I tell a lot of stories that involve me being stressed at work (and before and after and on weekends) but this is a funny one.
I have a kid with hearing aids who also needs an FM system. She plugs little pieces into her hearing aids, and I wear a special thing that has a mini-microphone attached, and it amplifies my voice and blocks out other noise for her. I have to set it to a certain channel, otherwise she can't hear me.
The other day I was teaching a lesson when one of my annoying boys would not stop talking about wrestling with his reading partner. I had to stop in the middle of the lesson to speak with him, so I was wearing the FM system still. Well apparently there's a kid on the other side of my school who ALSO has an FM system to help him hear his teacher, and it's set to the same channel. So in the middle of his lesson, he raised his hand and told his teacher "I can't think because someone is talking about wrestling!"
We're working it out with the audiologist.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
Back up to 27 students. Oh my.
If you've read this blog over the past two months, you know I'm having a sucky school year. The behavior problems are unbelievable. At any given moment, I have a girl sitting under her desk whistling (the fact that she even sits at a desk, while they rest of my crew sits at tables, is an indicator of big issues), a boy who is swearing at kids in Spanish, another boy who is growling but doesn't realize it because of his ADHD, and another boy who is stealing all of the magnets off of my board. And really, that's not even all of the behavior issues. On top of it, most of my kids are reading on a 2nd grade level (I teach 3rd), and I have kids who still count 10 plus 4 on their fingers.
It's no secret my class is a bit of a disaster. This class has been declared the toughest class in the school.
So why then, when a new student showed up last week, was the student put in my class? A student with autism and major autism-related behaviors? A student who really needs a one-on-one aide, but is the second student in my class who needs one? I don't even get a one-on-one aide for either of them!
Dear god I may not make it until mid-June. Anyone want to take my 27 little angels for a week or so? They're awfully cute. Please leave your name and which week you'd like in the comment section.
It's no secret my class is a bit of a disaster. This class has been declared the toughest class in the school.
So why then, when a new student showed up last week, was the student put in my class? A student with autism and major autism-related behaviors? A student who really needs a one-on-one aide, but is the second student in my class who needs one? I don't even get a one-on-one aide for either of them!
Dear god I may not make it until mid-June. Anyone want to take my 27 little angels for a week or so? They're awfully cute. Please leave your name and which week you'd like in the comment section.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Homophones: 2009 Edition
My class was doing literacy work in small groups this week. One of the groups had to do work with homophones and part of their assignment was to make a list of homophone pairs.
I stopped by their table just in time to overhear one of my lower students, who had previously looked totally stumped, say "OH! I know! Like 'we' and 'wii!"
In mostly unrelated news, I finally redeemed the points I earned on my credit card and purchased a Wii. I'm all antsy waiting for it to arrive. I needed plenty of things and there were certainly much wiser ways to spend all of the points, but judging how my school year is going so far, I'm really excited about being able to punch stuff while "boxing" after school soon.
BAM
I stopped by their table just in time to overhear one of my lower students, who had previously looked totally stumped, say "OH! I know! Like 'we' and 'wii!"
In mostly unrelated news, I finally redeemed the points I earned on my credit card and purchased a Wii. I'm all antsy waiting for it to arrive. I needed plenty of things and there were certainly much wiser ways to spend all of the points, but judging how my school year is going so far, I'm really excited about being able to punch stuff while "boxing" after school soon.
BAM
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
My new best friend.
I have a new friend. I love my new friend. I could not get through a day without my new friend.
My new friend is my classroom timer.
It was taking my kids forever to transition from one thing to the next. Asking them to put a book in their cubby and bring a folder back to their seat was like asking them to travel to Pluto and back. "See you next year, Ms. G!" In the morning they'd come into the classroom, walk to their cubbies to put things away and get out their materials, but then they would just stand around their cubbies and talk, yell, and push each other. I would stand by helplessly trying to herd them to their tables like sheep. Or goats. Can you herd goats?
But now--
Now I set a timer. "YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO PUT YOUR LITERACY FOLDER IN YOUR CUBBY AND MEET ME ON THE RUG. THE CONSEQUENCE IS DEATH BY STONING."
Ok, so I'm not actually allowed to stone my students, but I do take away recess if you're not where you're supposed to be when the timer makes it's ear-piercing, incessant, beeping noise. Suddenly, my kids are zipping around the room with a purpose. The trouble-makers try to chat with my good kids, and they ignore them or tell them, "Don't talk! I don't want to miss recess!" I love it when they keep each other in line.
I'm thinking of trying out the timer trick in my own life. Could it get me to clean up my room a little faster? But what do I take away if I don't get recess?
My new friend is my classroom timer.
It was taking my kids forever to transition from one thing to the next. Asking them to put a book in their cubby and bring a folder back to their seat was like asking them to travel to Pluto and back. "See you next year, Ms. G!" In the morning they'd come into the classroom, walk to their cubbies to put things away and get out their materials, but then they would just stand around their cubbies and talk, yell, and push each other. I would stand by helplessly trying to herd them to their tables like sheep. Or goats. Can you herd goats?
But now--
Now I set a timer. "YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO PUT YOUR LITERACY FOLDER IN YOUR CUBBY AND MEET ME ON THE RUG. THE CONSEQUENCE IS DEATH BY STONING."
Ok, so I'm not actually allowed to stone my students, but I do take away recess if you're not where you're supposed to be when the timer makes it's ear-piercing, incessant, beeping noise. Suddenly, my kids are zipping around the room with a purpose. The trouble-makers try to chat with my good kids, and they ignore them or tell them, "Don't talk! I don't want to miss recess!" I love it when they keep each other in line.I'm thinking of trying out the timer trick in my own life. Could it get me to clean up my room a little faster? But what do I take away if I don't get recess?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Your faces are getting old.
I've run into a problem with my new class.
Last year, I taught the two-way language program in my school. There were two 3rd grade classes in the program, so I taught one class in English, while a Spanish teacher was teaching the same thing to the other class, but in Spanish. We stayed with each class for a week, and then swapped. I loved my kids last year. They were awesome. They were sweet. They were hardworking. They could read.
But I hadn't realized how great it was that I got a different class each week. On Friday, a couple of them could be getting on my nerves, and I loved the fact that I kicked them out the door and wouldn't need to see them in my classroom for an entire week.
Well this year is different. Not only is the bulk of my class not sweet, not hardworking, and several cannot read, but I have to keep them until June. There is no swapping classings. And frankly, I'm getting awfully sick of seeing (some of) them day, after day, after day.
It makes me a little nervous about having children of my own one day. Are you allowed to swap out with a friend for a week?
Last year, I taught the two-way language program in my school. There were two 3rd grade classes in the program, so I taught one class in English, while a Spanish teacher was teaching the same thing to the other class, but in Spanish. We stayed with each class for a week, and then swapped. I loved my kids last year. They were awesome. They were sweet. They were hardworking. They could read.
But I hadn't realized how great it was that I got a different class each week. On Friday, a couple of them could be getting on my nerves, and I loved the fact that I kicked them out the door and wouldn't need to see them in my classroom for an entire week.
Well this year is different. Not only is the bulk of my class not sweet, not hardworking, and several cannot read, but I have to keep them until June. There is no swapping classings. And frankly, I'm getting awfully sick of seeing (some of) them day, after day, after day.
It makes me a little nervous about having children of my own one day. Are you allowed to swap out with a friend for a week?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
3rd Grade Orthodontics
Today "Javier" walked into the classroom and told me that he got something new for his teeth. He didn't use the word retainer, but based on the glimpse he showed me, I assumed that's what it was. He talked funny all morning with it, 
and I was a little bit suspicious, but he seemed a little embarrassed by it so I didn't ask to see it. He went to gym with the class, came back, and sat through 45 minutes of literacy before he asked to leave the rug to get a paper towel to put it away since, "The dentist told me I don't need to wear it all day." When he came back to the rug and I realized he had it wrapped up in his pocket, I asked to see it. That's when he began to move a little slower and as he unwrapped it he told me, "The dentist gave me one that looks sort of like a paper clip, I don't know why..."
And sure enough, he had bent and twisted a paper clip and stuck it in his mouth.
My lecture on why you never put paper clips in your mouth (especially for 2.5 hours at school) may have included some graphic details meant as scare tactics.
On a side note, remember how yucky retainers were??
and I was a little bit suspicious, but he seemed a little embarrassed by it so I didn't ask to see it. He went to gym with the class, came back, and sat through 45 minutes of literacy before he asked to leave the rug to get a paper towel to put it away since, "The dentist told me I don't need to wear it all day." When he came back to the rug and I realized he had it wrapped up in his pocket, I asked to see it. That's when he began to move a little slower and as he unwrapped it he told me, "The dentist gave me one that looks sort of like a paper clip, I don't know why..." And sure enough, he had bent and twisted a paper clip and stuck it in his mouth.
My lecture on why you never put paper clips in your mouth (especially for 2.5 hours at school) may have included some graphic details meant as scare tactics.
On a side note, remember how yucky retainers were??
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
A turn toward the good?
If you're friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen the good news.
One of my students (who is also one of my most difficult behavior-wise) is moving across the country tomorrow. If you were wondering how I felt about that (or even if you weren't, I'm going to tell you anyway), I think the huge smile on my face during his last school day today would let you know how I felt. He's a smart kid, and I know that if he came to school caring about his work on the days when we take the MCAS tests this spring he would probably pass and help my class' scores. But the fact that instead of participating in class he chooses to quietly swear in Spanish at other students who walk by him, makes baby noises during lessons that cause the rest of the class to fall to pieces, and does sexually inappropriate things to fences during fire drills makes me thrilled to have said goodbye for good to him this afternoon.
My class is by no means going to be the star class starting tomorrow. I'm down to 26 students, and I have 5 that I have serious behavior concerns about. One was suspended last week for a fight. Another boy stabbed a girl with a pencil while he was with another teacher. And a girl complained to me that another boy was talking about licking genitals today at recess. (In case you need a refresher, I teach 3rd grade. These kids are 8 and 9. How they know about oral sex, I have no idea.)
But I'm hoping and praying and crossing my fingers that tomorrow is a better day than any of the last 5 weeks have been.
Most days I wish this was allowed in public schools.
One of my students (who is also one of my most difficult behavior-wise) is moving across the country tomorrow. If you were wondering how I felt about that (or even if you weren't, I'm going to tell you anyway), I think the huge smile on my face during his last school day today would let you know how I felt. He's a smart kid, and I know that if he came to school caring about his work on the days when we take the MCAS tests this spring he would probably pass and help my class' scores. But the fact that instead of participating in class he chooses to quietly swear in Spanish at other students who walk by him, makes baby noises during lessons that cause the rest of the class to fall to pieces, and does sexually inappropriate things to fences during fire drills makes me thrilled to have said goodbye for good to him this afternoon.
My class is by no means going to be the star class starting tomorrow. I'm down to 26 students, and I have 5 that I have serious behavior concerns about. One was suspended last week for a fight. Another boy stabbed a girl with a pencil while he was with another teacher. And a girl complained to me that another boy was talking about licking genitals today at recess. (In case you need a refresher, I teach 3rd grade. These kids are 8 and 9. How they know about oral sex, I have no idea.)
But I'm hoping and praying and crossing my fingers that tomorrow is a better day than any of the last 5 weeks have been.
Most days I wish this was allowed in public schools.
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