I was surprised by a rare summer school assignment last week. (I got the notification for it the week prior.) It was to be one day (Monday) for a health teacher.
As I plotted out my blog posts for last week, I had a hole for Wednesday, so I figured I could slot something in about the day. And I did. Although, that wasn't from Monday...
Because as soon as I got home Monday, I got a message saying the teacher would be out all week, and could I continue to cover? Well, yeah... And that's how I got a whole week's worth of work in July. (Happy birthday to me? My birthday's this Sunday, if you're keeping track.)
(The teacher had a family emergency.)
I had the same group of 39 students for four hours. And while they acted much like 9th graders at transitions, they were diligent with their work. Which wasn't surprising. (The reason they were taking health in the summer was because instead of taking health during the school year, they were taking an AP class.)
On Thursday the topic was pregnancy and childbirth. They were to create a PowerPoint presentation detailing the development of a fetus during pregnancy.
As per normal, I walked around the computer lab and looked over their shoulders. They hadn't been at it very long when one group's PowerPoint caught my attention. (This is a recreation of what they did.)
Ahem.
That they were embarrassed when they found me looking over their shoulders made it even funnier. One accused another of being "disrespectful". I gave them a grim look while they deleted this and got on task.
I kept the laughter inside. Because, you have to admit, it's pretty funny. (It wouldn't be funny if it was true. It's not true.) But I didn't want them to know that.
(Perhaps they were just trying out that formatting?)
Trying out the formatting - yeah, right! LOL! I do love to read your teachery posts. Brings back memories and makes me laugh out loud every time.
ReplyDeleteIn case I forget: Happy Birthday for Sunday!! Have a great day!!
Proud of it? How sad.
ReplyDeleteThese were smart kids if they were taking an AP class during the school year and then willing to take the health class during summer school. They would more than likely be smart enough to hopefully prevent a pregnancy then, don't you think? But of course they were probably just having a little fun until they got down to the serious nature of pregnancy.
ReplyDeletebetty
I'm choosing to believe that.
DeleteKids are so strange--you never know how they will look at something. But HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Sunday!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, kiddos are strange. And thanks.
DeleteIt sounds like you never have a dull day at work. Happy Birthday week!
ReplyDeleteI do have dull days. I look forward to them.
Deletelol! I hope you have a great birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks
DeleteI am hoping I remember to say Happy birthday to you this Sunday:) I actually think this is funny and glad they realize this but I wonder how many they know who did get knocked up
ReplyDeleteYeah, that will be interesting. They say that teens today get pregnant in smaller numbers than in previous generations. But that doesn't mean it won't happen, and probably to someone they know.
DeleteI'm sure they thought it was hilarious because they don't know anyone it's happened to. Which will probably change...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Happy almost Birthday.
Oh my! Proud of it and does what she wants! Apparently!! Happy Birthday this Sunday!!!!
ReplyDeleteShe was joking. And playing a role, I expect.
DeleteI have a late July birthday too! Woot! :) Happy early birthday!
ReplyDeleteGot to admit didn't find the powerpoint funny even when informed it wasn't legit. Probably another day when it was good you were the sub and not me.
Kids. Argh.
I don't think I've ever actually talked about a pregnant teen on the blog. Not that I haven't encountered them...
DeleteHappy birthday to you, too.
I would have laughed, based on the fact they are kids choosing to take a summer class so they can do a harder class during the year, I doubt this would have ended up in their final submitted work anyway. I can't get all pearl clutchy about these moments, they are funny. Kids are funny, that is why I like teaching high school! Although, if I was a sub I probably would have handled it like you, but my own class who I know, laughter! I love going into the Health classes at my school (I am full time now, but we all sub for each other occasionally if there isn't a sub available, I used to be a full time sub), we have some really frank conversations about this stuff, drugs etc. The kids want to see that we are human, and they respect me more for a joke or a laugh than if I tried to beat respect out of them.
ReplyDeleteI did laugh behind their backs. Because it was funny. To their faces, I let them believe I was disapproving.
DeleteAnd no, it wasn't in their final assignment. It got deleted right after I saw it.
I'm careful about frank discussions just because I'm not full time, but they have interesting discussions all the time amongst themselves. And so long as it's an open dialog, I don't interfere. (If they have facts wrong or if someone is denigrating someone else, then I step in.)
Trying on a role? I can sometimes transport myself back into being a teen. It isn't easy, as I don't spend much time around teens at this point of time in my life. I thought it was pretty cool, and perhaps you had a future writer or blogger in that classroom. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeletePerhaps. I later learned she runs track. Hurdles.
DeleteHappy Birthday Liz. I am still surprised that you get kids fronting up to school in the summer hols. There'd be no getting aussie kids there.
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird situation. Normally, they'd take this as a semester course. But, they took an AP class (short for advanced placement--at the end of the year they're qualified to take a test that can result in college credit) that took over the semester they would have taken health otherwise. So, they chose to "make up" the class in the summer rather than try to fit it in junior or senior year.
DeleteI don't know if proud would be a word I would use to apply to being pregnant at 16. Hopefully they were being sarcastic...?
ReplyDeleteAh, guilt. At least they feel it.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday.
Sometimes...
DeleteAnd thanks.
I think that's probably the truth about how they'd feel about it if they did become pregnant...until the baby came and they realized, oh crap, babies are a LOT of work. That's what parents know that kids never believe! Happy birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteMost pregnant teens end up at the continuation high school. And that's about the time they go from do-nothing to I've-got-to-grow-up-and-graduate.
DeleteHappy birthday. Thirty-nine kids! I thought thirty in a class was a lot!
ReplyDelete39 is a large class. Average class size is probably about 33-35. 30's a good size. 25 is pretty small.
DeleteA joke to some, a reality to others
ReplyDeleteThey wouldn't be joking about it if it was a reality.
DeleteI would have laughed, I can't clutch my pearls about stuff like this (especially in the context of kids choosing to be in class over the summer so they can do advanced work in term time, lets face it, would those kids REALLY have submitted it), kids are funny, it is one of the reasons I love teaching, it doesn't always have to be serious and sometimes we can laugh (I probably would have followed my laugh with a comment about the Year 7 students I have taught who have been pregnant and maybe they need to think about the realities, but I would have laughed).
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
And sorry, it appears my computer is posting and eating my posts and then posting them again!
DeleteWeird. It looks like you've got a couple comments here. I can delete one or the other of them if you'd like.
DeleteAhhhh happy almost birthday!! Hope you have a good one :)
ReplyDelete