School

The countdown to spring break has been on...why does this time of year feel sooooo long??

I've been surprised by my 6th graders twice this week. You only think you've seen it all until...

I gave a quiz on Wednesday. We had some extra time at the end of class so I decided to go over the quizzes...aka save me the time of grading them. My first block is one of my AIG classes, probably my highest class this year. Definitely the smartest the group of kids I've ever taught. Grade competition is fierce with AIG students and they do not like for others to see their mistakes. To avoid any drama because I was too tired to listen to them whine (I usually like to make them switch papers just to instill some humility), I let them check their own paper.

Overall it was going well. As we got towards the end, I could see a boy in the front (easily one of my top students) hiding his face and I could hear him sniffiling. This isn't a first and usually middle schoolers do not want any extra attention drawn to them, especially when they're crying. So, I continue going over the answers and giving directions on how to grade them. Next thing I know, my boy is sobbing...OUT LOUD! Like uncontrollably, you can't ignore this, sobbing.

The way this kid stresses out about school usually makes me laugh and he usually laughs with me. This day was no laughing matter. He was distraught because...wait for it...he forgot to simplify his fractions and lost half credit.

It took me a good five minutes of me squatting down by his desk, explaining how smart he really is and that it really is okay, not paying any attention to the rest of the class, to get him to calm down. He stops crying and I stand up to get everyone settled and collect papers. I walk away and before I can turn back around he is sobbing out loud again! I got him calmed down again and sent him on to his next class.

1. I was surprised how upset he was over that.
2. I was surprised that he did not care at all that all of his peers saw him react like that...he wouldn't even leave the room to go get water and clean his face off when I offered.

The next morning another one of my students comes in before school and asks to speak to me. He said, "I need to apologize for yesterday." I'm racking my brain trying to remember what happened yesterday. He goes on to explain that he had asked someone for the answer to two questions on his quiz. He went back and reworked them and got the right answer, but he said, "I still cheated and I wanted you to know I'm very sorry."

insert speechless teacher...

I could not believe it. I was shocked...adults aren't even that honest. I was so proud and praised him for how highly that spoke of his character.

In other news, the custodian decided it would be a good idea when she was cleaning my desks to peel all of the numbers off that I use to number my desks. It takes me a really long time to number each desk. While I was so grateful that she cleaned my desks, I was also so frustrated that she took all of my numbers off! That is part of how I organize and keep the flow of my classroom organized. She didn't even really have a good excuse for why she did it when I asked about it other than, "Well some of them were already peeling off."

My graphing calculator that I have had and used since I was in 8th grade is dying a slow, painful death. I keep it on my desk and several times lately, I've opened it to turn it on and it won't turn on. It has fresh batteries and usually after a few minutes will come back on for me. I'm really sad about this, y'all! I resisted switching from a "regular," basic calculator to a graphing calculator because I was confident I could do everything I needed to with a basic calculator when I was in 8th grade. But, after 16 years, I don't want to give up my graphing calculator...dramatic, I know, but still...

13.5 days until spring break...