It wasn't like it was a surprise. When I agreed to sub for Mr. T, I knew what I was in for. I thought I could avoid the majority of the unpleasantness.
The lesson plan made it unavoidable.
Mr. T has... a chalkboard.
Remember chalkboards? Nowadays, just about every teacher has a white board. You can use those lovely dry erase markers. Or even better, sometimes I have access to the document camera and projector, so I never have to turn my back on the kiddos.
But no. Chalkboard. And chalk.
Chalk is gritty. It doesn't write easily. And it's just awkward.
Yeah, I know. #firstworldproblems I'm spoiled. I get that.
It was a 7th grade math class. They were doing a version of Sudoku where they had to fill a grid with fractions. Each row, column, and diagonal had to add up to 3/4. Great assignment. But to a group of kids who might not be all that familiar with the concept, they needed an explanation.
They needed a demonstration. And an example. On the chalkboard.
How did teachers deal with that powdery mess back in the day?
And I heard he took the white board out of his room and had the chalkboard put in. On purpose.
*shudders*
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
22 comments:
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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm cringing remembering the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. But I loved hitting the erasers together to clean them and seeing all the dust flying this way and that way. Plus how fun it was to wash them. I think I'm dating myself with how old I am :)
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how the teacher wanted the chalkboard over the white board. Is he an older teacher?
betty
I loved my whiteboard. Sure, I had to guard the markers from students who wanted to huff them, but I was thrilled not to have to deal with chalk.
ReplyDeleteLike Betty said, it is interesting that he had the chalkboard put in.
Also, the idea of doing that fraction Sudoku exercise made me break out in hives. =)
I actually like chalkboards - as long I can have pretty colored chalk to go with :)
ReplyDeleteI miss chalkboards! That's what they had when I was in school. I can see how they would be messier, though.
ReplyDeleteThey were cool, until you learn how much nicer the next cool thing is. Whiteboards are magnetic!
DeleteI had a teacher who would draw a circle on his chalkboard and make naughty students put their nose in the circle and stand there. The condensation from their breath would soak the chalkboard and embarrass them...I am certain that's why he did it. I never suffered the punishment, but just the mention of a classroom chalkboard takes me back and makes my heart hurt. Weird how things connect. Whiteboards are much lovelier!
ReplyDeleteI bet the punishment would work just as well with a whiteboard, but those won't have the traumatic association for you now.
DeleteDoing sudoku in a math class sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteTo tell the truth, personally, I prefer a chalkboard to a white board. -- My handwriting looks much better in chalk than with a marker. :-)
I thought it was a really cool idea. And I'm the opposite. I write much better and clearer on a whiteboard.
DeleteA few of the rooms in my high school still had chalkboards. I seem to recall the teachers in those rooms used projectors as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteDoes this guy have it in for you? I'm new enough to not know "Mr T."
ReplyDeleteWe have an old chalkboard at home that I picked up at the thrift shop. It does gather the powder, I'll give you that.
Nah. Mr. T is cool. And no one would know him from my blog. He's one of those teachers who is rarely out, so I don't sub for him very much.
DeleteMe: "Did you sign back into my computer?"
ReplyDeleteSweetie: "Yes. Why can't I?"
Me: "You have a great computer of your own, you know."
Sweetie: "I can use whatever computer I want. Don't be so rude."
You: "Then please remember to log out when you're done. All of my blogging buddies are starting to think you read their blogs, too."
DeleteCome at it sideways. Let her know why this is an issue. That might help (although, what do I know?).
there are chalkboards in our class n white pull down screens too. while the white screens r used nly wen projectors r used, most of our teachers use black board and they all are totally in love wid it :D
ReplyDeleteReally? Projectors are better than whiteboards even.
DeleteI don't mind the old chalkboard! We have Smart Boards which are hard for a technologically challenged person like me to figure out :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, Smart Boards... Now I'm really jealous. Some of the rooms do have them, but they don't trust them to the subs.
DeleteOh I don't know if we have the technical stuff here in Ireland, I know that when I went to uni (quite a while ago) there was a mix of chalkboards/whiteboards/ projectors in the majority of rooms, though I'd say these days it's all changing...which is good as the sound of some chalk on board was like nails...put my teeth on edge.
ReplyDeleteI am so outmoded-I didn't even know they got rid of chalkboards. I think some schools still have them. I love the different coloured chalks. Now for that math game in fractions no less-ick-I would suck cos i suck at math and hated fractions-it's making me shudder:)
ReplyDeleteI sure wouldn't want to use a chalkboard for the reasons you mention, but I remember how easy they were to read, growing up.
ReplyDeleteWe use a white board in our conf. room ... yeah, maybe we're spoiled, or maybe times are just changing, as they always are. :)
Silvia @
SilviaWrites
Well, that's a nice way to put it ;)
Delete