The Worksheet Problem

Today I had a 7th grade math class (pre-algebra).  After they did their warm-up and we had some time to discuss their homework (fractions), they had a review worksheet to complete.

Before I passed out the worksheet, I did my usual announcement to the class: "Do not write on this worksheet.  This is a class set.  Do your work on a separate sheet of paper..."  I reiterate this a couple times, just to make sure that they heard me.

So, of course half the class starts writing on the worksheet.

It's like they didn't hear me.  They look at me like it's my fault that they weren't paying attention.  (These are the same kids who are surprised that there's a sub in the room even though the teacher told them that she was going to be out.)

Of course, it doesn't help that they had an assembly this morning.  They were wound up all day.

Snipe Hunt

I forgot.  There was a notice at the mailboxes that they were going to turn off the water to the complex today.  I guess I didn't give it too much thought.  I hoped to be called to work today.

I remembered when I heard them turning off the water.  Oh well.  I guess the breakfast dishes can remain in the sink for a while.

They are looking for this mythical leak.  I used to believe in the leak, but that was years ago.  If there was really a leak, they should have found it by now.

Periodically, they put up a notice saying that they're going to shut off the water to look for "a leak".  By periodically, I mean every few months.  They shut off the water for a day, and then we hear nothing more about it until the next notice.  I think it's all a ruse.

I think they're forcibly conserving water.  We are again in a water shortage.  Although, we seem to always be in a water shortage.  We're either in one, just coming out of one, or in danger of entering one.  Ah, the joys of living in Southern California.

So, my current theory is that it's our day in the rolling black-out of water conservation.  It's a working theory, a theory I don't really believe.  If they really wanted to conserve, they'd turn off the water on a weekend, not a weekday when most people around here are out at work.

I had no plans to use water today.  I did my laundry yesterday.  The water will be back on by dinner time.  This is just a minor annoyance.

I thought this all rather apropos considering that Blog Action Day is this Friday, and this year's topic is water. What timing!

Needing More Rehearsal

I kinda knew it was coming.  Remember how I mentioned yesterday that it was homecoming week?  That meant that we were due to have an assembly.

(I hate assemblies.)

We were assigned to the first assembly.  (The school is so large that the entire student body can't fit into the gym at the same time, so they have two assemblies.)  The first assembly usually ends up going longer, mostly because they make all their mistakes in that one.  It's kind of like their dress rehearsal.

At the assembly, they announced the winners of prince and princess of the lower classes.  (This was after they tried to deafen us.  It wasn't so much that the music was loud; it was just that the music hit some tones that hurt.) The plan was brilliant.  They had written the names out on huge rolls of paper, and those rolls were to roll over the crowd in the seats.

Unfortunately, the execution wasn't so brilliant.

Instead of the paper rolling over the crowd, the crowd impeded the progress of the roll, stopping it and crumpling it as it made its way to the gym floor.  They didn't even bother doing this for the junior class prince and princess.  I guess they realized that it wasn't working.

Although, I wonder if it did work in the second assembly.

On the bright side, an assembly meant we were on assembly schedule, meaning that all the classes were just a bit shorter.  At least that made the day fly by.

Free Write

I've been sitting here, staring at the computer, trying to figure out what to write about.  I had one of those days.  It was one of those days where not a heck of a lot happened, and while that's good for me while it's happening, it really doesn't help the blog out all that much.

The class was English (with one period of business math).  Special Ed.  For two periods I had seniors.  Their assignment was to write a page in their journals.  It was a free write, so they could pick any topic.

Of course, they couldn't think of a topic, so I offered up ideas.  Homecoming is this week.  Halloween is this month.  We've had crazy weather over the course of two weeks.  These were my first ideas.  They weren't going for them.

I was kind of surprised at the lackluster reception of the homecoming topic.  They voted for king and queen today, and one of the king candidates was in class.

Eventually, they all figured out something to write about, and the class went silent.  And my biggest issue was staying awake.

I have the same group tomorrow (the teacher is proctoring tests--gee, they have a lot tests, don't they?).  Maybe someone will say something interesting.

Clatter

Today was day two of the CAHSEE, the math day.

It was session 1. The students were working, the room was silent, and I was feeling yesterday in my legs.  I needed to sit down.

I took an unused chair and moved it to the back corner of the gym.  I had a good view of all the students.

Then, a girl raised her hand.  I jumped up...only to get my pencil caddy caught on the chair, tipping it over and dumping all the pencils on the gym's hardwood floor.  Did I mention it was silent in the gym?  I made a bit of noise.

I hadn't taken two steps when one of the other proctors got to the girl and answered her question (she needed to use the restroom).  I bent down to pick up the dozen or so pencils that were all over the floor.

Surprisingly, only one pencil broke.  Yesterday, I dropped two pencils (just clumsy) and both got their points broken off.

After that, I figured that I should probably remain standing.  Although, I probably could have just put the pencil caddy away.  I gave out very few pencils today.

Do the Essay

It's the first week of October, so that means it's time for the CAHSEE (retake edition).  

Today was the English portion of the test.  As they started session 1, I was surprised to find that one girl started with her essay.  I was also impressed.  

Normally, students start at question 1 and work their way through the test in order.  They don't have to.  So long as they remain working in session 1, they can do the work in any order they wish.  I thought that doing the essay first would work better, but I'm not about to interrupt them working just to tell them that.  

I settled into my normal testing routine.  I walked the room.  Then I stopped and watched the room.  And then I walked around the room again.  

We were about twenty minutes into session 1 when another girl closed up her test booklet.  I knew she couldn't be finished, so I went over to investigate.  She had finished the multiple choice portion, but she had not done the essay.  For some reason, she thought the essay came later.  

I explained that the essay needed to be done in session 1.  She had no problem with this, and she started working on it right away.  The boy at the next table over had also closed his test booklet, but after overhearing my conversation with the girl, he got to work on his essay, too.  

I have helped proctor the CAHSEE a lot.  Students missing the essay?  This I have never seen.  So, I didn't expect to see it again.  

It was a little while later that another student closed up the testing booklet.  I decided to check, and sure enough, this student also had not done the essay.  

I wonder if the instructions just weren't clear.  I know I heard the assistant principal talk about doing the essay in session 1.  He went over the usual instructions.  But still, even after the previous three students, I found a couple other students who had not done the essay.  

I got paranoid after that.  I checked each student as he/she finished, and under the pretense of seeing if they had a book to read, I glanced at their answer document to make sure something was written in the essay section.  After that first bunch, though, I didn't find another student who hadn't written the essay.  

As the students checked out, I glanced through the test (to make sure that things like serial numbers are bubbled in).  They had all attempted the essay.  

Tomorrow is the math.  There is no essay with math.  Whew!  

The Pass

"Can I get a restroom pass?"

Restroom passes are tricky things.  I'm never quite sure if they're just playing me because there's a sub or if they really need to go.  However, this request annoyed me.  Gabby asked right after the bell rang to start the period.

"Not right now."

I needed to get class started.  I went through my usual introduction, and then I explained their assignment (history class--they were doing a timeline).  I asked if there were any questions, and Gabby raised her hand.  I knew what her question would be, so I avoided calling on her for as long as possible.  My reply was the same as the first time.

I still had to take roll.  I tried to get the class to settle.  Two other students asked for restroom passes.  I turned them down, too.  Gabby asked me again, this time wanting to know when I would say yes.  I think she asked me seven times in the first five minutes of class.

Now, I was ready to stall her as long as possible.  I took my time with the roll.  Then I counted heads.  Twice.  I had to make sure I had the count right.

That's when I got a fourth restroom pass request.  This girl told me it was an emergency.  I was ready to believe her, as she was bouncing up and down in her seat, looking like she was in pain.

I sat down at the teacher's desk and wrote a pass.

Gabby thought I had relented.  She got out of her seat and came up to the front.  I walked by Gabby and gave the pass to the second girl.

The class thought this was hysterical.  One boy kept repeating that I just walked by Gabby as she had her hand out.  Denied.

I didn't know why Gabby had come up at all.  I hadn't told her yes yet.  After the second girl got back, Gabby asked again, and this time I couldn't find a good reason to refuse her (retaliation isn't really a good reason).

Amazingly, I only had one more restroom pass request that period.  I was relieved.  I was waiting for this to turn into a battle with everyone wanting a chance to get out of class.  (At a certain point, I stop letting students out, and then things can get ugly, depending.)