Contrary

Tuesday was a minimum day (so the teachers could prep for Back to School night, which I did not have to attend--yay!). 

Because it was a minimum day, there would be no lunch. Nigel was not happy. 

"Great. No lunch. So, I don't get to eat." 

I pointed out that while we weren't having a lunch period, food services was providing a "grab and go" lunch. It's a sack lunch that students can take with them when they exit the school. (Here in California, all school meals are free to students.)

"Great, now I'll get into trouble for bringing outside food home." 

I mentioned that perhaps he could eat the lunch on the way home, thereby avoiding any of those thorny issues. (I really didn't want to get into why this was a problem, although it probably merits further discussion.) 

Nigel's next complaint was mumbled, something about riding a bike or the bus, so he couldn't eat his lunch while getting home. (The bus driver doesn't allow open food containers on the bus.) 

It was at this point that other students in class chimed in, saying that Nigel was always like this. I could tell. Nigel was determined to be annoyed that we had a minimum day. He did not want to go home early. 

About then was when this whole conversation got interrupted. Another student wanted to use the restroom. 

There is a cool new app that the school is now using for restroom passes. I just got access. I stopped to let the student go. And I thought Nigel and I were done. Nope.

Now Nigel complained about the new app. Why didn't the school get the app earlier? (Not the complaint I was expecting.) I argued that the technology wasn't really right too much before now. But Nigel disagreed. 

At a certain point, you know the discussion isn't going to go anywhere. And this is where I "got busy" doing other stuff. Because there was going to be no pleasing Nigel. Whatever came up, he was going to complain about. 

I suppose it passes the time.

Paranoid

Remember the whole "stop looking at me" conversation I related on Wednesday?

That same day, all the English classes at the continuation high school were writing the quarterly district essay. (I was covering graphic arts.)

The next day, I covered one of the English teachers. (They were out grading the essays.) And I found this on her desk...

Click on picture to make bigger (so you can read it).

So, instead of working on the required essay (which was worth quite a bit), this student took exception to "being watched", too.

I'm not the only one.

Avoiding the Art

Special ed geometry. It was a good sized group, and they had an assignment that I thought was pretty cool.

They had been learning shapes--the specific shapes that one learns in geometry. Not just your garden variety square and rectangle, but the parallelogram, the rhombus, the kite, and the trapezoid.

The assignment had them using at least one of each in a design that they were to come up with. They got to draw it, color it in, and make it as creative as possible. The idea was to make it like a tile.

I passed out the assignment. And every single one of them turned it over to the back, where there was a word search.

I explained the assignment. It was fun! They got to draw. They just had to use the correct shapes. (I'm not much of an artist, but I would have loved an assignment like this.)

Them? They kept working on the word search.

So, I explained that the word search wasn't their assignment. Nope. It was worth nothing. The art project, however, was what they needed to do.

Reluctantly, they turned over the papers. Grumbled. Sketched out something. Complained that they'd rather do the word search.

via GIPHY

Some days, I wonder about them.

Have you ever thought something was so cool, but when you shared it with someone else, they looked at you like you were crazy?

Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...

Irony

7th grade English. I ended up covering the class for two days.

On day one, they had a story to read. I decided (for various reasons too numerous to go into) to have them read this story on their own and fill out the story map by themselves. Silently.

Yeah, I knew it was a bad idea. But I insist on silence when kiddos are reading because if they're talking, they're obviously not doing the reading. So, I tried for it anyway. And things went really well with the first group. The second group needed a bit of a push, but then they also worked silently.

Then I had the third group.

The room never got loud, but the kiddos didn't do a very good job at sitting still. Or remaining quiet. I spent much of the period shushing them, to diminishing results.

The next day they had a vocabulary assignment.

I wasn't about to insist on silence. It wasn't that sort of assignment. And I was really dreading having to deal with the third group. Groups one and two did so well the prior day I figured they would work well, but I braced for chaos and mayhem with the third group.

Group one worked silently. And I didn't even ask for it.

Group two... They wouldn't sit still. Well, I don't mind a bit of movement, but I do mind students who won't remain seated. And I didn't mind talking, but they got kind of loud. Boisterous. And not much was getting done in the way of the assignment.

Sigh. I was so not looking forward to the third group.

And then something strange happened. Group three... worked. Not silently, but not loudly, either. They... were pretty good.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting that.

Oblivious

Math class at the continuation high school. They all work at their own pace on a program that takes them through whichever course they're on (algebra or business math).

It's generally an easy day. Most of them can work on their own, going through the examples from the program. Occasionally someone will need a bit more help (which gives me something to do).

They are not to be surfing the internet. (He does allow them to listen to music, so most of them had a music site going in the background with their earbuds in.) And when someone would stray, I would stand over them, and that was generally enough to get them back on task.

7th period. I noticed one boy was on something that was definitely not math related. So, I approached.

Once I stood behind him, I saw that he was playing a boxing game. I said something about that not looking like the math assignment. No response.

He was sitting at the corner computer. I was directly behind him. And he had earbuds in. The way that station was situated, I couldn't get into a position where he could see me from where he sat. (Although, I would think that my presence right behind him would have been noticed.) So I tried again.

The girl sitting next to him tried to alert him to my presence. She tapped him on the shoulder. When he ignored that, she tried more emphatic means of getting his attention. Which he also ignored.

I waved a hand in front of his face. This he ignored, too.

Finally, he realized that I was behind him, and he took an earbud out. I told him to get back to the math. He attempted the stalling tactic. "Can't I just finish this game?"

Since he made some pretense of getting to work (he did turn off the game), I was going to let this slide. (The teacher is very strict.) But then at the end of the period, he really ticked me off.

I have this thing about students writing on the board. The boy pulled out the dry erase marker. I told him not to. But those earbuds were in again. And he completely ignored me (or didn't hear me, but I think the earbuds were an excuse) and wrote on the board anyway.

Another student (on the way out the door) said that I was going to "give" them a bad note. Nope. Just the ones who were clearly not getting anything done.

Also, I'm at Unicorn Bell all this week. I'd love it if you'd stop by and say "hi".

Not Going to Do It

"Is this homework?"

I had just passed out the worksheet, explained to the 8th grade math class that it was their assignment for class, and told them to get started.

"It's classwork," I said.

I know this game. If I tell Maria that what she doesn't finish in class is homework, she hears that the assignment is homework, and then she does nothing in class. Because the assignment is "homework" so she should do it at home.

Maria persisted. "Do we have homework?"

Yep, not falling into that trap.

I met Maria the prior week in her science class. I noticed that she hadn't started working on her assignment, so to give her a little push I asked her to make sure her name was on her paper. It wasn't. She then refused to write her name on the page.

This is one of my tricks. If I want a student's name and I don't want them to know I'm looking, I check the name on their paper. Student never realizes how I figured out who they are.

But this time I wasn't looking for her name. I just wanted her to write something--anything--on her paper. Because she refused so vehemently was the only reason I made sure to learn who she was. And her name did go in my note that day.

I answered Maria by telling her that I'd discuss what their homework was at the end of the period.

Maria goofed off all period. She tried to get her friend to sit next to her because she "needed help". I was not allowing any students to move from their assigned seats. I offered to help her myself. I asked her what she needed help with. She got sucked into a conversation happening on the other side of the room.

Fine. I walked away, but I came back several times to "help". She wasn't taking me up on my offer. She wrote maybe 3 answers all period. (The assignment had something like 50 questions.)

(Others did take me up on my offer to help. So, I wasn't entirely useless all period.)

The end of the period rolled around, so I got the class's attention and made the announcement. Anything they hadn't finished in class was homework.

Maria was incensed. "But you said it wasn't homework."

"No, I said it was classwork. Now, what you didn't do in class is homework."

Maria: "But you didn't say it was homework. If I had known it would be homework, I would have done it in class."

*facepalm*

No. No she wouldn't. I know she wouldn't. It's all just an excuse to do nothing.

But it's frustrating just the same.

Mapping

It was a two day assignment in the English class at the continuation high school. Thursday they were so good. On task. Making progress.

On Friday...not so much.

They were supposed to be on the computers working on their essays. Some were typing. Others (those behind) were still doing some research. But when I saw the map of California pop up...

The boy was looking for Yosemite. Why? I have no idea. He found it, and he wondered how long it would take to get there.

Well, there's an easy way to figure it out. I prompted him to open Google Maps and ask for directions from our city to Yosemite. Because that always gives an estimated time of travel. (I know I should probably just tell him to get back on task, but I like to teach them other things sometimes, too.)

Question answered, the boy did actually get back to his essay. At least, it appeared like he did.

The girl sitting next to him, however, was now on Google Maps. Looking up past places where she lived.

I had encountered Susan in class before. The other teacher explained that Susan could be easily distracted, so he made sure to isolate her a bit from the rest of the class. Then she'd be on task.

Well, Susan wasn't pleased that I was questioning her. I wasn't talking to the boy. (Because at this point he was on task and she had been off for more than ten minutes.) Why was I picking on her?

Because that's what I do. I pick on Susan. It's my reason for being.

Ah well. Perhaps Susan and I will get along the next time I see her. (Things were fine between us the last three times I saw her.)

Contrary

The week before Thanksgiving I covered an English class at the continuation high school. The assignment: read "No Witchcraft for Sale" by Doris Lessing together, out loud, as a class.

They moaned. They complained. There was no tape? Couldn't they read it individually?

Exactly two weeks later I returned to the same class. I was thrilled to read the lesson plan. The class was to read "A Devoted Son" by Anita Desai individually. To themselves. Not as a group.

We got through the intro stuff, and I delivered the good news.

They moaned. They complained. There was no tape? Couldn't we read it together as a class?

[Insert reaction here]

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.

Work Free Friday

Yesterday (for most of the day) I covered a 10th grade world history class. They had a video: Animal Farm. (I asked and they confirmed--they're studying the Russian Revolution.)

I passed out their questions and explained how the video related to what they were studying. I warned them not to talk. And then I started the video.

Mostly, they were good classes. A couple of the students needed extra attention from me. In 6th period (naturally) I had one student who commented a bit too loudly about things that were happening in the story. I sauntered over to him to see if I could get him to settle.

Danny was seated in the back corner of the room. The chairs were arranged with a space between the chairs and the wall, so I leaned against the wall directly behind Danny. Most of the class noticed me there even though I was behind all of them. But not Danny. He made another comment (to be fair, it was funny and related to what was on screen), so I made my presence known.

Danny freaked out a bit. He didn't like me hovering. So, I continued to hover. That's when I noticed that his desk was empty. I mentioned that he was supposed to be answering questions, and I asked him where the questions were. Danny told me that he wasn't going to do them, and with pride he explained that he had done no work all day.

I hovered a little longer, and then I pulled back. Danny already had a starring role in my note, and as he stopped making random comments, I figured my work was done.

Later in the period, I took another circuit of the room. I stood behind Danny. He didn't see me, and as he wasn't talking, I didn't feel the need to let him know I was there. Then I took a look at what he had on his desk: the questions and a page on which he had answered two of them.

It wasn't much, but it was effort. Apparently he would do work as long as I didn't know about it.