Ninja Skills

I was at the continuation high school today. Math class. The students do all their work on computers. They access their textbook and work through the problems at their own pace. The program has animated examples, so the students pretty much work on their own all period.

My job was to assist when the students got stuck (sometimes they had a hard time understanding the examples) and to check off the assignments on their sheets when they finished. They had to get at least 70% correct on each before they got credit. Many managed to get through two or three sections during class.

The computers were set up along the three walls of the class. The front wall was where the teacher's desk was. When the students were working, their backs were to the front of class, so I could see what was on their computers, but they would have to turn around to see me.

One student raised her hand. I checked off her assignment; she got 100%, so I initialed her paper. Two students over, one boy was having a conversation that was inappropriate for class.

I wasn't really listening. All I heard was the F-bomb. So, I called him on it. And I shocked him.

"Man, you've got ninja skills."

He didn't realize that I was right behind him. He hadn't heard me. And I guess he didn't feel me behind him.

I played like I heard the entire conversation (it was more fun that way), and I reminded him that he shouldn't be saying such things in class. (I couldn't really pull the "get to work" bit that I usually pull as he was on task at that moment. His side conversation was more of a random comment.) Then I walked away.

It's fun to catch students off guard like that. It happens to me a lot. They'll say something and then realize that I heard every word. Their reactions are priceless.

On Joining the Crusade

I'm not working today. I was kind of glad not to be called. Another migraine hit last night, and it's nice to have today to get all the way through it.

This gives me the perfect opportunity to mention that I'm joining the Second Writer's Platform-Building Crusade. It sounds like a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and find new blogs. I hope you're planning on joining as well.

I have some writing to do, and then I'm going to take it easy today. The headache is mostly gone, but I don't want a reappearance any time soon.

Great Ideas

Today I covered government and economics classes. I like subbing for this teacher and not just because she has seniors. She's organized. And her classroom is full of interesting ideas. Some of them are kind of brilliant, so I thought I'd share.

Her classroom setup has all the chairs facing the middle of the room with a long aisle down the center. When she passes out handouts, she gives a bunch to the front corner of each side. They pass them back, and whatever is left over goes in a tray marked "extras" that is at the back of the room. This tray is an easy reach for the students who sit back there. Then later, all I have to do is go and collect the extras.

Today's worksheet was of the class set variety. In the top right hand corner, there was an icon of a pencil with the circle and line through it. Under this icon was the statement: "Class set. Do not write on this. Return to teacher at the end of the period."

On one side of the room, there was a station where the students could get any handouts that they might have missed due to an absence. There was a file folder which contained handouts. There was a list of the work that was still outstanding. And there was an inbox for late work.

My favorite thing in the room, though, was the restroom pass setup. She had a timer that was specifically made for restroom passes. Above this was a white board. When a student left the room, he/she wrote his/her name on the white board, and then he/she took the timer with them. The timer counted how long each student was out of the room. And it was very easy to look up and see who was not in the room at the time.

These were only a couple of several clever ideas. I bet these make her days so much easier.

Baby Bridges

I have been semi-aware of this game for some time. It's one of those things that gets referenced at times when I can't follow up. Or, I hear a bit of it, and I put a stop to it. It wasn't until yesterday that someone finally explained the rules to me, and I thought I'd share.  

As they have a normal conversation, the kids are not allowed to use the letter B. I don't know why they chose B,  although there was one day when another letter was chosen (I think it was F that day). If one of them says a word containing said B, all the others in the group get to sock him/her in the arm (hence why I frown on this game in class).  

If, however, the person realizes that he/she used a B somewhere, if he/she immediately says, "baby bridges," the B is erased, and no hitting occurs.  

I wonder about things like this. Where did it come from? How long have they been doing it? (I don't recall noticing it before this school year.) How widespread is the adoption of the game?  

I'll be keeping an ear out for random "baby bridges" from now on. I wonder how long this fad will last.  

Busted by Sis

It's been chilly all week, but by sixth period the classroom can be a bit stuffy. Today, I left the door propped open to let in a little fresh air.

The students are all supposed to be in class, but the occasional student will walk by. One teacher took a class up to the library, and as they passed, one of the students jumped up, caught a branch on a tree, and did a pull up. This got a reaction from my group. The girls started a discussion about the boy's looks; they decided that he was not attractive.

Occasionally, the students in the room will wave hello to the students who pass by. Since these things tend to not take much time, I don't bother too much with it. But when one girl called out loudly to someone on the outside, I was concerned.

The girl in class yelled at the boy outside. "What are you doing there? Aren't you supposed to be in class? Come back here!"

The boy outside passed from view. Then I got an explanation.

The boy was the girl's little brother. She saw him walking with his girlfriend, and to her it looked like they were ditching. She knew that he should have been in class and not walking around campus, and she was not pleased.

I have a feeling that boy is going to get it at home tonight.

A Racist Assignment

"It's too much work. That's racist."

It was a large assignment. They were supposed to do definitions, notes, section reviews, and problems. (8th grade science: the section was on molecules and compounds.) The assignment encompassed two chapters, each having two sections apiece. I would have been surprised if any of them were able to finish.

But racist?

Certain students throw out the racist card frequently, and this student fit the stereotype. He was in the isolation seat. He did little work. I had to keep after him to keep him in his seat, to keep him from bothering others, and to keep him from disrupting the class.

When I questioned his assessment ("How can the science work be racist?"), he pointed out the racial make up of the class. Since there weren't any white students, the teacher was clearly being racist against the class by giving them too much to do. Then the student proceeded to count the number of minority students (who were in the majority in the room).

The accusation was ridiculous. The assignment had nothing to do with the racial make up of the class. I attempted to explain that there were white students in other periods, and they were getting the exact same assignment. The student didn't believe me, and he continued tallying the various Latinos, African-Americans, and others (I think we had a Pacific Islander or two).

The student population is fairly racially diverse. I don't pay much attention to race, or at least I try not to. Today, it had nothing to do with the difference between a compound and a mixture. The student didn't see it that way.

I walked away from the student after reminding him that he needed to get his work done. He continued counting the students of various races. The rest of the class ignored him.

At the end of the period, I glanced at the student's notebook. He had barely done two questions. I was not surprised.

A Pleasant Surprise

The worst thing I can say about today's groups was that they talked a bit too much. For 8th graders, that's high praise. 

Things were a bit chaotic when I got to school. All I found in the classroom was a hastily written note on a Post-It with Monday's lesson plans. I was just about in panic mode when a neighboring teacher came by with the lesson plans for today. 

So, I was kinda expecting to have to do battle with the students. I was pleasantly surprised. 

It was third period, and they were talking. I walked the room to make sure that they were on task. Several students had the same complaint: their teacher gives them too much work. I listened, but I didn't have much sympathy. 

I hear all sorts of complaints about the class' teacher on a daily basis. Sometimes I can see their point. Sometimes I've met the teacher, and I agree with them (inwardly--I can't say such things to the students). But today, I did not agree with them. This teacher is obviously doing something right. 

8th graders can get wild and out-of-control so easily. It's nice when I don't have to do battle. It's wonderful when they actually do their work. 

One class even worked silently for the entire period. Silently!