victor berzinsky asked me today why i don't have an assistant to bring the bad kids to the office when they act up.
he also asked if kids *really* fight in my school. he asked why they fight.
he asked a lot of questions ... i had answers to about 3 of them.
Friday, September 30, 2005
sarah
a friend addressed me as sarah the other night ... you know how it's different when someone says your name in the midst of a conversation as opposed to just, like, addressing an email or leaving a message ...
anyway, it is different. and felt really NICE. but that is weird since it *is* my name.
so then i had this moment of, oh my gosh, it has been forever since someone has really "addressed" me as sarah. everyone who tries to get my attention, everyone who is calling my name across the room .... it is ms. matthews.
(i wish i had a count of how many times my kids call out for me each day. today i started to keep track - in like 30 seconds, my name was called out something like 45 times. it's echoes of "ms. matthews"..."ms maaaaatthews" ... "ms matthewwwwwwwwwwws" ALL the time.)
anyway, it is different. and felt really NICE. but that is weird since it *is* my name.
so then i had this moment of, oh my gosh, it has been forever since someone has really "addressed" me as sarah. everyone who tries to get my attention, everyone who is calling my name across the room .... it is ms. matthews.
(i wish i had a count of how many times my kids call out for me each day. today i started to keep track - in like 30 seconds, my name was called out something like 45 times. it's echoes of "ms. matthews"..."ms maaaaatthews" ... "ms matthewwwwwwwwwwws" ALL the time.)
they tried
but to no avail ... to get my class switched around. the special ed coordinator went the principal and basically said, listen, i put this class together *for* mr. so-and-so and never ever ever would have put these kids in a class together w/ another teacher. they really shouldn't be in the same class. can we move some of them out and give her some other kids who are not such problems? this really shouldn't be happening ... and so on.
the principal's response (i'm guessing here from what i know of her) was something like, if one teacher can handle it, then any other teacher should be able to learn to handle it. we're not moving any kids anywhere.
(even though one of my students today officially transferred out of our SCHOOL)
the principal's response (i'm guessing here from what i know of her) was something like, if one teacher can handle it, then any other teacher should be able to learn to handle it. we're not moving any kids anywhere.
(even though one of my students today officially transferred out of our SCHOOL)
oh the wonder
from this moment until october 16, i will teach a total of 5 days.
next week we have tuesday and wednesday off (thanks to rosh hashannah).
the next we have monday (columbus day) and thursday (yom kippur) off.
i'm going home for my aunt jenn's wedding and missing friday too.
this means there might be hope for me yet.
next week we have tuesday and wednesday off (thanks to rosh hashannah).
the next we have monday (columbus day) and thursday (yom kippur) off.
i'm going home for my aunt jenn's wedding and missing friday too.
this means there might be hope for me yet.
OH!
i found out yesterday that i was never meant to have my class. in fact, my class (as in the students) was put together specifically for another teacher.
he was promoted to be the dean of discipline right before school started (hence my switch the day before the first day of school).
Dean of Discipline = able to - and supposed to - handle my crazies
me = teaching the class intended for him
special.
he was promoted to be the dean of discipline right before school started (hence my switch the day before the first day of school).
Dean of Discipline = able to - and supposed to - handle my crazies
me = teaching the class intended for him
special.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
warning
today my asst. principal and the school police came by to warn me that one of my students and her family were in the office and were discussing pressing charges against some girls she's been having a hard time with and maybe the boys in my class who "aren't so nice" to her (but whatever, she is as rotten to them too).
they wanted to check and make sure i have record of EVERYTHING that has involved her in my classroom.
i smiled and said, uh huh, oh sure, i understand ...
i mean, i have written *some* things down .... :/
they wanted to check and make sure i have record of EVERYTHING that has involved her in my classroom.
i smiled and said, uh huh, oh sure, i understand ...
i mean, i have written *some* things down .... :/
the most magical thing ever ...
we are (slowly) reading james and the giant peach. today we got to the part where the old man gives james the bag of the little green things that have "more magic and power than in the whole world combined."
the kids wrote about what they would do if they had all that magic and power - the one thing that they would wish for.
my precious little hugger (definitely my favorite) didn't write anything. so after school he came back to pick up his jacket (YAY AUTUMN!) and to ask for more candy.
i told him i'd give him a piece if he told me what he would wish for more than anything in the world.
he said slowly in his steady voice: "for the most beautiful teacher in the whole wide world."
i asked him if his wish has come true. he looked up at me with those big eyes (that don't really ever focus on anything), leaned back against the desk and drawled out ... yeeesssss.
he got the candy, gave me a hug, and ran. cuuuuute.
the kids wrote about what they would do if they had all that magic and power - the one thing that they would wish for.
my precious little hugger (definitely my favorite) didn't write anything. so after school he came back to pick up his jacket (YAY AUTUMN!) and to ask for more candy.
i told him i'd give him a piece if he told me what he would wish for more than anything in the world.
he said slowly in his steady voice: "for the most beautiful teacher in the whole wide world."
i asked him if his wish has come true. he looked up at me with those big eyes (that don't really ever focus on anything), leaned back against the desk and drawled out ... yeeesssss.
he got the candy, gave me a hug, and ran. cuuuuute.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
visits
as i drove by the abandoned church where two of my students attend an after-school program, i had an urge to go in and see how they were doing.
needless to say, they were SHOCKED to see their teacher walk in. but they do not get along with each other at all and plus i am giving them a quiz tomorrow on social studies vocab we really haven't worked on much this week due to their behavior.
sooo ... i felt like i should check on them and help them out (even though one is the little punk who gave me my new nickname ...).
it was a pretty funny 30 minutes.
needless to say, they were SHOCKED to see their teacher walk in. but they do not get along with each other at all and plus i am giving them a quiz tomorrow on social studies vocab we really haven't worked on much this week due to their behavior.
sooo ... i felt like i should check on them and help them out (even though one is the little punk who gave me my new nickname ...).
it was a pretty funny 30 minutes.
i have been called ...
a number of things in my life, mostly not very insulting names ...
they include smatts, sar-bear, sari, smattsipoo ... pretty normal, yeah?
i've acquired a few "new" nicknames from some of my students at their, um, not-the-best moments.
today one that has been added to the list is "white piece of trailer trash."
this one i just find interesting ... i didn't think those stereotypes existed too far outside ky but apparently they do ... even here to southwest philly. interesting. i actually should give my student some credit for coming up with that one (as opposed to the usual four letter words with an -er on the end) - it shows a little bit of exposure to the outside world ... (?)
they include smatts, sar-bear, sari, smattsipoo ... pretty normal, yeah?
i've acquired a few "new" nicknames from some of my students at their, um, not-the-best moments.
today one that has been added to the list is "white piece of trailer trash."
this one i just find interesting ... i didn't think those stereotypes existed too far outside ky but apparently they do ... even here to southwest philly. interesting. i actually should give my student some credit for coming up with that one (as opposed to the usual four letter words with an -er on the end) - it shows a little bit of exposure to the outside world ... (?)
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
so much
there is so much to say, and yet somehow nothing at all stands out. i have a couple students a punch away from suspension. i have almost no voice left at all. i went to bed at 8:45 last night and was still sick and exhausted all day. i have a few students who get finished with everything way before i expect - one who had done all of his work for the day by 9:30.
next week, and the week after, we only have 3 days of school each week.
oh bless.
next week, and the week after, we only have 3 days of school each week.
oh bless.
today
we had to have a tape recorder recording us all day so that the kids would know that whatever they said or did was undeniable to their parents.
it didn't work. today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
but somehow i am enjoying listening to it being replayed right now.
it didn't work. today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
but somehow i am enjoying listening to it being replayed right now.
Monday, September 26, 2005
is he real?
the kids can't figure out if james (from james and the giant peach) is real ...
or ... if the letters that were delivered to our class by the security guard "when the mail came" were written by me.
i think i'll let the fantasy continue as long as possible.
they LOVED getting the responses from james. SO precious.
or ... if the letters that were delivered to our class by the security guard "when the mail came" were written by me.
i think i'll let the fantasy continue as long as possible.
they LOVED getting the responses from james. SO precious.
today
one kid was missing.
we got SO much done. everyone was on stellar behavior (with the exception of 4 students at various times, but hey, that's nothin').
we got SO much done. everyone was on stellar behavior (with the exception of 4 students at various times, but hey, that's nothin').
religion?
we were looking up vocabulary words in social studies today and one of the definitions happened to include the word religion (it was, i believe, in the definition of culture). A girl who i was helping asked what that word was and what it meant. i said that religion is like if you are muslim or christian or something else.
she said, oh i don't think i got one of those. i know i ain't muslin (with an n. haha).
(knowing that this area is like 100% either muslim or christian ...) i ask, so do you go to church then?
oh yeah, she says, i LOVE church. i got um, what do you call it, when they put you under the water?
um, baptized?
yeah yeah. i got bap-it-iz-ed once. i drank the water.
you what?
well they put you under and i took a huge swallow of water. the guy told me not to but then i did it again. is that water safe to drink?
ahhhhh.
she said, oh i don't think i got one of those. i know i ain't muslin (with an n. haha).
(knowing that this area is like 100% either muslim or christian ...) i ask, so do you go to church then?
oh yeah, she says, i LOVE church. i got um, what do you call it, when they put you under the water?
um, baptized?
yeah yeah. i got bap-it-iz-ed once. i drank the water.
you what?
well they put you under and i took a huge swallow of water. the guy told me not to but then i did it again. is that water safe to drink?
ahhhhh.