Third Period, Starring Jonas

Wednesday. Third period.

Class started. I explained what they'd be doing. (See Wednesday's post about testing.) They got to work. 

Then Jonas made his entrance. Late. 

He announced that he was late. He announced a couple things. And he loudly asked what we were doing in class. 

The rest of the class was quietly working. 

Some students... They never quite get the memo that when you're late, you don't walk into the room like you're the star walking onto a stage. But some students are the stars, and they behave like this. 

I had already explained what we were doing for the students who were on time. I also had the agenda typed out nicely on a cute slide that was projected on the classroom TV. 

I pointed to this in response to Jonas. He could figure it out on his own. 

Sometime during class, Jonas then asked when Ms. B would be returning. Loudly.

The previous week I had said in two weeks. Apparently this was not specific enough for Jonas. He acted like I had not answered the question. 

I had a couple students finishing up their testing. I was keeping a quiet room. If Jonas had raised his hand and asked quietly, I probably would have answered. But he just announced to the quiet room, "When is Ms. B coming back?" 

Yeah, not responding to that. 

Besides, I was going to tell them on Friday that it was my last day. 

Which is what I did. On Friday, I made the announcement that Ms. B would return on Monday. My time with them was finished. 

Jonas? Was absent that day.

Left Behind

On Wednesday of last week, the theater director at the school stopped by. The theater department was putting on the musical Mean Girls, and they were starting the performances that night. 

Why did I need to know this? The classroom was in close proximity to where the show would be, and so they were going to use the classroom as a changing room for the performers. 

None of this was a problem for me. The performances were at night, after I had left. 

But Mr. S wanted to let me know. And he explained that the students would not leave a mess, but if they did, to let him know.

When I arrived at school on Thursday, the room was fine. Until I found a walkie-talkie sitting on the teacher's desk. 

That is not a mess. But, I figured that someone might be missing it. (And these are the kind that are rechargeable, so they'd want to charge it before the night's performance.) So, I emailed the teacher. He appeared to retrieve it quickly. 

The next day no walkie-talkie. As I was setting up for the day, however, I found a Bluetooth speaker plugged into the wall to charge. I put it on the teacher's desk (so the kiddos wouldn't be tempted to make off with it), and I went about the rest of my setup. 

There was a knock at the classroom door. A student came looking for her speaker. And a necklace. Sadly, the necklace wasn't found, but I gave her back her speaker. 

Very minor issues. (It was a slow week for good blog-worthy stories.) 

Getting It Done

As I started this class at the beginning of the semester, I was not in danger of having grades due. So, of course I would have to do some standardized testing. 

All in all, it went pretty well. For first period. 

For third period, I had absent students and the slow walkers. There are some students who need more time to do tests, and I get that. That's fine. But some students just kind of stare into space and/or sleep rather than getting the thing done. 

Day one I had planned on only testing that day. On day two, I hoped to get the stragglers and the absent students done. And that worked perfectly for period one. 

For third period, I had two students absent. Again. (One had been suspended, so that was going to be unavoidable.) And I had one student who took his time, so he did not finish. 

Which meant that on Wednesday, period three again had to work on the test. 

(This is a very, very long time for seventh graders. The students who were finished had other work to do, but I couldn't change things up a bit until all the tests were complete.) 

I had two students who were just starting the test, and I had two students who had started but were only half way done. 

The two students who were just starting? Yeah, they were playing the slow walking game. And I was not going to have it. 

I started hovering. 

As the test proctor, I had access to what question they were on, but I couldn't see anything else. (The test was online.) So, when the boy was on question 12 for a very long time, I went over and gently asked if the software was stuck. It wasn't. He got going again. 

When the girl was stuck on question 15, I went over to her. She was staring into space. I urged her to get back on task. 

One of the boys who had already started finished. Then the other boy finished. Woo-hoo! 

I went and hovered over the other two again. 

Then the girl finished. 

We had a half hour left of class. Then twenty minutes. Then fifteen...

The boy finished.

And it was all I could do to not throw my arms up in the air and shout "Woo-hoo!". 

I celebrated by putting a video on for the kiddos. One we had started before the testing. 

And then I closed out the software and deleted all the emails about the testing. Because I was done. 

Whew. 

It's Started

I saw this on Bluesky the other day:

"Why did you come to this time? To warn us?" The time traveler laughed. "Why would anyone listen to me?" "You're from our future-" "No, I'm from a different timeline, a different future. I'm a refugee." "To here? Now?" "It looks fucked right now, but this is the timeline that pulls through."

— Micro SF/F by O. Westin (@microsff.com) January 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM

I wish. I wish. I wish. 

But, alas...

A comment on my post from January 14th, when I asked about the federal government refusing to help states they do not like with money after a disaster: 

...And no, I don't believe the incoming administration would do such a thing. They have too many issues to fix in this country to get into such pettiness.

link

It's already started...

Another comment to my post from November 26th, when I wondered about the government shutting down the National Weather Service as outlined in Project 2025: 

You really believe in Project 2025? Maybe I'm wrong but it seems mostly a joke...

link

Nope. Not a joke. And he's already started doing these. Everything else is coming. If you doubt that, I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you.

I'm angry, and I'm going to continue to be angry. If you're not, then I wonder. I thought people cared about other people coming to harm, but apparently not.

Yarn Chicken for Video

I have mentioned a few times that I am currently in the process of making a new video for my YouTube channel. Currently, the project looks like this:

See that little ball of crochet cotton near the upper left hand corner? That's all the yarn I have left to complete the project. Sigh.

When I started, I figured I had more than enough yarn to complete this. And now I see I was overestimating how much yarn I had left. 

The good news: all I have left to do is the bottom. 

The bad news: I went looking for another cone of this crochet thread, and I could not find it in this color. Deep sigh.

As I see it, I have three choices. One: Go on an internet search to see if I can find some more of this crochet threat somewhere. Anywhere. But that'll take time when I'm finally to the point when I can film the finish of this video.

Two: Redo the whole project in another color that I will have enough of the yarn for. But that means starting all the way over. You do not want to know how many clips I have already made (going back to October when I started this). 

Three: Owning up to the issue on the video I'm making, and finishing up in a different color just to finish the video. 

I'm leaning towards three. Either one or two would be way more professional. But, I wouldn't call my channel "professional". It's more amateur hour. 

Of course, if it turns out I have just enough yarn... 

Not likely. And I really don't want to be playing yarn chicken while filming a video. 

I bought another cone. It's white. 

And perhaps I'll redo this video another time. In a while. Right now I just want to finish this thing that I already started.

Scissor Emergency

Friday. Third period seventh grade world history. 

Jonas asked for a pair of scissors. I didn't want to give him scissors, so I told him I didn't have any. 

But, Jonas needed scissors. And he wasn't going to do anything without them. 

We had done some testing the prior class period. (It's not state-mandated. It's more of a growth test that the district now requires.) Most of the class had finished, but a couple students needed to finish up, so I was giving them the class period. Jonas was one of them. And he wasn't touching his test because he needed scissors. 

He had some string... It wasn't like he was cutting it off his clothing. (I've had students with that particular issue get distracted.) And I'm not sure what he had in mind. 

He had to get up and get tissue. He whined about scissors. Then some girl offered him a pair that she had. 

Scissors acquired, Jonas did what he wanted to do, and then he finally got going on his test. (While making noises and fidgeting and such.) 

He eventually finished. Class finished. And after the kiddos had left, I did my now-usual clean up after them. 

Over by Jonas' desk was the string, tied around the side of the desk. Sitting. 

Apparently the thing Jonas needed to do was leave a mess. Because, of course. 

Seventh graders *shakes head*

Missing Initiative

Friday. Fifth period geography. The phone rang. 

The caller asked for a student. He was present. Then the caller explained that the boy's name had been left off of the list of those who were excused for some sort of basketball game, so could I please excuse him? 

I sent the boy on his way. And then I stewed. Because, really? And I need to explain why this whole think rankled for me.

The school has various sports teams. The usual ones. And daily there is some game someplace. There are always students who need to leave a class early so they can go to their game. This is so commonplace that I've never needed to mention it before. 

Usually, what happens on these days is that a student or a couple of students will inform me that they have to leave for their game at such-and-such a time. (It's usually more of an ask. They never demand this.) And I nod my head and say okay and to give me a heads up as they leave. 

What bothered me was that the boy in this case never said a word to me. Because, if he had come to me at the beginning of the period and said he had to leave, I would have said okay. 

In fact, there was a girl who had a soccer match to get to. She had to leave early. And she did. 

But this boy? Had to be called out of class? Didn't even attempt to go before the phone call? Said nothing to me about the game? 

And the idea that his coach had to call me to get the student released just... 

Someone has got to take more initiative if he wants to remain in athletics. It's not my job to remember these things. It's his. 

Of course, this is one of the boys who's not doing much in class and has to be reminded to do his work and not scroll on his phone.

He won't last long in athletics with that work ethic.