Three Weeks Left!

Including this week, the semester has three weeks to go, then we get a two week vacation!

Not that I'm counting (ahemtwelvedaystogo).

(Not that I'm even finishing my posts any time near when I start writing them, as now there are only five school days to go.)

I thought I'd share a few bits of entertainment I've gleaned in the last couple of months:

At parent teacher conferences a mother was trying to shed some light on her son's sense of humor. She told me this was her husband's favorite joke: "What's green, has four legs, and falls out of trees? A pool table!" I think I'd like to meet this man.

An actual conversation overheard between a teacher and a student:

S: Is this math 7?

T: You're in 8th grade. This is math 8.

S: (Seriously exasperated) This is too confusing!


The same male student was telling me that a female student had hit him:

Male: She hit me!

Female: You touched my things!

M: (Pointing at her empty desk) You didn't bring any things!

F: They're parts of my body!


Funny stuff.

Over Thanksgiving the family got together and my cousin, Doug, was talking about his job as a counselor at the prison. He said that part of his job was just socializing with the prisoners, and keeping an eye out for odd behavior. For example, if this guy usually talks to him, but today keeps his head down and avoids Doug, it can be a warning sign. He tries to head off explosive problems before they build up to that point.

I leaned over to my Aunt Becky, who is also a Jr. High teacher, and said, "Sound familiar?" She laughed, as would anyone who has taught in secondary schools.

The business has come to seem normal. I'm not looking forward to restarting the Baker classes, though. Sometime in January things are gonna get ugly.

In the mean time, I wake up on Mondays at 5:00, and try to get to school by 6:30. This gets pushed back later every day of the week.

My algebra class is very challenging. They are so very social that it is difficult to get anything done. They have also succeeded in making me lose my temper. Before Thanksgiving I told them that I refuse to get angry at them, and with that promised not to yell at them.

So far I have kept my word. I have walked out of the room a few times to cool off, especially with regards to one particular student. When she is absent, I enjoy the class. When she is there, the difficulty increases exponentially.

Still, I'm almost to the half-way point through the school year, and I have survived.

Thank you, Uncle Bob, for reminding me that I have an audience. I'd like to think that I will do better in 2009, but I kind of don't think so.

Peace,

Rob