND, as I was entering LC I was buzzed over the speakers to call the office where I was told I am getting another new student tomorrow, a boy. Do you know how worried I am that he will be a handful? SERIOUSLY, my "trouble makers" are not bad at all just CHATTY, I dont know if I could handle a true behavior issue in my class. My dear friend across the hall gained a new student who threw off the 'calm' balance, but she is FAR stronger than I am.

Molecules will forever make me happy

2008-11-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

I LOVE having great ideas. Partly because I dont feel like I have had many so far this year. I hated science and now it's one of the main subjects in my grade for SOLs. Yesterday, I was trying to have my kids understand how the molecules in solids, liquids and gases affect how sound travels through them. They were not getting it, I inferred this from their glazed over expressions.

THEN GENIUS STIKES! "Everyone STAND up and huddle together!"

Then I bumped them and they all shifted. I asked if they all felt it they agreed because they were packed so close together(like SOLID MOLECULES). "Ok, take 1 step back/sideways" I did my bump again. This time only some kids felt it, when I asked why they said "because we weren't as close"(like LIQUID MOLECULES). Finally I told them to take 2 steps away, and I bumped a student, but only they felt it. I then asked, if it would take a long time and a lot more force for all of them to feel that bump? "Yes because we are so far apart" (like GAS MOLECULES!)

HOORAY! wait it gets BETTER, I know hold on to your seats...

Then they had to explain how a kid who had his ear to a train track could warn his friends not to go if they couldn't see or feel it. THEN my lil "J" who struggles raises his hand and says, I KID YOU NOT, "He had his ear on the train track and that is a solid and sound travels faster through solids"... I ALMOST CRIED/FELL DOWN, instead in a SUPER EXCITED tone I said "YES! PERFECT!" It was a GREAT moment

Kids are SOOO FUNNY!

2008-11-12T16:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so my class is starting to brainstorm and plan to write their own memoir this week. Today after they had been making their plans, one of my favorite girls was all excited to show me how much she got done.

She is going to write about a cruise she went on with her mom. She points to "pina colada" and next to it it says (version). She said "Don't worry it was a 'version' one". I could NOT put it together for a second then I realized she meant "VIRGIN" pina colada. HAHAHA I giggled at first to her and she said "what? that's what my mom called it". SHE IS SO CUTE and no I did not tell her what the real word is. I want her to write it in her memoir so she can laught about it when she rereads it when she is over 21. =)

Death to Post-its

2008-09-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

So I found a NOT so awesome post-it message written from one of my favorite girls to a boy who told people she likes him (which she doesn't)! It was FUNNY/SCARY all in one blue sticky package... the best part was on the 2nd post-it she wrote "don't tell teacher"! are you kidding me? haha

Can You Make Me Laugh

2008-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

So we started playing this morning meeing activity called "Can you make me laugh" you pair 2 students up in the middle of the circle and 1 has to stay quiet and the other has 30seconds to make that person laugh. After a couple of rounds I stand up and place myself in the circle and call a student to make me laugh... the first 2 fail, they lack real dedication, I am THAT good. The third student comes in and already I feel his commitment he starts talking a mile a minute saying anything and everything that pops in his head. I am keeping my cool. Then out of the blue he stops, looks right at me, claps once and says "Laugh". I couldn't help it, he is amazing at facial expressions and that sent me over the edge.

5th Grader gets CAUGHT!

2008-09-24T17:50:00.001-07:00

Today in word study a student giggles then tells me that 'B's'notebook is stuck to her"! I look back in confusion and SURE enough the rings of her spiral notebook were caught on her shirt. Not on the bottom of her sure either it was caught right behind her armpit. hahahahaha I assisted OF COURSE I am a caring teacher, but as soon as a set her free I ran to my writer's notebook and wrote it down. Ahh these are the moments that make the stress melt away!