A Fit of Pique

Monday. Third period.

It was my prep period. And while I had believed that the new teacher was due to start, I had just learned that no, she wasn't getting clearance probably this week. I looked at the room, the little tables of four that I had created for seating as it was an art class, and I couldn't face seventh period in that configuration anymore. 

Seventh period was my large class. 35 students. And it was my least mature group. Too many of them had chosen this as play time, and I was sick of fighting them. 

So, I decided to rearrange the seating. Not that I had time to rearrange the desks and create a new seating chart (because there was no way I was letting them pick their own seats). But it had to be done. For my sanity. 

Changing routines for middle schoolers is not a great idea. And yet, that's what I did. Rather than collecting everything from them, I set up a turn in box. Rather than collecting everything daily, I created a packet thing. And rather than keeping them in tables, I put them in rows. 

I needed to make things easier on me. 

Did it? Well, it settled the other classes a bit. The classes that weren't really that big an issue. As for seventh period, that's still a work in progress. 

Power Squandered

Not satisfied with terrorizing Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., the fascists have decided to invade Chicago. Make no mistake here, the skibidi Gestapo (ICE) are being sent to cities they don't like. Because racism. 

Normally I'd have article links and videos, but my life has been so chaotic of late that I just don't have the bandwidth to go looking. This is, of course, what they're counting on. While people are busy, the fascists seize power. 

What's really ticking me off this week is that those in power but in the opposing party aren't doing anything. Why? Because they believe themselves part of the ruling elite, and the ruling elite expect to remain in power indefinitely. Sure, they may be out of favor now... 

They haven't grasped that once the fascists have consolidated power, they're coming after them next. Once the liberal cities are controlled, once the brown people are cowed, once those who would oppose them are no longer opposing, then they go after those with more power. And more power. Until all that's left is those they want in power. 

Just because they haven't come after you yet doesn't mean they won't. It's just a matter of time. That's why I resist now. I just wish those with political office realized that they should be fighting now. (I mean, not all with political power are rolling over, but so many are it's disheartening.)

Distractions from Knitting

My progress since last week isn't. 

Doesn't look any different? Yeah, that's because I knit something like six rows on Saturday. It's been a week. 

That vacant art class I'm teaching until the teacher can start? They've hired someone, but she can't start until her clearance comes through. So, we're waiting on that. 

And remember back when the upstairs neighbor flooded my room? This time it was the kitchen and the master bathroom. This time his toilet didn't stop running. For a week. The water seeped from the upstairs into the wall, and... Well, it's a mess. It's been a week of machines drying out the kitchen and master bathroom. Tearing out cabinets and flooring. 

So, when I've been at work, I've been dealing with teaching stuff. When I've been at home I've been navigating a torn up kitchen (and parking concerns as the garage is in this equation as well). And I just haven't been able to just sit in front of the TV and knit. 

The good news: I only have two more inches before this back of the sweater is finished: 

The bad news: between lesson planning/grading and everything taking longer at home due to kitchen remediation, I doubt I'll have any time to actually knit. Sigh. 

I could use the time to just work on some knitting to de-stress. At least it cooled off a little. But those dehumidifier machines really heat up a place. (Too bad it isn't winter. They would be wonderful in the winter.) 

Sweater Tracking:

• Starting the Sweater
• Getting to the Back
• Missed Deadline

On Screen

Sergio is one of those kiddos that finds any excuse to get out of his seat. He's constantly outside "blowing his nose". His pencil always needs sharpening. And then there are times when I can't discern why he is up again. 

I changed some seats around to put Sergio nearer to me, because he was also feeding off the energy of the other boys who were goofing off. There's about three to five of them (depending on the day) in seventh period. 

Middle school boys at the end of the day? Yeah, this is pretty typical. 

Thursday. The previous day I had gotten an email that the first episode of school TV was available. There's a TV production class, and they go around and film various school things and put together a video that comes out every so often. (I've written about this before, but I can't locate the post.) 

I like the school TV, so I added it to my plan for the classes. First and fifth periods were happy to see the show. It was only about three minutes long. 

Then in came seventh period. I started off with their warm up. Then I opened up the episode...

Sergio... Well, Sergio didn't want me to play the episode. 

I should back up here. Since I had seen the episode twice already, I knew what the issue was. Sergio was in the episode. He interviewed a couple students. There was another bit where he was on screen acting something out (having to do with the new cell phone policy). It's safe to say he's taking the TV production class, and he's likely doing well already as he and his group got quite a lot of screen time. 

He did nothing embarrassing. Seriously. His parts were well done. 

But he was embarrassed. And squirming. 

He looked for tissue to "blow his nose". (We had run out.) He looked for a way out, ultimately ducking under his desk. 

I mean, he had to know that his clips were going to be seen. Right? 

I feel no remorse. I showed it. And then it was over. 

And then we went back to the art lesson for the day. 

Is this terrible of me? I probably shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did. But enjoy it I did.

Eye Lost It

Thursday, seventh period. I started them off with an explanation of value and coloring a page to understand grayscale, and then I had them attempt to draw an eye. 

Because their first project (a pattern thing) was due, I was behind on grading, and the new teacher was due to start the next week, I wasn't in the mood to collect this attempt at drawing an eye. I made the executive decision that the eye would go with all the face components in a "packet" that would be collected at a later time. 

I explained this to the class. I wrote it in the directions in their Google Classrooms. 

"Do I turn in my eye?"

If I had a dollar for every time a student asked me, I could take the next couple weeks off. Because, seriously? The kiddos do not listen. 

I had warned them of this. I warned them that I get cranky when I give an instruction and then get asked the exact question later. 

So, I stopped answering. "Could someone tell [insert student's name here] when the eye is due?"

And... There was always someone. So, some of them do listen. 

But not enough. 

Because I got tired of going around and collecting work from them, I acquired a turn in box where they could put all their finished work. And what did a few of them still turn in? Yup. The eye. 

The joys of middle school. 

Under the Pile

I did a lesson on pattern with the middle school art classes. (The art teacher who is not new, Mr. S, gave me some lessons to do with the classes while I'm there.) They were to "collect" ten different patterns. 

I had graded their papers, and I returned them. But, several students had not even turned the paper in. I know that they had done it, as I watched them do it. 

After returning all their papers, I announced to the class that if they did not get a paper back, I had never received theirs. If they had it, they could still turn it in. 

(I mean, I called for it on the day it was due. A couple times. But middle schoolers.)

Oscar: "I did it." 

Me: "But you didn't turn it in." 

So, he went to look for it. He opened his backpack... 

This is the third week of school. Right? And he already... 

Oscar's backpack was filled with papers. In a wad. Just shoved in the backpack willy-nilly. No notebooks. No folders. No organization whatsoever. 

On the first day of school, I told the class to get a pocket folder for the class. That way they could keep their papers organized. I know the other teachers give similar instructions. (Math classes ask for spiral notebooks. English classes ask for three ring binders. But there's guidance on what they'll use.) 

I asked him about a folder. He said he didn't have one. I said he might want to consider getting folders for each of his classes, so he could find what he's looking for more easily. 

He had handouts from English and history. Eventually, under that stack, he found the patterns assignment. Yup, it was done. And correctly. 

Will Oscar take my advice and get a folder? Probably not. Even though a nearby boy piped up with, "This folder only cost 25 cents." And the folder? Completely appropriate for the class. 

Taking Away the Yarn

While perusing the internet, I stumbled upon this headline: "Knitting Is the Coziest, Most Wholesome Tragedy of Trump’s Trade War". Uh, no...

I went to read the article, but it was behind a paywall. So, I searched and found "Tariffs Will Simply Put Us All Out of Business: Trump's Trade War Is Crushing American Crafters" which wasn't. 

And, it was stuff I knew. Two weeks ago I linked to an article about how Europe and others were going to stop sending mail to the U.S., and I felt like I had gotten the yarn for eldest nephew's Christmas sweater just in time. I had. Because the issue is the way smaller boutique yarn companies have been doing business is now going to be hit with these stupid tariffs. 

In the knitting/crochet community, this regime was unpopular the first time around. This isn't going to make us any happier. 

You wouldn't think the yarn community would be all that progressive. And, like any community, there are people on both sides of the political spectrum. But there is a very strong liberal group among us. We weren't happy before. This isn't going to help. 

It's like this regime wants to destroy all that made us content. Happy. In an effort to appease their elderly, failing leader. 

I'm just going to grumble some more over here. Like I've been doing.