7th grade math. Although, it was lunchtime when I met several of the group. I had just returned after running out to use the restroom. I still had 10 or so minutes of lunch when a group of them came in.
They were already in a panic. And when they saw that their teacher had taken his laptop, they were more so.
(The teachers are all now assigned a laptop for classroom use. When they are out, they tend to take it with them, unless they assign something where the sub is going to need access to a computer.)
They explained. They had a big project due for their English class which was their next class. They had planned to print it out in the library during lunch, but the library was closed for a special event. Now they wanted to print it out in class, but couldn't as there was no computer for them to access.
I felt for them, so I allowed one girl to go to her Mandarin class and see if they could use the computers in there. There was some issue about the computers and printers not connecting. Then another girl (after the first had returned), asked to go and see if their band class had a computer they could access. (Everything was due a day early for them as the next day they had a band event.)
At some point in all of this, I called the library and learned about it being closed.
Yup, so they were kinda out of luck. (The Mandarin teacher called me at one point. She mentioned that perhaps they should have gotten this all taken care of a whole lot earlier.)
I have no idea what they ended up doing. I suggested that perhaps they could get their project in the next day before they had to leave for their band thing. But who knows?
Perhaps next time they'll have a backup plan. (Well, they are 7th graders. At least they're getting this particular lesson early.)
Well, that does suck for them, and it was very good of you to help them out with alternative printing solutions. I probably would have done the same.
ReplyDeleteBut (and maybe it's the former teacher in me) I'm kind of with the Mandarin teacher. :)
Here's hoping they have a back-up plan next time...But they are 7th graders, so who knows.
Sucks but that's why you do that stuff at home, kids.
ReplyDeleteA good lesson in 'not waiting until the last moment'. I am trying to teach that to Darian and Harley all the time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would have been better if they'd printed everything out the day before. Well, maybe next time...
DeleteI remember being a 7th grader (for me that was only six years ago) and I did not really think ahead. I did most of my projects the day before they were due! God, kids are crazy!
ReplyDeleteMurphy's Law for sure. I am sure they figured it out and like Paula said, hopefully it will teach them a lesson of not waiting until the last moment.
ReplyDeletebetty
And the lesson is early enough to do them some good come high school.
DeleteThat sucks. I often had to print things out at school because that WAS my backup plan. If I wasn't able to use a computer there, I'd be in a lot of trouble...
ReplyDeleteLife hits them in their faces. Plan ahead, kiddo.
ReplyDeleteI feel for them. I do. It's not like they hadn't planned on getting it done.
DeleteIt is so easy to procrastinate, but it can really throw a wrench in things when something doesn't work out like you planned. If the project was due in the teacher who was absence's class, perhaps he'll give one more day to band students?
ReplyDeletetotally sucks.
ReplyDeleteYup
DeleteOh well. A good life lesson for them. At least they sound like they were polite about the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteOh, they were. Which is part of the reason I was so accommodating. If they'd been rude...
DeleteMandarin teacher as in Chinese Mandarin?
ReplyDeleteI feel badly for 'em. They are only little...11 or 12 and they were trying hard to get it sorted, and kids rarely if ever get stuff done early and maybe they had no equipment to get it done at home....I have great sympathy for kids who need to rely on school facilities cos there is nothing at home
ReplyDeleteThey were. And I'm pretty sure part of the problem was lack of computer at home. Which is part of the reason why I let them try to get the thing done instead of worrying about the math assignment.
DeleteWell that sucks for them..and you
ReplyDeleteMostly for them. It was only a one period thing for me.
DeleteAhh not a fun lesson to learn at all.
ReplyDelete