Tuesday. Eighth grade U.S. history, seventh period.
I've been spending a lot of time in eighth grade classes lately. And I spent a bunch of time in seventh grade classes last year. So, most of the kiddos in this class were familiar to me. But I don't necessarily retain everyone's name.
The name thing is something I absolutely need to work on. (I mean, now I'll probably retain Jovi's name as I had him in class three times over the last two weeks. He's the one who's killing me off in his English story.) With a seating chart, I'm usually pretty good about knowing which name goes with which student, but not always.
I was warned that Ms. K's seventh period might be a challenge. In the lesson plan, she said that Ms. N would pop by to make sure the kiddos behaved. (The kiddos are scared of Ms. N. She cowed them sufficiently at the beginning of the period.) I was warned to make sure they remained in their assigned seats.
Of course, immediately I was asked if some of them could sit by their friends. I said no. But... but... What about her?
I looked at the seating chart. I looked at the girl. "That's Lucy, right?"
They all started calling her Lucy. And they did it in such a way as I knew it wasn't Lucy.
But, the online attendance has pictures.
"Lucy" was the wrong color.
It only took me a moment to locate the actual Lucy, and she was in Selah's seat.
(I figured out later it was Lucy who took Selah's seat, and Selah just took the open seat. Lucy had claimed the seat next to her friend. After I had specifically said assigned seats.)
I growled at them. They switched back to where they should have been sitting. The mob seemed to be placated.
Lucy spent the rest of the period turned around, trying to talk to her friend. (In the top photo you can see how the tables were situated. It was more awkward than having the two girls next to each other, but it wasn't undoable.)
And the rest of the class? The assignment (on the Revolutionary War), which they probably could have completed during the class period, was largely untouched by the majority of the class. (I took down names of the students who made satisfactory progress. There were, like, five. In a class of 35.)
They're not just scared of Ms. N. They're scared of Ms. K. I don't think they had a very good time upon her return to class.
Kids will try anything with a sub, won’t they?
ReplyDeleteThe Lucy and Selah seating switch sounds like quite the little classroom conspiracy! It's amazing how quickly a whole class can get involved in trying to pull one over on the substitute teacher.
ReplyDeleteUh oh. I'm sure they won't even consider how they wasted their time.
ReplyDeleteJamie here: I am suddenly remained of being in grade school, when someone else tried to sit in my assigned seat. I'd say its mine and they would respond with something like "Did you pay for it?" or "Is your name on it?"
ReplyDeleteThey know when and with whom what they can do.
ReplyDeleteHah! So much drama!
ReplyDelete