It was near the beginning of October when I covered this 8th grade science class. And only now am I seeing the bottom of these posts. Just a couple more now, and we'll be done with them... until the next time I'm called to cover for this teacher. Probably.
Giving 8th graders a project with a sub is not a great idea. Apparently, the teacher realized this after seeing my note from Tuesday. (She stopped by in between Tuesday and Wednesday to change the lesson plan and update the board.) Because they were insane.
And then Wednesday... Ah... They weren't great, but there was marked improvement in their behavior.
I think the missing supplies helped.
On Tuesday, there was a project example, scissors, and glue sticks. Since they needed none of those Wednesday, they mysteriously disappeared.
(Not really. I found the project example in a drawer. And the other supplies were probably locked in the closet. Which I had a key to. But I left everything put away and played dumb. "I don't know where they went.")
They had all period Tuesday to set up their projects. Cut the flaps. Glue down the graph paper. And many did. Yet, on Wednesday, several students who had been present Tuesday had projects with none of this done.
So, they went looking for the supplies. And whined that they needed to work on their projects. Even though Wednesday they were supposed to work on a vocabulary assignment instead.
Some of the students who had set up their projects continued to work on them, and I let them. And many of them finished their projects and managed to start their vocabulary assignment. (The project was due Thursday. The vocabulary assignment was due Friday. What they didn't get done in class they had to finish for homework.)
But the ones who had been playing around, the ones who made Tuesday hell, were the ones who had nothing done.
Yeah, I felt no sympathy for them. Maybe this will teach them to make better use of their time.
It won't. But I'd like to pretend it will.
Sometimes I think they will NEVER learn and then someday they do!!
ReplyDeleteYep. It just takes some time.
DeleteKarma!
ReplyDeleteYep.
DeleteAll in time management and I sometimes thing some never learn how to manage their time well.
ReplyDeletebetty
Some never do. I hope this was a lesson to some.
DeleteAh, the lessons of life. Screw around when you're supposed to be working and you get in trouble.
ReplyDeleteWill they learn from these experiences? Eventually, I hope. As I wrote before, you are a saint.
ReplyDeleteNope, I'm not a saint. And I, too, hope they learn from this.
DeleteI suppose a project with glue is more fun than vocabulary...
ReplyDeleteMuch.
DeleteI think these lessons do sink in, but it may take a long time, and you may never see the fruits of those labors. Somewhere in their brains, though, I believe the message gets through.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. I imagine it does for some, while others have bigger issues.
Delete