Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A Pleasant Surprise

The worst thing I can say about today's groups was that they talked a bit too much. For 8th graders, that's high praise. 

Things were a bit chaotic when I got to school. All I found in the classroom was a hastily written note on a Post-It with Monday's lesson plans. I was just about in panic mode when a neighboring teacher came by with the lesson plans for today. 

So, I was kinda expecting to have to do battle with the students. I was pleasantly surprised. 

It was third period, and they were talking. I walked the room to make sure that they were on task. Several students had the same complaint: their teacher gives them too much work. I listened, but I didn't have much sympathy. 

I hear all sorts of complaints about the class' teacher on a daily basis. Sometimes I can see their point. Sometimes I've met the teacher, and I agree with them (inwardly--I can't say such things to the students). But today, I did not agree with them. This teacher is obviously doing something right. 

8th graders can get wild and out-of-control so easily. It's nice when I don't have to do battle. It's wonderful when they actually do their work. 

One class even worked silently for the entire period. Silently! 

1 comment:

  1. I love it when kids work silently like that! It doesn't happen often though. I subbed for a second grade class today that had only ten kids in it. I felt sorry for the one boy that was in the class. It's a very small town that I go to! Anyway, its pretty easy to handle only ten kids.

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.