Bouncing Off Walls, Leaping Over Tables

Friday. High school art. First period. 

The students were supposed to be painting a monochromatic still life in their sketch books. Their Google Classrooms contained examples. The watercolors were on their tables. Easy, right? 

Rowdy went over to the drawers. He loudly complained. "He hates us. He likes period two more. He gave them larger sketchbooks." 

I wondered why Rowdy was looking through period two's drawer, but I answered the immediate question. Period two was year two of the art class. They were year one. More advanced students get improved tools. 

Rowdy then answered my first question. He was looking for his sketchbook. It was not in period one's drawer. Therefore, someone had stolen it. 

Rowdy's behavior in a high school class alerted me to the fact he had to be a freshman. Ninth graders are still middle schoolers, as far as I'm concerned. And Rowdy was proving that belief to me. 

He walked the room, disturbing other students and not settling. But then he did settle. And he got to work. 

A bit later I checked on him. He found his sketchbook? 

No, he took Katie's sketchbook and was doing his work in that. Why? Because Katie had stolen his sketchbook. 

Deep sigh. 

After some more back and forth, Rowdy found his sketchbook in his backpack. The student seated next to him explained that in the last class he had put it in there when he brought Rowdy's backpack to him. Rowdy clearly never checked in his own backpack. 

I thought the issues with Rowdy were now at an end. Oh, no. 

It was the end of the period. I had called for clean up. Rowdy? He cleared out the table he was at, moved the chairs to the side, ran at the table, planted his hands on it, and then vaulted over it like a gymnast. (More of a beginner just getting over the pommel horse, not a professional doing flips and things.) 

What the...? 

Take a look at the tables in the picture at the top. Those tables are high up. Standing level. The chairs are bar height. And Rowdy leapt over them? 

And then he was preparing to do it again!?!

Absolutely not. I made that one clear. 

Thankfully, Rowdy backed down. And then the bell rang, and they were all out. 

Whew. He was a lot.