Any Excuse

There are certain classes I dread covering. In this particular math class at the continuation high school, the students rarely do any work. (The teacher assigns work. And he tries to keep the students in line. But they've decided that this is the class where they won't do anything, so they don't.)

I passed out the assignment. Offered my assistance. (It's math. I can handle just about any topic.) Then I took my usual perch.

As per normal, they ignored the assignment. Suddenly, the lights went out.

I took a quick inventory. The sky outside was cloudy, but there was enough light in the room to see. They were doing worksheets, so their assignment required no electricity. They could continue "working".

"We can't do anything now. There's no power."

Not that they were doing anything before. I pointed out that they could do their assignment perfectly well even without power.

Less than a minute later, the power came back on. Crisis averted?

Voiceless

I've had this weird congestion thing for about a week now. I can breathe. I don't feel sick. But I've got this awful sounding cough, and my voice...well, my voice either cracks or drops an octave. I don't sound like myself. And I don't have a "loud".

Algebra class at the continuation high school. The teacher left me notes to give the class. Simple stuff: adding integers. I could have gone over it in about five minutes if they would have let me.

Giving notes is always a challenge for a sub. They've tuned out. (And it didn't help that it was Halloween.) This is why most teachers leave bookwork when they have a sub.

I can usually berate and guilt them into attention long enough to get done what's required. I've done it before. I remind them that it's stuff their teacher wanted them to learn. I explain that they'll have work to go along with it (if there is). Most of the time, if I remind them that it is school time and they are there to learn, I get enough attention to get through whatever notes they need to take.

But this class was off-the-charts loud.

And I could not raise my voice so that I could be heard. (Although, I don't think even my normal loud would have been loud enough for them to hear me.)

It was beyond frustrating.

I saw the teacher the next day. He confirmed that that period was loud. How he deals with them every day... That is one tough class.

An Early Summer Exit

"Oh wow. That was a double fail."

Outside the classroom, a girl had fallen. At that moment, a teacher and two students happened to be walking by. The teacher showed concern. Dane entered my classroom and announced the above to the class once we learned why the girl fell. She tripped over a huge cockroach.

Eventually, Dane left. I have had this student in class a few times. None of these do I remember fondly. He was not on my roll sheets for today, so I thought I wouldn't have to deal with him. Unfortunately, he kept coming by to "visit".

The second time he turned up, he had cookies. He had snagged some from the office. He was giving them away, but no one wanted them even though he had them wrapped up in a paper towel. First Dane told me that he wasn't going to let me have any, but when no one else wanted his last one, he offered it to me. (I declined.)

When it appeared that he wasn't going to leave, I asked him where he was supposed to be. He told me that he was supposed to be where he was, and no room could keep him. So, I asked him on whose roll sheet he was listed. He was supposed to be in science class. I told him to go back there.

Most of the students (the ones who bothered to show up at all--it was the last day at the continuation high school) were wound up. It was that kind of day. Dane found someone else to bother, and I didn't see him again until the last period of the day.

I was in the office. Dane was talking to an administrator. The admin. said, "Most people would like to start summer vacation early." Dane replied that he didn't want to leave yet. The admin. didn't back down. Dane left the office only to return a second later.

The admin. had turned around. A couple of us in the office saw Dane return, and the admin. must have seen it in our eyes. She turned back around and then Dane left. For good. Or at least for the summer.

By the reactions of the various people in the office, I knew I was not alone in being glad that Dane had left campus.

Lucky Lockdown

"Teachers, lock your doors. We are on lockdown."

There were less than 15 minutes left in 4th period. The lockdown lasted through "lunch" and 5th period. And tomorrow is the last day of school.

I was so lucky!

Lockdowns don't happen all that frequently. Sure, I got caught in one last week, but today's puts me at three total this school year. They can be long, and the students get testy. The students whine. And complain. And there's nothing I can do about it.

But, 4th period was my prep today.

Yep, I got locked down in an empty classroom with a working computer.

I could hear the students next door. They were loud. One girl complained that she had to use the restroom. I heard students call the office to find out how much longer the lockdown was going to be (the office didn't know).

I heard a helicopter circling outside, so something was up. (Later I learned that the police were looking for a car thief.)

When the bell rang and the students were finally let free, a collective cheer went up at the school. We got a long break, and then we skipped 5th period and went into 6th.

Again, I lucked out. While 5th period wasn't terrible, 6th period was a dream. Four students. Who worked quietly. (I had this group last week, so I kind of knew what to expect.)

I'm covering this teacher again tomorrow. Did I mention that tomorrow is the last day of school?

Aspiring to be a Bum

Jake and Evan in the same class? I should have seen this coming. 

They didn't want to do the math worksheet (two-step algebra problems with fractions). Too easy. I reminded them that any work completed would help them get math credits. They need something like 20 math credits to graduate. 

Jake explained that he didn't want to graduate. When he turns 17 1/2, he's going to drop out. Then he intends to become a bum. (If I believed any of this, I might have been more concerned.) 

Evan then said he wanted to be a bum, too. Jake and Evan congratulated each other, and they promised to share a box under the freeway. 

Jake told us of his future bum plans. He planned to beg for change outside the local McDonald's. As soon as he got enough, he'd go inside and buy something. Then he'd go back outside and repeat the process. 

Someone (it might have been me) pointed out that it gets cold outside during the winter. It's supposed to get really cold (for us) this weekend. That didn't bother Jake. He said he'd pair up with a female bum. 

Once Jake had exhausted the bum thing, he had another story to tell. I asked if it involved math. (At this point, I knew getting them on task was probably pointless, but I had to try nonetheless.) Jake said it did. I knew if he got math into the story he'd be stretching for it, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to stop him. (Jake can spin a story.) 

Jake was at a drug store. Some woman asked him for change. He gave her a couple dollars. She was grateful, and she told a sob story about not having money and Christmas was coming and she had children... A couple minutes later, Jake walked away and the woman drove away. She saw him on the street and called him over to her car. She asked for change. 

Jake told the woman that he had just given her change. She was a bit surprised. She told him that "you all look the same". Jake wondered what she was on that would make her short-term memory go like that. I didn't have an answer for him. 

That boy needs a blog. I told him he should write these stories down. He didn't see my point.

This Again?

It was 5th period yesterday.  I had just finished helping a student with a problem.  I noticed that the three boys sitting behind her didn't have books or work out, and it didn't look like they were going to start any time soon.  It was time to lay on the guilt trip that never works.

That's when I saw the boy at the end of the row using his cell phone.

I'm too nice.  I know I am.  Instead of confiscating his cell phone, I gave him a warning.  I told him if I saw him with his cell phone again, I would confiscate it.

Later in the period, the girl needed my help again.  (She was working on algebra word problems.)  I glanced at the boy.  He had his hands below his desk in "the position".

I didn't want to get into it with him again.  I pretended I didn't see...until he took the cell phone out from under his desk.  He was clearly texting.

I went over to him to confiscate it.  He cried foul.  ("I didn't see you there.")

He didn't want to give up his cell phone.  I warned him that this would result in a referral.  He told me he was turning his cell phone off as he finished the text that had gotten him caught in the first place.  (As if I don't know that it only takes him hitting one button to turn the thing off.)  Then he reluctantly turned it over.

I had enough time to hide the cell phone under some papers on the teacher's desk before it was time to clean up.  The bell rang, the class filed out, and the boy came up to me to talk me into giving him his cell phone back.

I guess I'm too nice.  He seemed to think he'd succeed.  It was a good thing the phone was hidden, or else I'm sure he would have picked it up and left the room.  As it was, he tried every trick he could think of from bribery ("I'll give you a dollar") to begging ("But I need it after school") to the old broken record trick.  He even asked for that referral instead.

He spent the entire five minute passing period trying to wheedle the phone back.  When the bell rang, I asked if he had a 6th period.  He said he did.  I told him he'd better get to class.  He asked me for a note excusing him from being late.  (I refused.)

I did have 6th period off, so I immediately went to the office and turned in the offending phone.  I wasn't terribly surprised when the boy returned just before 7th period.

I explained that I had turned his phone in to the office.  He said it wasn't there.  Who did I turn it in to?  Where was it now?  I was lying.  It wasn't there.  I had to still have it.  Couldn't I just give it back to him now?

I didn't know what else to say.  If he didn't believe the truth...

He warned the incoming class that I was a terrible person, and that they should guard their cell phones.

I didn't have another cell phone problem in 7th period.  I didn't think I would.  The last student I confiscated a cell phone from was in class.

I Meant to Do That

Today's temps are supposed to get into the high 80s to low 90s.  It was a cool night and cool morning, so I left the classroom door open for 1st and 2nd periods.  At the beginning of 3rd period, I could feel the heat starting, so I turned on the air conditioner. 

I barely walked away when a student turned the a/c off. 

I turned around and turned the a/c back on. 

"Why did you do that?" 

She asked me that.  I told her I was warm.  She said that she was warm, too.  I didn't understand why she'd turn the a/c off then.  She said that she wanted to stay warm. 

I'm the teacher.  I win this battle.  If I want the a/c on, it stays on. 

I have to be the one to decide this.  No matter what, there are some students who will not be pleased.  Even when I try to be nice and not keep the room at the temperature that is comfortable for me (I generally run warm, so comfortable for me tends to be cold for most of the girls), I get complaints. 

Besides, I'm the one in the room all day. 

It was so much easier when the classrooms didn't have their own thermostats.