During the camping trip, and even before, a lot of us that teach 7th grade this year noticed that our kids this year seemed, well, a bit young. Maybe even a tad immature. Instead of our usual crop of girls who were 13 going on 33, we had girls that actually acted like a 7th grade girl should act - interested in boys (barely), wearing Hannah Montana t-shirts, and carrying pink binders with Carebear stickers all over them. Our boys, besides being the smallest group I've seen in some time (I am, amazingly enough, still taller than a lot of them and that never happens by May) cry a lot. We have got the most amazing group of criers. It's downright strange. They're nice kids but they seem so, well, young.
And then we started putting together the camping trip and Mrs. Bunny and I think we've figure out why.
Last year, when we took our kids on the same trip, we had not a single phone call from a single parent. Not one. They all sent in the fee for the trip, signed and notarized the permission slip, and dropped their kid off that morning with sleeping bag and luggage in hand. It almost seemed as if they were glad to be rid of them for a weekend. In fact, we had a number of parents thank us for the "weekend off".
This year our phones were ringing off the hook.
We had not one, but two parents call up to ask where they could park their camper and pitch their tents as they figured this would be a fun vacation for the whole family and they were planning on tagging along. (Mrs. Bunny put the kabosh on that by explaining it was a private facility and no, there wasn't a place for them to camp, and yes, they'd probably be considered trespassing.)
I had one parent that called me, and Mrs. Math, to inform us that she had taken the morning off work, even though she really needed the money, so she could be there at the school to wave goodbye to her son and take pictures.
When our bus left on Friday we had at least half a dozen parents standing in the rain in the parking lot waving goodbye, many with cameras. Considering that last year not one parent showed up for the grand departure, this struck us as a bit odd.
Then when we got to the camp and the director told us that he had one of our parents drive all the way out there earlier in the week to "inspect" the camp and make sure it was adequate, we about hit the floor. He informed us that he's never, in all his years there, had a parent do that. The fact that this parent showed up on Saturday to eat lunch with her daughter was really no surprise by this time.
Of course, this parent is a bit, shall we say, over involved. She drives her daughter to school and walks her into the building. She comes back and eats lunch with her daughter. She returns to pick her up, and walks her to her locker to fill her backpack. She's there so often some of our newer staff members thought she worked there. He reasoning, according to Mrs. Eagle who has her daughter on her team, for doing all this is that she doesn't want her daughter exposed to the language and types of discussions the "other" students engage in. Why she doesn't just homeschool her or send her to private school is beyond me, if she's that paranoid.
Mrs. Bunny and I were mulling all this over this week and she mentioned that perhaps the reason why we have such an immature group is that their parents aren't letting them grow up. They're smothering them.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for involved parents because without parental involvement, children just don't do as well in school. However, part of growing up and a big part of seventh grade is developing a little bit of self responsibility. A little independence. Making mistakes and learning from them. And none of this is going to happen unless parents let it happen.
And for some reason I have visions of a lot of these kids living at home in their 40's...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Final Reflections on the 7th Grade Camping Trip
I'm glad we do this.
I'm glad I work with a principal who believes in the importance of doing something like this with our kids. We have so many kids in our rooms with stories that would curl your toes. It's nice to be able to offer some of them a weekend away from whatever troubles them. (And every year I get at least one kid who comments about how they've never seen or eaten so much food in their life - that breaks my heart.) I know this has lasting impact. I had eighth graders changing classes as we herded our kids out to the bus that rainy Friday and they all remarked on how much fun it was last year and wished they could go again. They looked so downcast.
One thing we learned - every group of kids is different. Last year's kids were great, we thought, but this year they were fantastic. They never whined about cleaning up after meals and wiping down the tables and vacuuming. They never whined about getting their dorms cleaned up and they did a fantastic job with very little input from us. They showed up on time, did what we asked of them, and helped each other out. They were great. So great that the staff commented to us how well behaved, respectful and nice they were. We've often commented on what a great group we got this year, and this just proved it.
(On an aside, we've seen and heard about the current crop of sixth graders coming our way. Let's just say, the future looks very, very grim.)
Granted, giving up a weekend to spend with kids that we spend all week with, may not sound like a good deal to some, but it was worth it to us. All it took was the look on a kids face when he or she paddled that canoe for the very first time. Or made it up the wall with the help of his or her teammates for the challenge course. Or the squeal of delight when he or she caught that salamander.
It's sad, but I don't think some of my kids have much of a childhood. It was nice to give them at least one weekend of one.
I'm glad I work with a principal who believes in the importance of doing something like this with our kids. We have so many kids in our rooms with stories that would curl your toes. It's nice to be able to offer some of them a weekend away from whatever troubles them. (And every year I get at least one kid who comments about how they've never seen or eaten so much food in their life - that breaks my heart.) I know this has lasting impact. I had eighth graders changing classes as we herded our kids out to the bus that rainy Friday and they all remarked on how much fun it was last year and wished they could go again. They looked so downcast.
One thing we learned - every group of kids is different. Last year's kids were great, we thought, but this year they were fantastic. They never whined about cleaning up after meals and wiping down the tables and vacuuming. They never whined about getting their dorms cleaned up and they did a fantastic job with very little input from us. They showed up on time, did what we asked of them, and helped each other out. They were great. So great that the staff commented to us how well behaved, respectful and nice they were. We've often commented on what a great group we got this year, and this just proved it.
(On an aside, we've seen and heard about the current crop of sixth graders coming our way. Let's just say, the future looks very, very grim.)
Granted, giving up a weekend to spend with kids that we spend all week with, may not sound like a good deal to some, but it was worth it to us. All it took was the look on a kids face when he or she paddled that canoe for the very first time. Or made it up the wall with the help of his or her teammates for the challenge course. Or the squeal of delight when he or she caught that salamander.
It's sad, but I don't think some of my kids have much of a childhood. It was nice to give them at least one weekend of one.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
How to Take 60 70th Graders Camping and Live to Tell About it Part IV
Sunday, our last day, was another picture perfect day.
After a hearty breakfast - which was, judging from the conversations we overheard - a true highlight of the trip, we gave the kids a choice. They could stay back by the camp and play kickball on the kickball field, or go with the rest of us on a two and a half mile hike.
Now, truth be told, I figured most of these kids would stay behind and do kickball. Two and a half miles sounds real far to a typical 7th grader, and we're talking about the videogame generation. After spending all year looking out at classrooms of pudgy kids with well-developed thumbs, I'm convinced that walking, let alone hiking, is completely foreign to most of them. Hell, dirt is foreign to most of them. So, to say I was surprised when over half of them showed up with water bottles and tennis shoes and sunglasses and hats and tick spray and sunblock...was an understatement.
Mrs. Eagle and I looked at each other. "I didn't think we'd get this many," she said. I agreed.
One of the rangers had given us each a hiking map and outlined a nice hike for us. He did warn us that, due to the weather, they hadn't had time to check and clear the trail and we may encounter things like mud, fallen trees, and the like. We decided to go for it.
After a vigorous session of bug spraying, checking of water bottles, and a quick count of kids, we headed off. We figured it would take us a little over an hour to get the whole bunch around the trail.
We were wrong.
It barely took an hour. These kids, for the most part, didn't hike the trail. They practically ran the trail. We had to actually force them to stop once in a while to hydrate and to get the various groups of them all collected together as they had all stretched out into one long line.
We did encounter a few rough spots. A big tree was down right where two trails forked off of the main trail and it took a little looking to find the white painted spot on the tree that was marking our trail. We also found some slippery and muddy spots, as well as a few really steep and slick hills. However, for the most part it wasn't any hardy than walking through a city park except it was a lot more wooded.
What was refreshing to see were the kids that chose to go on the hike. We had the majority of the girls, including several who I doubt had ever played in dirt before. We also had a lot of the rather pudgy bookish boys who weren't exactly the first kids you'd pick to be on your team for an active game of basketball. (They would be great, however, on a chess team.) They kids did great on what, according to many of them, was their very first hike - ever.
After lunch, a clean up of the cabins, packing, and the arrival of the buses, we loaded everyone up and headed home. As predicted, the ride home was a lot quieter than the ride out. The kids, and most of the adults, were beat. Many of us were coming down with colds. Several had some pretty raw sunburns.
But we had an awesome time.
After a hearty breakfast - which was, judging from the conversations we overheard - a true highlight of the trip, we gave the kids a choice. They could stay back by the camp and play kickball on the kickball field, or go with the rest of us on a two and a half mile hike.
Now, truth be told, I figured most of these kids would stay behind and do kickball. Two and a half miles sounds real far to a typical 7th grader, and we're talking about the videogame generation. After spending all year looking out at classrooms of pudgy kids with well-developed thumbs, I'm convinced that walking, let alone hiking, is completely foreign to most of them. Hell, dirt is foreign to most of them. So, to say I was surprised when over half of them showed up with water bottles and tennis shoes and sunglasses and hats and tick spray and sunblock...was an understatement.
Mrs. Eagle and I looked at each other. "I didn't think we'd get this many," she said. I agreed.
One of the rangers had given us each a hiking map and outlined a nice hike for us. He did warn us that, due to the weather, they hadn't had time to check and clear the trail and we may encounter things like mud, fallen trees, and the like. We decided to go for it.
After a vigorous session of bug spraying, checking of water bottles, and a quick count of kids, we headed off. We figured it would take us a little over an hour to get the whole bunch around the trail.
We were wrong.
It barely took an hour. These kids, for the most part, didn't hike the trail. They practically ran the trail. We had to actually force them to stop once in a while to hydrate and to get the various groups of them all collected together as they had all stretched out into one long line.
We did encounter a few rough spots. A big tree was down right where two trails forked off of the main trail and it took a little looking to find the white painted spot on the tree that was marking our trail. We also found some slippery and muddy spots, as well as a few really steep and slick hills. However, for the most part it wasn't any hardy than walking through a city park except it was a lot more wooded.
What was refreshing to see were the kids that chose to go on the hike. We had the majority of the girls, including several who I doubt had ever played in dirt before. We also had a lot of the rather pudgy bookish boys who weren't exactly the first kids you'd pick to be on your team for an active game of basketball. (They would be great, however, on a chess team.) They kids did great on what, according to many of them, was their very first hike - ever.
After lunch, a clean up of the cabins, packing, and the arrival of the buses, we loaded everyone up and headed home. As predicted, the ride home was a lot quieter than the ride out. The kids, and most of the adults, were beat. Many of us were coming down with colds. Several had some pretty raw sunburns.
But we had an awesome time.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
How to Take 60 7th Graders Camping and Live to Tell About It - Part III
After the storms the night before, Saturday dawned clear and sunny.
The adults heaved exhausted sighs of relief. When the camp staff showed up that morning we heard that some tornadoes did touch down in our town, which caused some concern, until we found out later that they hit in the south part of the county, meaning that all of our families and homes were okay. In the meantimes the kids did whip out their cell phones and wandered around until they got a signal so they could call home and let their folks know they were okay. That in itself was kind of amusing...they'd walk around looking at their phone, screech to a stop, yell, "I've got bars!" and dial before they lost their signal.
Although the weather was wonderful we still were seeing the after-effects of the storms which caused yet another change in plan. Last year the kids had the best time doing the stream study where they got to wade in the stream with nets, catching all sorts of critters, look at fish, splash each other and generally have a ball. I was with the first group that got into the vans and drove to the stream only to discover a truism - three inches of rain can make a stream really dangerous.
Our guide, Erin, had on her hip waders and attempted to get a few feet into the stream while we stood on the bank and looked on. Not good. Even a foot from shore the current was too strong for her to get much footing. Last thing we needed was a kid getting knocked down and swept away, so there wasn't going to be a stream study this year.
What to do? Go to a pond of course.
So off we went to a pond, where the kids had a great time catching salamanders, tadpoles, water scorpions and all sorts of goodies. They were happy with that which is good. Sometimes I think this generation doesn't know how to have fun unless it's digital, so it was refreshing to see them get worked up over a salamander.
After the pond study the group I was in got to do what was clearly the most anticipated activity of the entire weekend - the canoing. I had heard the kids talking about it as soon as we gave them the tentative schedule and they could hardly wait. We didn't do this last year (out of fear, to be honest), but Mrs. Bunny and I figured we had a pretty good crop of kids, and that they could handle it. It was clearly the highlight of the trip for most of these kids. In fact, the big concern with the storms wasn't so much that we might have a tornado, but that we'd cancel the canoe activity.
The canoe instructors were actually two of our own. Mrs. Eagle has years of scouting experience behind her as she and Mr. Eagle did Boy Scouts with their three sons and it wasn't unusual for their family to go up to Montana for hiking and canoe trips. The other instructor was Mr. Math Dude, a very cool eighth grade math teacher who we convinced to come along with us. He also had canoe and scouting experience.
For the record, we have only one male teacher in the entire 7th grade, whereas there are six in the 8th grade. We needed males badly to help chaperon the kids and convinced three of the 8th grade teachers to come with us. We figured it would give them a good look at their future. Of course, that could backfire, but all in all, these guys were troopers.
The kids were just bouncing with excitement as very few of them had ever been in a canoe. We got them (and us) all decked in out life vests, gave them their paddles, spent some time instructing them in steering, and safety and off we went. The idea was to stay close to the shoreline, if possible, as the wind could still move them pretty far out into the lake. In addition, there was a little inlet with a beaver dam we wanted to show the kids.
One thing I learned is that when canoing with kids, you want to be behind them so you can see where they are. They tend to have steering issues and if you aren't careful it ends up like bumper cars on a lake. They aren't the most coordinated bunch and they tend to zig zag a lot, but if you're behind them at least you can avoid most of the danger. And you get to laugh at them as you get to see what a bunch of silly goobers they are.
Our group did pretty well - we only had one canoe tip over and the girls thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever done although they did end up soaking wet. The kids had an absolute blast. They were ready for lunch and a break by the time we took them out, went around the lake a bit, and got them back in. (Mrs. Eagle estimates that she and Mr. Math Dude probably spent six solid hours of paddling that day - they were pretty worn out and wind burned by the end of it.)
Another group, later that day, had a bit more of an amusing story to tell. It seems like two of our girls were doing pretty good until they got going a bit too fast and rammed into shore. It swamped the canoe, and over they went. Mrs. Eagle and Mr. Math Dude got over to assist them, got them back into their canoe, and it tipped again. Okay, this wasn't working. So, Mrs. Eagle took one of them, and Mr. Math Dude took another, and they were going to get them back to shore to dry them off. Only the girl that Mr. Math Dude took managed, somehow, to swamp that canoe and dump the both of them. The fact that she's a star basketball player and softball player made it even more amusing as one would have thought she would be coordinated enough to manage a canoe. Mr. Math Dude was livid (and his cell phone was pretty wet - when asked why he took it out on the lake with him, he responded, "well, I didn't plan on getting wet!"). Poor Tippy Girl is now living in fear that she'll get him for Math next year and he'll fail her simply because she managed to dump him in the lake.
As an aside, the cell phone is now working, Mr. Math Dude is getting teased for his swim, and Tippy Girl is still hoping she gets someone else for math. The fact that Mr. Social Studies had a picture of a swamped canoe on his PowerPoint on Monday morning was a source of much amusement. Tippy Girl is taking is all in stride because, as I told her, "we wouldn't tease you if we didn't love you so much.".
Later that evening we had our traditional bonfire and s'more event which was another huge highlight for these kids. It still just amazes me how many children never have had a s'more before and how few of them have been around a campfire. They loved them. We eventually ran out of chocolate and graham crackers but ended up roasting a lot more marshmallows until we ran out of those as well. The kids ran, played tag, jumped up and down and generally acted silly and goofy. I had a bunch of them that had heard about most ghost stories from the year before so I spent some time telling ghost stories for them.
That evening, despite the sugar fix the s'mores provided, they were pretty worn out. The teachers were as well. A number of us were feeling colds coming on (myself included) and were dragging our tail feathers. It was all I could do to finish telling ghost stories as my throat was giving me fits. We all crashed, after a very long, very fun, and very eventful day.
And Tippy Girl most likely had dreams of a very mad Math teacher.
The adults heaved exhausted sighs of relief. When the camp staff showed up that morning we heard that some tornadoes did touch down in our town, which caused some concern, until we found out later that they hit in the south part of the county, meaning that all of our families and homes were okay. In the meantimes the kids did whip out their cell phones and wandered around until they got a signal so they could call home and let their folks know they were okay. That in itself was kind of amusing...they'd walk around looking at their phone, screech to a stop, yell, "I've got bars!" and dial before they lost their signal.
Although the weather was wonderful we still were seeing the after-effects of the storms which caused yet another change in plan. Last year the kids had the best time doing the stream study where they got to wade in the stream with nets, catching all sorts of critters, look at fish, splash each other and generally have a ball. I was with the first group that got into the vans and drove to the stream only to discover a truism - three inches of rain can make a stream really dangerous.
Our guide, Erin, had on her hip waders and attempted to get a few feet into the stream while we stood on the bank and looked on. Not good. Even a foot from shore the current was too strong for her to get much footing. Last thing we needed was a kid getting knocked down and swept away, so there wasn't going to be a stream study this year.
What to do? Go to a pond of course.
So off we went to a pond, where the kids had a great time catching salamanders, tadpoles, water scorpions and all sorts of goodies. They were happy with that which is good. Sometimes I think this generation doesn't know how to have fun unless it's digital, so it was refreshing to see them get worked up over a salamander.
After the pond study the group I was in got to do what was clearly the most anticipated activity of the entire weekend - the canoing. I had heard the kids talking about it as soon as we gave them the tentative schedule and they could hardly wait. We didn't do this last year (out of fear, to be honest), but Mrs. Bunny and I figured we had a pretty good crop of kids, and that they could handle it. It was clearly the highlight of the trip for most of these kids. In fact, the big concern with the storms wasn't so much that we might have a tornado, but that we'd cancel the canoe activity.
The canoe instructors were actually two of our own. Mrs. Eagle has years of scouting experience behind her as she and Mr. Eagle did Boy Scouts with their three sons and it wasn't unusual for their family to go up to Montana for hiking and canoe trips. The other instructor was Mr. Math Dude, a very cool eighth grade math teacher who we convinced to come along with us. He also had canoe and scouting experience.
For the record, we have only one male teacher in the entire 7th grade, whereas there are six in the 8th grade. We needed males badly to help chaperon the kids and convinced three of the 8th grade teachers to come with us. We figured it would give them a good look at their future. Of course, that could backfire, but all in all, these guys were troopers.
The kids were just bouncing with excitement as very few of them had ever been in a canoe. We got them (and us) all decked in out life vests, gave them their paddles, spent some time instructing them in steering, and safety and off we went. The idea was to stay close to the shoreline, if possible, as the wind could still move them pretty far out into the lake. In addition, there was a little inlet with a beaver dam we wanted to show the kids.
One thing I learned is that when canoing with kids, you want to be behind them so you can see where they are. They tend to have steering issues and if you aren't careful it ends up like bumper cars on a lake. They aren't the most coordinated bunch and they tend to zig zag a lot, but if you're behind them at least you can avoid most of the danger. And you get to laugh at them as you get to see what a bunch of silly goobers they are.
Our group did pretty well - we only had one canoe tip over and the girls thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever done although they did end up soaking wet. The kids had an absolute blast. They were ready for lunch and a break by the time we took them out, went around the lake a bit, and got them back in. (Mrs. Eagle estimates that she and Mr. Math Dude probably spent six solid hours of paddling that day - they were pretty worn out and wind burned by the end of it.)
Another group, later that day, had a bit more of an amusing story to tell. It seems like two of our girls were doing pretty good until they got going a bit too fast and rammed into shore. It swamped the canoe, and over they went. Mrs. Eagle and Mr. Math Dude got over to assist them, got them back into their canoe, and it tipped again. Okay, this wasn't working. So, Mrs. Eagle took one of them, and Mr. Math Dude took another, and they were going to get them back to shore to dry them off. Only the girl that Mr. Math Dude took managed, somehow, to swamp that canoe and dump the both of them. The fact that she's a star basketball player and softball player made it even more amusing as one would have thought she would be coordinated enough to manage a canoe. Mr. Math Dude was livid (and his cell phone was pretty wet - when asked why he took it out on the lake with him, he responded, "well, I didn't plan on getting wet!"). Poor Tippy Girl is now living in fear that she'll get him for Math next year and he'll fail her simply because she managed to dump him in the lake.
As an aside, the cell phone is now working, Mr. Math Dude is getting teased for his swim, and Tippy Girl is still hoping she gets someone else for math. The fact that Mr. Social Studies had a picture of a swamped canoe on his PowerPoint on Monday morning was a source of much amusement. Tippy Girl is taking is all in stride because, as I told her, "we wouldn't tease you if we didn't love you so much.".
Later that evening we had our traditional bonfire and s'more event which was another huge highlight for these kids. It still just amazes me how many children never have had a s'more before and how few of them have been around a campfire. They loved them. We eventually ran out of chocolate and graham crackers but ended up roasting a lot more marshmallows until we ran out of those as well. The kids ran, played tag, jumped up and down and generally acted silly and goofy. I had a bunch of them that had heard about most ghost stories from the year before so I spent some time telling ghost stories for them.
That evening, despite the sugar fix the s'mores provided, they were pretty worn out. The teachers were as well. A number of us were feeling colds coming on (myself included) and were dragging our tail feathers. It was all I could do to finish telling ghost stories as my throat was giving me fits. We all crashed, after a very long, very fun, and very eventful day.
And Tippy Girl most likely had dreams of a very mad Math teacher.
How to Take 60 7th Graders Camping and Live to Tell About it, Part II
When you plan a field trip the one thing you hope for, and the one thing you have no control over, is good weather. Honestly, there's little worse than a bunch of wet and whiny kids (not to mention wet and whiny teachers). As luck would have it, we had three days of outdoor activities planned and the weather was definitely not cooperating.
The first raindrops fell as the buses pulled out of the parking lot. The kids screamed with joy and the adults heaved great sighs and crossed our fingers. The weather reports for Friday were not looking promising, although the rest of the weekend looked good. We all figured if we could make it through Friday, we'd be okay.
As luck would have it, the storms would race through, we'd have a window of time with no rain, and then another series of storms would go through. It was soggy, it was gray, but the kids didn't seem to care. When we got to the camp we managed to have a break in the weather long enough to get the buses unloaded and the kids moved into the dorms.
The idea this weekend was to get the kids broken down into five groups and rotate through a series of activities - canoeing, orienteering, a stream study, and some challenge courses. Friday was also to include a night hike where we would take the kids out on a hike without flashlights. It sounds crazy, but the kids love it and by the end of the hike they realize how easy it is to navigate in the dark once your eyes get used to it.
Obviously we had to toss all our plans aside as the weather wasn't going to cooperate at all. First off, it was so windy there was no way we were going to get anyone out on the lake, and the series of storms heading our way looked to be fairly large. We did manage to get them outside for some basketball and tag before supper (which they devoured - the food here is good), and then the rangers put together an activity on bats which involved a lot of moving around on the part of the kids. Bless their hearts for coming up with a tag game where some kids played trees, others were moths, and still others were blindfolded and played bats. They had to find their moths by listening (a skill most 7th graders haven't mastered yet) to the trees and moths who had to yell out "tree!" and "moth" as the bat got close. It was hilarious and it was great fun. These kids may be jaded 13 year olds, but they enjoy a good game of tag when given the opportunity.
Afterwards Mrs. Bunny and I did some consultation with the camp director who showed us the computer so we could watch the National Weather Service for warnings as these storms had already caused some damage out West. (I also had a mother send along a weather radio, complete with alarm). We were given a key to the lower dorms which were unoccupied and told that if a tornado warning did get issued to hustle everyone down there and into the bathrooms. We were crossing our fingers that most of the really bad stuff would head south of us and we'd just get some good thunderstorms out of it, but you never know in this part of the country.
Mrs. Bunny looks at me and says, "Freaking figures we'd be out here and they'd have a stupid tornado."
I agreed. That's just our luck. I could only imagine what some of the parents were thinking, let alone The Principal who was probably worried sick as well.
Fortunately, while the adults were worrying about a possible tornado, the kids were just having the time of their lives. They had worked out shower schedules, were playing charades, and cards, and just having a great time. Luckily none of them seemed to be frightened over thunder and lightning (or at least not enough to show in front of all their peers), so we didn't get any fussing about that. Around midnight we finally got everyone settled, calmed down, and quiet and we all drifted asleep to the sound of thunder rumbling across the lake and the flash of lightning.
Now if only Saturday would be clear and sunny...
The first raindrops fell as the buses pulled out of the parking lot. The kids screamed with joy and the adults heaved great sighs and crossed our fingers. The weather reports for Friday were not looking promising, although the rest of the weekend looked good. We all figured if we could make it through Friday, we'd be okay.
As luck would have it, the storms would race through, we'd have a window of time with no rain, and then another series of storms would go through. It was soggy, it was gray, but the kids didn't seem to care. When we got to the camp we managed to have a break in the weather long enough to get the buses unloaded and the kids moved into the dorms.
The idea this weekend was to get the kids broken down into five groups and rotate through a series of activities - canoeing, orienteering, a stream study, and some challenge courses. Friday was also to include a night hike where we would take the kids out on a hike without flashlights. It sounds crazy, but the kids love it and by the end of the hike they realize how easy it is to navigate in the dark once your eyes get used to it.
Obviously we had to toss all our plans aside as the weather wasn't going to cooperate at all. First off, it was so windy there was no way we were going to get anyone out on the lake, and the series of storms heading our way looked to be fairly large. We did manage to get them outside for some basketball and tag before supper (which they devoured - the food here is good), and then the rangers put together an activity on bats which involved a lot of moving around on the part of the kids. Bless their hearts for coming up with a tag game where some kids played trees, others were moths, and still others were blindfolded and played bats. They had to find their moths by listening (a skill most 7th graders haven't mastered yet) to the trees and moths who had to yell out "tree!" and "moth" as the bat got close. It was hilarious and it was great fun. These kids may be jaded 13 year olds, but they enjoy a good game of tag when given the opportunity.
Afterwards Mrs. Bunny and I did some consultation with the camp director who showed us the computer so we could watch the National Weather Service for warnings as these storms had already caused some damage out West. (I also had a mother send along a weather radio, complete with alarm). We were given a key to the lower dorms which were unoccupied and told that if a tornado warning did get issued to hustle everyone down there and into the bathrooms. We were crossing our fingers that most of the really bad stuff would head south of us and we'd just get some good thunderstorms out of it, but you never know in this part of the country.
Mrs. Bunny looks at me and says, "Freaking figures we'd be out here and they'd have a stupid tornado."
I agreed. That's just our luck. I could only imagine what some of the parents were thinking, let alone The Principal who was probably worried sick as well.
Fortunately, while the adults were worrying about a possible tornado, the kids were just having the time of their lives. They had worked out shower schedules, were playing charades, and cards, and just having a great time. Luckily none of them seemed to be frightened over thunder and lightning (or at least not enough to show in front of all their peers), so we didn't get any fussing about that. Around midnight we finally got everyone settled, calmed down, and quiet and we all drifted asleep to the sound of thunder rumbling across the lake and the flash of lightning.
Now if only Saturday would be clear and sunny...
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
How to Take 60 7th Graders Camping and Live to Tell About It - Part 1
This past weekend was The Great 7th Grade Camping Trip.
This one of the reasons why I haven't posted much. I'm trying to recover. And considering that I managed to catch a rotten spring cold along the way, that's another reason I haven't posted. I'm tired, I have a head full of snot, and my voice is gone. All I want to do is sleep.
Anyway. Enough of my whining.
The Great 7th Grade Camping Trip began last year, and was the brainchild of a few of us who thought it would be a great experience for some of our kids. We teach in a low-income building with a lot kids who have some pretty miserable stories. Many of them have never been away from home, never been in the woods, never sat around a campfire. Mrs. Eagle and I, in particular, have been reading a book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv, and we've come to believe that this generation of kids we're teaching needs to get off their butts and get outside a lot more.
Now this camp isn't exactly rustic. It has dorms, and showers, and flush toilets, and an activity building, and a darn good cafeteria-style eating commons. However, it does sit in the woods, on a lake, and there's hiking trails and birds and deer and it has spotty cell phone service. The spotty cell phone service is what freaked these kids out the most.
Last year it was only our team that went. However, with Mrs. Bunny getting moved over to another team to become team leader, and with Mrs. Eagle as team leader for the other 7th grade team, we decided to open it up to the entire 7th grade. The idea was that each team would select a group of kids and we'd go as a grade level. We ended up with a total of 61 kids which is nearly twice what we had last year.
Like last year we had the kids write an essay about why they wanted to go and why they, better yet, deserved to go. We actually had quite a few kids write about why they didn't want to go. Little League commitments, money issues at home, the inability to live without video games for an entire weekend, and just kids who freaked out at the idea of getting dirty were some of the reasons why some of our kids opted out. However, for the ones who wanted to go, the reasons were pretty, well, sad. Quite a few of our kids come from broken homes and wrote about how tough things were now that Dad and Mom had split up and how they'd like a weekend away from all that. A few wrote about how much they missed their deployed parent and would like to get away for a while. Some wanted to go because they'd never had a s'more. A few wanted to get away from babysitting their siblings for just one weekend.
We knew that money would be an issue and wanted to make it as inexpensive as possible. The seventh grade hosted a dance to raise money and managed to get the cost down to about $70 per kid. The student council paid "scholarships" for a couple, a few teachers sponsored a few other kids, the chess club paid for another, and the Jr. Civitan club sponsored another.
Permission slips were signed and notarized. Fees were paid. Bug spray purchased. Bags packed. Lunches ordered for Friday. The buses and the bus drivers were lined up. Everything was in order.
And then the weather reported severe thunderstorms with the possibility of damaging winds, and yes, tornadoes...
Stay tuned...
This one of the reasons why I haven't posted much. I'm trying to recover. And considering that I managed to catch a rotten spring cold along the way, that's another reason I haven't posted. I'm tired, I have a head full of snot, and my voice is gone. All I want to do is sleep.
Anyway. Enough of my whining.
The Great 7th Grade Camping Trip began last year, and was the brainchild of a few of us who thought it would be a great experience for some of our kids. We teach in a low-income building with a lot kids who have some pretty miserable stories. Many of them have never been away from home, never been in the woods, never sat around a campfire. Mrs. Eagle and I, in particular, have been reading a book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv, and we've come to believe that this generation of kids we're teaching needs to get off their butts and get outside a lot more.
Now this camp isn't exactly rustic. It has dorms, and showers, and flush toilets, and an activity building, and a darn good cafeteria-style eating commons. However, it does sit in the woods, on a lake, and there's hiking trails and birds and deer and it has spotty cell phone service. The spotty cell phone service is what freaked these kids out the most.
Last year it was only our team that went. However, with Mrs. Bunny getting moved over to another team to become team leader, and with Mrs. Eagle as team leader for the other 7th grade team, we decided to open it up to the entire 7th grade. The idea was that each team would select a group of kids and we'd go as a grade level. We ended up with a total of 61 kids which is nearly twice what we had last year.
Like last year we had the kids write an essay about why they wanted to go and why they, better yet, deserved to go. We actually had quite a few kids write about why they didn't want to go. Little League commitments, money issues at home, the inability to live without video games for an entire weekend, and just kids who freaked out at the idea of getting dirty were some of the reasons why some of our kids opted out. However, for the ones who wanted to go, the reasons were pretty, well, sad. Quite a few of our kids come from broken homes and wrote about how tough things were now that Dad and Mom had split up and how they'd like a weekend away from all that. A few wrote about how much they missed their deployed parent and would like to get away for a while. Some wanted to go because they'd never had a s'more. A few wanted to get away from babysitting their siblings for just one weekend.
We knew that money would be an issue and wanted to make it as inexpensive as possible. The seventh grade hosted a dance to raise money and managed to get the cost down to about $70 per kid. The student council paid "scholarships" for a couple, a few teachers sponsored a few other kids, the chess club paid for another, and the Jr. Civitan club sponsored another.
Permission slips were signed and notarized. Fees were paid. Bug spray purchased. Bags packed. Lunches ordered for Friday. The buses and the bus drivers were lined up. Everything was in order.
And then the weather reported severe thunderstorms with the possibility of damaging winds, and yes, tornadoes...
Stay tuned...
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Road Trip to the Carnival!
The Science Goddess is at it again - it's a road trip to the Education Carnival! Hope on to the big yellow bus (it better be big what with all of us riding it!) and let's go!!!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Pout Boy Gets His Comeuppance
Pout Boy has been, quite honestly, a royal pain in the butt all year. Pout Boy hasn't had a locker since November since he refuses to bring his books to class. He'll come in, tardy, make a big production of it, and throw himself in his seat. He's earned himself a visit to "isolation island" in every class because he can't shut up. He thinks he's amusing cracking jokes and making comments and yelling at his friends across the room. When I moved him to an even more isolated corner so he couldn't be a pest to everyone else in the room, his comment was that "I'm funny and I'm keeping them entertained.".
Right.
Forget calling/emailing the parents. They don't want to hear it, won't answer phone calls, and most likely delete all the emails. He's been banned from the nurse's office as he found a reason to go there nearly once a day and did nothing but sit around and crack jokes and use it as an excuse to get out of class. He's spent quite a bit of time in In-School-Suspension and he's been suspended a few times as well. He begged and begged and begged to get into after-school tutoring. We found him a slot, put him in, and his behavior got him kicked out within weeks. The tragedy of it is that he can be, when he puts his mind to it (which is rare) a good student. He can do the work. However, if something irritates him, if he gets yelled at by a teacher or other adult (which is frequent), he'll put his head down and pout and stomp around like a baby.
He really does think he's too cool for school. He's hip, he's happening, he's the coolest guy on the team.
Or so he thought.
Mrs. Language this week has started the kids in on a mythology project and they're having to work in groups. And for the final project of the year she decided to let the kids chose their own groups. On Monday she let her students roam around the room a bit and get their groups organized.
Pout Boy went to one group and they said no.
He went to another and they turned him down.
A third said "no way!"
A fourth shook their heads no before he got to their desks.
A fifth said they didn't want him because they knew they'd end up doing the work themselves.
A sixth and final group said they'd rather not because he's just too difficult to work with.
Crash and burn, baby!
Pout Boy, after hitting up each and every single group in the class, hoping for someone, anyone, to work with, came up empty.
He stomped over to his desk, whined at Mrs. Language that everyone was being mean, and put his head down and pouted the rest of the period.
There's a life lesson in there for Pout Boy, should he chose to see it. Will he? Who knows?
However, I'm a bit tickled to see that the other kids in the class have at least learned that having someone on your team who won't work is not a good thing. It's not all about having your pals with you and having a good time. It's about picking a group that can work together and get the job done with everyone doing their job. They just figured out that Pout Boy wasn't going to be an asset to their group and turned him down. They've been in class with him all year. They know what he's like. And they aren't laughing now.
Right.
Forget calling/emailing the parents. They don't want to hear it, won't answer phone calls, and most likely delete all the emails. He's been banned from the nurse's office as he found a reason to go there nearly once a day and did nothing but sit around and crack jokes and use it as an excuse to get out of class. He's spent quite a bit of time in In-School-Suspension and he's been suspended a few times as well. He begged and begged and begged to get into after-school tutoring. We found him a slot, put him in, and his behavior got him kicked out within weeks. The tragedy of it is that he can be, when he puts his mind to it (which is rare) a good student. He can do the work. However, if something irritates him, if he gets yelled at by a teacher or other adult (which is frequent), he'll put his head down and pout and stomp around like a baby.
He really does think he's too cool for school. He's hip, he's happening, he's the coolest guy on the team.
Or so he thought.
Mrs. Language this week has started the kids in on a mythology project and they're having to work in groups. And for the final project of the year she decided to let the kids chose their own groups. On Monday she let her students roam around the room a bit and get their groups organized.
Pout Boy went to one group and they said no.
He went to another and they turned him down.
A third said "no way!"
A fourth shook their heads no before he got to their desks.
A fifth said they didn't want him because they knew they'd end up doing the work themselves.
A sixth and final group said they'd rather not because he's just too difficult to work with.
Crash and burn, baby!
Pout Boy, after hitting up each and every single group in the class, hoping for someone, anyone, to work with, came up empty.
He stomped over to his desk, whined at Mrs. Language that everyone was being mean, and put his head down and pouted the rest of the period.
There's a life lesson in there for Pout Boy, should he chose to see it. Will he? Who knows?
However, I'm a bit tickled to see that the other kids in the class have at least learned that having someone on your team who won't work is not a good thing. It's not all about having your pals with you and having a good time. It's about picking a group that can work together and get the job done with everyone doing their job. They just figured out that Pout Boy wasn't going to be an asset to their group and turned him down. They've been in class with him all year. They know what he's like. And they aren't laughing now.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tag! I'm it! (According to Mr. Teacher)
Mr. Teacher, a math teacher in Texas who teaches - shudder - elementary math, tagged me for a meme...and since I happen to have the utmost respect for anyone who deals with elementary students (namely because my few years of subbing convinced me that I can't), I'll be a good sport and play the game.
Ice cream, almost any type of nut, dark chocolate, chips and salsa. However, since I've managed to lose about 25 lbs this year I'll have to stick with a small amount of nuts and fat free popcorn.
4. Give a lot of money to historical preservation organizations and the State Museum.
2. Leesa has some of the most interesting things to write about and I love her dogs. I also like her use of technology. I think she and I could drink margaritas and have a great time together.
5. NYCeducator just amazes me. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to teach not only in an urban area, but in THE urban area of NYC. Again, it's a different world, and he always opens my eyes to things I've never encountered or thought of.
6. Darren is the sort of guy I'd love to have over for a beer and a BBQ, knowing full well that he, Mr. Bluebird and I would just have a ball talking politics and education and who knows what else. He rocks.
That's it folks! Enjoy
Here's the rules:
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.
So let the fun begin!!
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living in Ohio, working in a dead-in job in a manufacturing company where the only way you got promoted was if members of your family were on the payroll a hundred years ago when the company was founded. I saw the writing on the wall (and could spot poor management a mile away and knew trouble when I saw it) so I chucked it all, took out a fortune in student loans and went back to school to become a teacher. I already had my BS in business so it only took another two and a half years to get that taken care of.2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Help hubby with a PowerPoint presentation he needs to present this week. Please note he has never made a PowerPoint before in his life. What's that about old dogs and new tricks?
2. Knit a bit on the lace sock I'm working on. Or the sweater. Or the lace wrap. Or something.
3. Watch the Stanley Cup playoffs. I love this time of year.
4.Make lunches for both Mr. Bluebird and I.
5.Read a bit more in Sense and Sensibility and Stiff. I never read just one book at a time.
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Ice cream, almost any type of nut, dark chocolate, chips and salsa. However, since I've managed to lose about 25 lbs this year I'll have to stick with a small amount of nuts and fat free popcorn.
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Stop worrying about money forever.
2.Build a hockey rink so kids in my town have one to skate on and don't have to drive over an hour.
3.Buy a winery.
4. Give a lot of money to historical preservation organizations and the State Museum.
5) Three of my bad habits:
1. Snacking when I'm not really hungry.
2. Being really, really sarcastic.
3. Being very impatient with adults (but for some reason, not with kids).
6) 5 places I have lived:
1. Denver, Colorado
2. Torrance, California
3. Diamond Bar, California
4. Celina, Ohio
5. Clarksville, TN
7) 5 jobs I have had:
1.Worked in a donut shop.
2.Executive secretary for a national car rental agency.
3.Property manager for a marina and apartment complex.
4.Substitute teacher.
5.Middle School science teacher.
8) 6 peeps I wanna know more about:
1. Mrs. Cornelius - she's written some posts that left me in tears and others that absolutely left me laughing so hard I could scarcely breathe. There was one a few years ago where she mentioned parents enrolling their kids and using the UPS store as an address that nearly killed me. She also has good taste in music.2. Leesa has some of the most interesting things to write about and I love her dogs. I also like her use of technology. I think she and I could drink margaritas and have a great time together.
3. Missteacha is another teacher I enjoy (egads, her cheer saga nearly gave me hives) and I'm fascinated with folks that teach in urban schools. It's a different world.
4. Mrs. T. just rocks. I get antsy when she doesn't post for a while and love hearing about what it's like teaching a foreign language. I can't wait to hear about Spain.
5. NYCeducator just amazes me. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to teach not only in an urban area, but in THE urban area of NYC. Again, it's a different world, and he always opens my eyes to things I've never encountered or thought of.
6. Darren is the sort of guy I'd love to have over for a beer and a BBQ, knowing full well that he, Mr. Bluebird and I would just have a ball talking politics and education and who knows what else. He rocks.
That's it folks! Enjoy
Friday, April 25, 2008
A Screamingly Good Time, Or How To Survive Field Day
As a rule, the teachers in the 7th grade look upon field day with dread. If it can go wrong, it most likely will.
Rain delays, for example, are torture. There is nothing quite like having 300 plus kids all ready for field day, hyped up and wound tight, only to have it postponed due to rain. No matter how fun and exciting your lessons are that day, they don't measure up to any potential field day, and the disappointment is palpable.
Field day is also a day where even the good kids can lose total control, start fights, or do something equally stupid. Last year's was one of the worst in recent memory, and any memories of good field days we had in previous years were nearly obliterated by this one. Nothing like freezing weather, injuries, flood and fights to make a miserable day.
So it was with apprehension that we approached this day.
And the volleyball tournament went off great. The kids screamed, yelled, but never got rowdy or out of control.
We went out to the kickball field and discovered that it was a picture perfect day. Blue sky, fluffy clouds, a nice breeze and temperatures, by the end of the day, in the low 80's. The kids ran around, bought snow cones, played kickball and had a ton of fun. Mr. Social Studies and I kept an eye on Angry Boy who has returned to us from a three month stint in a residential mental health facility and was a bit of a concern. He does not do well in unstructured environments (gym class was a nightmare with this kid), and we were waiting for his melt-down and subsequent visit to guidance. Amazingly enough, he survived the entire day without having a single melt-down or issue, truly something to be proud of.
Lunch went off without a hitch, and even going back to the homerooms to cool down and relax while one of the other 7th grade teams had their turn at lunch went well. We did have one issue with Angry Girl (is it me, or did we get every kid in the school diagnosed as bipolar this year?) when she went off on some girl from another team in the bathroom. Two of our girls came and got me, I had Mr. Social Studies watch my room, and caught Angry Girl as she was being escorted out of the bathroom by Mrs. Chicken. We had the kids do statements, I plopped her in guidance, and that was it.
By this time we're all looking at each other going, "This is weird but we've only had the one blow-up with Angry Girl and that's it? When is the other show going to drop?"
We finished kickball, and got the kids out to the playing field for the other events, things like sack races, tug of war, three legged race, and so forth. This is usually the part of the day that drives us crazy because trying to get the kids organized into the events they signed up for earlier in the week is like herding cats. They wander around, go get free hot dogs from the PTO, buy more candy bars, and generally are as elusive as mist when you really need them. We worked out a system where we started herding the teams together an event ahead of time. If someone couldn't be found, we grabbed a kid and stuck him or her on the team.
It worked great. In fact, it was so great that the P. E. Department was looking at us with their jaws hanging open. We finished field day a good 45 minutes early, mainly because we got the kids where they needed to be when they needed to be. They kept gushing over how cool it was that they didn't have to waste time rounding up kids. We broke the record for the fastest field day ever. (Maybe the fact we didn't have to waste time with fights helped as well.)
However, we didn't want to take them into the building and have them sit 45 minutes in our classrooms. That would have been nightmarish.
So we got 100 kids up on their feet and Mrs. Language lead them all in a rousing game of Simon Says.
And we all had a very good, very nice day.
Oh, we didn't win this year again. But we did come in second with 15 points. That was nice.
Rain delays, for example, are torture. There is nothing quite like having 300 plus kids all ready for field day, hyped up and wound tight, only to have it postponed due to rain. No matter how fun and exciting your lessons are that day, they don't measure up to any potential field day, and the disappointment is palpable.
Field day is also a day where even the good kids can lose total control, start fights, or do something equally stupid. Last year's was one of the worst in recent memory, and any memories of good field days we had in previous years were nearly obliterated by this one. Nothing like freezing weather, injuries, flood and fights to make a miserable day.
So it was with apprehension that we approached this day.
And the volleyball tournament went off great. The kids screamed, yelled, but never got rowdy or out of control.
We went out to the kickball field and discovered that it was a picture perfect day. Blue sky, fluffy clouds, a nice breeze and temperatures, by the end of the day, in the low 80's. The kids ran around, bought snow cones, played kickball and had a ton of fun. Mr. Social Studies and I kept an eye on Angry Boy who has returned to us from a three month stint in a residential mental health facility and was a bit of a concern. He does not do well in unstructured environments (gym class was a nightmare with this kid), and we were waiting for his melt-down and subsequent visit to guidance. Amazingly enough, he survived the entire day without having a single melt-down or issue, truly something to be proud of.
Lunch went off without a hitch, and even going back to the homerooms to cool down and relax while one of the other 7th grade teams had their turn at lunch went well. We did have one issue with Angry Girl (is it me, or did we get every kid in the school diagnosed as bipolar this year?) when she went off on some girl from another team in the bathroom. Two of our girls came and got me, I had Mr. Social Studies watch my room, and caught Angry Girl as she was being escorted out of the bathroom by Mrs. Chicken. We had the kids do statements, I plopped her in guidance, and that was it.
By this time we're all looking at each other going, "This is weird but we've only had the one blow-up with Angry Girl and that's it? When is the other show going to drop?"
We finished kickball, and got the kids out to the playing field for the other events, things like sack races, tug of war, three legged race, and so forth. This is usually the part of the day that drives us crazy because trying to get the kids organized into the events they signed up for earlier in the week is like herding cats. They wander around, go get free hot dogs from the PTO, buy more candy bars, and generally are as elusive as mist when you really need them. We worked out a system where we started herding the teams together an event ahead of time. If someone couldn't be found, we grabbed a kid and stuck him or her on the team.
It worked great. In fact, it was so great that the P. E. Department was looking at us with their jaws hanging open. We finished field day a good 45 minutes early, mainly because we got the kids where they needed to be when they needed to be. They kept gushing over how cool it was that they didn't have to waste time rounding up kids. We broke the record for the fastest field day ever. (Maybe the fact we didn't have to waste time with fights helped as well.)
However, we didn't want to take them into the building and have them sit 45 minutes in our classrooms. That would have been nightmarish.
So we got 100 kids up on their feet and Mrs. Language lead them all in a rousing game of Simon Says.
And we all had a very good, very nice day.
Oh, we didn't win this year again. But we did come in second with 15 points. That was nice.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A Formula for Insanity
What do you get when you take four Days of High Stakes Testing, add in a bunch of 11, 12 and 13 year olds, plus a very unusual Earthquake, lots of sugar, and the first really nice, sunny day for months?
Insanity.
Friday morning at breakfast with Mrs. Eagle we discussed tossing our lesson plans out the window. First off, we wanted to discuss the morning's earthquake with the kids because they'll be learning about them next year and it never hurt to give them a leg up. Besides, it could lead to a great class discussion and I could toss in some of my experiences growing up in Los Angeles. It's my belief that we don't talk enough about earthquakes and earthquake prepardness here in The South, and we've got the New Madrid Fault just a few hours away.
Secondly, we took one look at the weather report and decided to take the kids outside. They did great keeping quiet and still during our Very Big Deal State Mandated Tests, which is a lot to ask of a 7th grader. Heck, it's a lot to ask of anyone, quite frankly. These kids are used to getting up and moving every 45 minutes when classes change (more often in my room as I tend to have them move around a bit), and this week they pretty much had to stay quiet and still from 7:30 to 10:00 am. Mrs. Eagle and I are both huge believers that middle schoolers need to be outside more and need to blow off some steam. We decided to take advantage of the good weather and take them outside.
This worked great for three periods. Our two classes combined, played frisbee, tossed around some footballs, kicked a soccer ball, and drew with colored chalk all over the road. (I may add that we don't really have a playground or anything to put the kids on - we take them outside of Mrs. Eagles room which consists of some grassy areas, but mainly parking lot and a driveway going around the school to another parking lot area.) It was great. The kids loved it, we loved it, it was wonderful.
Until some morons in fourth period decided to have a fight. Mrs. Eagle and I spotted it starting and ran over and broke it up fairly quickly. It was between two of her kids, and four of mine helped break it up by pulling the boys off of each other. She marched them off to the office, while I marched all of the rest into her room and made them cool their jets and write witness statements if they saw anything. Great.
Fifth period rolls around and we decide to take them out again because they shouldn't pay a penalty because fourth period had some idiots in it. No problem with this group (of course, I think we both scared the hell out of them regarding behavior requirements before we left the classroom). Later Mrs. Eagle and I both had to talk with Mrs. Squirrel who was working the referrals as the two boys who were tangling said that when my kids pulled them apart they started beating them up - something, quite honestly, neither of us saw.
What bothered Mrs. Squirrel, Mrs. Eagle, and myself was that we all firmly believe that these kids need to get outside, need to blow off steam, need to breathe fresh air, run across grass, and stare at clouds if that's what floats their boat. However, these kids may have ruined it for everyone due to their behavior. I certainly hope not.
In the meantime, The School had a huge reward for all the students who were on time and present for every day of testing. They had a choice of a concert by a local country artist in the gym, a movie (Alvin and the Chipmunks) in the theater, and concessions in the cafeteria. All teachers were expected to help monitor and keep the kids in line, which meant no planning for the seventh grade. It also meant trying to maintain chaos with over 1000 kids who had been cooped up all week. I'm surprised we didn't have a fight or two in the concession line.
The best part was that we got the kids all hyped up on cotton candy, soft drinks, and other junk food and then put them on the buses to go home. Oh yeah, the other best part was the rumor going through school all morning that the movie was going to be The 300. Yeah, like that's going to happen. Middle Schoolers can be so gulible
The worst part was that the time dragged on and on and on. You can bet that when the last bus rolled down the street, and the last walker had left the building, we were ready to go home.
It was definitely a two-glass of wine night.
Insanity.
Friday morning at breakfast with Mrs. Eagle we discussed tossing our lesson plans out the window. First off, we wanted to discuss the morning's earthquake with the kids because they'll be learning about them next year and it never hurt to give them a leg up. Besides, it could lead to a great class discussion and I could toss in some of my experiences growing up in Los Angeles. It's my belief that we don't talk enough about earthquakes and earthquake prepardness here in The South, and we've got the New Madrid Fault just a few hours away.
Secondly, we took one look at the weather report and decided to take the kids outside. They did great keeping quiet and still during our Very Big Deal State Mandated Tests, which is a lot to ask of a 7th grader. Heck, it's a lot to ask of anyone, quite frankly. These kids are used to getting up and moving every 45 minutes when classes change (more often in my room as I tend to have them move around a bit), and this week they pretty much had to stay quiet and still from 7:30 to 10:00 am. Mrs. Eagle and I are both huge believers that middle schoolers need to be outside more and need to blow off some steam. We decided to take advantage of the good weather and take them outside.
This worked great for three periods. Our two classes combined, played frisbee, tossed around some footballs, kicked a soccer ball, and drew with colored chalk all over the road. (I may add that we don't really have a playground or anything to put the kids on - we take them outside of Mrs. Eagles room which consists of some grassy areas, but mainly parking lot and a driveway going around the school to another parking lot area.) It was great. The kids loved it, we loved it, it was wonderful.
Until some morons in fourth period decided to have a fight. Mrs. Eagle and I spotted it starting and ran over and broke it up fairly quickly. It was between two of her kids, and four of mine helped break it up by pulling the boys off of each other. She marched them off to the office, while I marched all of the rest into her room and made them cool their jets and write witness statements if they saw anything. Great.
Fifth period rolls around and we decide to take them out again because they shouldn't pay a penalty because fourth period had some idiots in it. No problem with this group (of course, I think we both scared the hell out of them regarding behavior requirements before we left the classroom). Later Mrs. Eagle and I both had to talk with Mrs. Squirrel who was working the referrals as the two boys who were tangling said that when my kids pulled them apart they started beating them up - something, quite honestly, neither of us saw.
What bothered Mrs. Squirrel, Mrs. Eagle, and myself was that we all firmly believe that these kids need to get outside, need to blow off steam, need to breathe fresh air, run across grass, and stare at clouds if that's what floats their boat. However, these kids may have ruined it for everyone due to their behavior. I certainly hope not.
In the meantime, The School had a huge reward for all the students who were on time and present for every day of testing. They had a choice of a concert by a local country artist in the gym, a movie (Alvin and the Chipmunks) in the theater, and concessions in the cafeteria. All teachers were expected to help monitor and keep the kids in line, which meant no planning for the seventh grade. It also meant trying to maintain chaos with over 1000 kids who had been cooped up all week. I'm surprised we didn't have a fight or two in the concession line.
The best part was that we got the kids all hyped up on cotton candy, soft drinks, and other junk food and then put them on the buses to go home. Oh yeah, the other best part was the rumor going through school all morning that the movie was going to be The 300. Yeah, like that's going to happen. Middle Schoolers can be so gulible
The worst part was that the time dragged on and on and on. You can bet that when the last bus rolled down the street, and the last walker had left the building, we were ready to go home.
It was definitely a two-glass of wine night.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Shake, Rattle and Roll!
Holy Crap.
4:36 am and I am awakened, as usual, by the feline alarm clocks known as Morgan and Duke. A couple of seconds later we have an earthquake.
An earthquake! In Tennessee!!
I grew up and spent 30 years in Los Angeles, so believe me, I know earthquakes. And this was definitely an earthquake.
And although I know the New Madrid fault is nearby, the last thing I was expecting this morning was a quake.
There's a teachable moment in here somewhere. Time to whip out one of my favorite books, "A Crack In the Edge of the World" by Simon Winchester, and toss today's lesson out the door and pull one together on quakes.
Gosh, I hate earthquakes, but I love teachable moments.
4:36 am and I am awakened, as usual, by the feline alarm clocks known as Morgan and Duke. A couple of seconds later we have an earthquake.
An earthquake! In Tennessee!!
I grew up and spent 30 years in Los Angeles, so believe me, I know earthquakes. And this was definitely an earthquake.
And although I know the New Madrid fault is nearby, the last thing I was expecting this morning was a quake.
There's a teachable moment in here somewhere. Time to whip out one of my favorite books, "A Crack In the Edge of the World" by Simon Winchester, and toss today's lesson out the door and pull one together on quakes.
Gosh, I hate earthquakes, but I love teachable moments.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Fat Lady Isn't Singin' kiddos!
Today we finished the last, the very last, part of the Really Big Deal State Mandated Tests.
It has been a long, dreadfully dull, week. The kids, for the most part, did great when it came to being quiet, bringing in their #2 pencils, and remembering their calculators for the math section. Granted, the last five minutes you could see them start twitching and wiggling a bit, but honestly, I'd be doing the same if I was in their shoes. Asking a bunch of 13 year olds to sit quietly for nearly three hours is asking a lot.
Of course, Pout Boy had to act like an idiot in Mr. Social Studies' class which I suppose is to be expected. He decided when he finished his test that he was going to lay down on the floor and take a nap. Not a smart move on his part. Mr. Social Studies got him back in his seat without a major disruption (thank goodness since he was one of the first done, having simply breezed through the reading and language arts test without doing any reading and simply coloring in bubbles). However, Mr. Social Studies was worried as he could be disruptive to the point where we'd have a serious "test irregularity" to report to the State. Mr. Enforcer was told and he yanked Pout Boy in, rattled his cage, and today he was forced to cool his jets in guidance all morning then take the test in a small group setting with the kids who had been absent, along with his own personal baby sitter to make sure he didn't act like an idiot again. He won't be attending the reward party either which will also make him angry and cause, yet again, one of his pouting scenes.
One of the unfortunate side effects of taking the Really Big Deal State Mandated Test so freaking' early in the year (hello, would May have killed anyone?) is that the kids think they are done with school and that the remainder of the year is play time.
Think again.
I spent most of today reminding them of this fact, and reinforcing it with three behavior notes for students who could not stop talking to save their lives. Of course, these three were from my Fifth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself (remember, the class with a 69% average). I requested another student desk as I have run out of "isolation island" desks for this crew (including Pout Boy who is incapable of sitting anywhere near anyone else).
We still have five weeks left, and those five weeks can be make or break for some of these kids. Hopefully they'll figure this out.
But I won't bet on it.
It has been a long, dreadfully dull, week. The kids, for the most part, did great when it came to being quiet, bringing in their #2 pencils, and remembering their calculators for the math section. Granted, the last five minutes you could see them start twitching and wiggling a bit, but honestly, I'd be doing the same if I was in their shoes. Asking a bunch of 13 year olds to sit quietly for nearly three hours is asking a lot.
Of course, Pout Boy had to act like an idiot in Mr. Social Studies' class which I suppose is to be expected. He decided when he finished his test that he was going to lay down on the floor and take a nap. Not a smart move on his part. Mr. Social Studies got him back in his seat without a major disruption (thank goodness since he was one of the first done, having simply breezed through the reading and language arts test without doing any reading and simply coloring in bubbles). However, Mr. Social Studies was worried as he could be disruptive to the point where we'd have a serious "test irregularity" to report to the State. Mr. Enforcer was told and he yanked Pout Boy in, rattled his cage, and today he was forced to cool his jets in guidance all morning then take the test in a small group setting with the kids who had been absent, along with his own personal baby sitter to make sure he didn't act like an idiot again. He won't be attending the reward party either which will also make him angry and cause, yet again, one of his pouting scenes.
One of the unfortunate side effects of taking the Really Big Deal State Mandated Test so freaking' early in the year (hello, would May have killed anyone?) is that the kids think they are done with school and that the remainder of the year is play time.
Think again.
I spent most of today reminding them of this fact, and reinforcing it with three behavior notes for students who could not stop talking to save their lives. Of course, these three were from my Fifth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself (remember, the class with a 69% average). I requested another student desk as I have run out of "isolation island" desks for this crew (including Pout Boy who is incapable of sitting anywhere near anyone else).
We still have five weeks left, and those five weeks can be make or break for some of these kids. Hopefully they'll figure this out.
But I won't bet on it.
Carnival Time!
Is all that high stakes testing getting you down? Have you been watching kids take tests so long that you're using toothpicks to hold up your eyelids? If so, take a gander at this week's Carnival Education, hosted by the CEA Blog. There's plenty of good stuff to chew on, and it will definitely keep you awake!!!
And better yet...it doesn't require a #2 pencil!
And better yet...it doesn't require a #2 pencil!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Big Question...
Is there anything more boring than watching a classroom full of kids taking a test?
Anyone?
Hum. That's what I thought.
Anyone?
Hum. That's what I thought.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Ready, Set, Go?
On Friday, I covered up or took down any poster, sign, model, knickknack or whatnot that might influence my students on the Really Big Deal Government Mandated Test.
I sharpened 24 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils to a stiletto point.
I have my box of extra erasers ready.
Everything is a go for the Really Big Deal Government Mandated Test. I even went and bought a huge box of granola bars for my kiddos who don't eat breakfast, just in case they were hungry
However.
The last frost date, supposedly, in this part of the country (so say the folks at the Master Gardening class I took last month), is April 15th. It reached eighty degrees on Friday.
The weather people are calling for rain and snow tonight and tomorrow.
Tomorrow is supposed to be the very first day of our four days of Really Big Deal Government Mandated Testing.
In this part of the country, they cancel school at the mere mention of the words "ice" and "snow". But will they cancel, knowing that tomorrow is a Really Big Deal Government Mandated Testing day???
Only time, and the weather, will tell.
I sharpened 24 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils to a stiletto point.
I have my box of extra erasers ready.
Everything is a go for the Really Big Deal Government Mandated Test. I even went and bought a huge box of granola bars for my kiddos who don't eat breakfast, just in case they were hungry
However.
The last frost date, supposedly, in this part of the country (so say the folks at the Master Gardening class I took last month), is April 15th. It reached eighty degrees on Friday.
The weather people are calling for rain and snow tonight and tomorrow.
Tomorrow is supposed to be the very first day of our four days of Really Big Deal Government Mandated Testing.
In this part of the country, they cancel school at the mere mention of the words "ice" and "snow". But will they cancel, knowing that tomorrow is a Really Big Deal Government Mandated Testing day???
Only time, and the weather, will tell.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Give That Mom an A!
We have a student this year who belongs to a competitive cheerleading team. Cheer Girl is one of my favorite students although she's one of my lowest academically. She's a sweet kid, always wants to show me pictures of her cheer events, her dog, her mom, anything she can take a picture of. Every Monday I get a complete run-down on her weekend. She's also the sort of kid who'll walk in the room and give me a hug just because. She's also about the only kid who's shorter than me which may be one reason I like her! She's probably, at best, maybe about 4'10" tall.
However, as short as she is, she has a really well-developed bustline. And, as girls these days seem to do, she sometimes wears clothing that's a bit too revealing than she should be wearing.
Today, after first period, Mr. Social Studies pulled me aside while the kids were at their lockers.
"Do me a favor and talk with Cheer Girl. She's in my front row and I spent most of the period staring at the ceiling," he whispers.
I walk over to where Cheer Girl is at her locker. Mr. Social Studies isn't kidding. She's showing off her assets in a manner that would make Britney Spears proud.
I lean over and whisper in her ear. "Hey honey, your hooties are showing a bit much, you need to go to guidance and get something else to wear."
She lets out a big heavy sigh, crosses arms over her chest and trudges off to guidance.
Fast Forward to fourth period. Cheer Girl isn't there when I take attendance so I figured that she either was in ISS (where we put kids who have parents who won't bring them a change of clothes when we have a dress code violation), or her mother had checked her out for some reason. A few minutes later, she comes in, gives me an admittance pass, and a hug, and quietly goes to her seat. She is wearing a different, much more appropriate shirt by now.
The kids are on computers working on a Big Deal State Mandated Test review game called Study Island, and are chatting quietly while they work. I'm cruising around the room, helping kids hear and there when I overhear Cheer Girl talking to her lab partner.
"What happened to you?" her partner asks.
"They said my shirt wasn't up to dress code so I had to go to guidance. They made me call my mom to bring me some new clothes."
"But you missed lunch!" her friend says. (God forbid anyone misses lunch.)
"Yeah, because my mom was mad. She wouldn't bring me any clothes. She took me to Walmart and made me buy a new shirt. With my allowance money. She wouldn't pay for any of it!"
That's one mom who made her point, I think! Way to go Mom!!!
However, as short as she is, she has a really well-developed bustline. And, as girls these days seem to do, she sometimes wears clothing that's a bit too revealing than she should be wearing.
Today, after first period, Mr. Social Studies pulled me aside while the kids were at their lockers.
"Do me a favor and talk with Cheer Girl. She's in my front row and I spent most of the period staring at the ceiling," he whispers.
I walk over to where Cheer Girl is at her locker. Mr. Social Studies isn't kidding. She's showing off her assets in a manner that would make Britney Spears proud.
I lean over and whisper in her ear. "Hey honey, your hooties are showing a bit much, you need to go to guidance and get something else to wear."
She lets out a big heavy sigh, crosses arms over her chest and trudges off to guidance.
Fast Forward to fourth period. Cheer Girl isn't there when I take attendance so I figured that she either was in ISS (where we put kids who have parents who won't bring them a change of clothes when we have a dress code violation), or her mother had checked her out for some reason. A few minutes later, she comes in, gives me an admittance pass, and a hug, and quietly goes to her seat. She is wearing a different, much more appropriate shirt by now.
The kids are on computers working on a Big Deal State Mandated Test review game called Study Island, and are chatting quietly while they work. I'm cruising around the room, helping kids hear and there when I overhear Cheer Girl talking to her lab partner.
"What happened to you?" her partner asks.
"They said my shirt wasn't up to dress code so I had to go to guidance. They made me call my mom to bring me some new clothes."
"But you missed lunch!" her friend says. (God forbid anyone misses lunch.)
"Yeah, because my mom was mad. She wouldn't bring me any clothes. She took me to Walmart and made me buy a new shirt. With my allowance money. She wouldn't pay for any of it!"
That's one mom who made her point, I think! Way to go Mom!!!
Monday, April 07, 2008
I'm Not Gonna Complain...Yet
Remember the great big nasty record-breaking drought I whined about last year?
It's almost gone.
And, if you take into account the nearly five inches of rain we had over Thursday and Friday, then it really feels like it's nearly over.
The creeks and rivers that I have to cross to get anywhere around town are out of their banks, many city parks are near flooding, and the River Walk down along the river has water up over the sidewalk.
And my lawn, that hasn't been green in a year, is at least 6" high.
By the way, if I could find a way to make money out of chickweed and henbit, I'd be rich.
The big riding mower is out of commission. That stupid thing never seems to start up well after the winter and I have trouble with it on a good day. It really needs a tune up and Hubby really needs to look into it, but he's so swamped with his book project right now that I gave up on the mower getting in running condition. However, they're calling for more rain on Tuesday, and I don't see anyone giving me a herd of sheep to mow my lawn the easy way, so I got out the push-mower and went to work.
The push-mower, by the way, was used twice at the end of the year and we bought it when Sears was trying to get rid of mowers. It's wonderful. I love the fact that it starts right up and roars to life without me having to dislocate a shoulder yanking on the starter.
However.
My yard is big, and my house sits on a hill. And it took two hours to mow the entire front yard.
I am trashed.
It's almost gone.
And, if you take into account the nearly five inches of rain we had over Thursday and Friday, then it really feels like it's nearly over.
The creeks and rivers that I have to cross to get anywhere around town are out of their banks, many city parks are near flooding, and the River Walk down along the river has water up over the sidewalk.
And my lawn, that hasn't been green in a year, is at least 6" high.
By the way, if I could find a way to make money out of chickweed and henbit, I'd be rich.
The big riding mower is out of commission. That stupid thing never seems to start up well after the winter and I have trouble with it on a good day. It really needs a tune up and Hubby really needs to look into it, but he's so swamped with his book project right now that I gave up on the mower getting in running condition. However, they're calling for more rain on Tuesday, and I don't see anyone giving me a herd of sheep to mow my lawn the easy way, so I got out the push-mower and went to work.
The push-mower, by the way, was used twice at the end of the year and we bought it when Sears was trying to get rid of mowers. It's wonderful. I love the fact that it starts right up and roars to life without me having to dislocate a shoulder yanking on the starter.
However.
My yard is big, and my house sits on a hill. And it took two hours to mow the entire front yard.
I am trashed.
Friday, April 04, 2008
And Now We Know...The Rest of the Story
Scatter Boy is gone. During Spring Break his father and step-mother apparently decided that he would be better off living with his biological mother in North Carolina. I'm not sure exactly why they came to this decision. It could have to do with finances, as there are a lot of mouths to feed at home and I know money is tight. Or, Dad, who is quite a disciplinarian, decided he'd had one phone call too many about Scatter Boy discipline issues. Who knows?
Scatter Boy came to The District as a sixth grader, when he came to live with his father. His sixth grade teachers had horrible problems with him, both with academics and behavior. He nearly lived in the guidance office and spent a lot of time getting emotionally worked up over just about everything. The sixth grade teachers had several meetings with his father who insisted that there was nothing wrong with Scatter Boy. He just needed structure and discipline. The records we got from North Carolina gave no indication whatsoever that he was a special education, nor if he was ever tested. Dad said he didn't need testing, so no testing ever happened. He was support-teamed, put into after school tutoring, and non-academically promoted to the seventh grade.
The Team got him this year and went through the same routine that the sixth grade teachers went through. It was obvious that something was wrong with this kid. He couldn't focus. He couldn't keep track of things. He was horribly immature one minute and the next minute he was acting like an adult (he's also a rather tall, lanky kid who looks a bit older than your typical seventh grader). Often times I'd glance over at him and he would be twitching ever so slightly and would have a look in his eyes as if fireworks were going on in his head. We got him into study skills with Mr. Title, and got him into after school tutoring. However, he was still failing every class and struggling. Dad, still, believed that there was nothing wrong with him that a little discipline couldn't fix. After all, it's his kid, so he should know, right?
It was frustrating. We knew there was something going on, but his cumulative file and his father never let on what it was, even when asked.
So, I'm cruising through guidance this afternoon during planning and the Guidance Goddess stops me.
"You are not, not, not, going to believe the phone call I just got."
"Scatter Boy is coming back?" I guessed. There had been an issue with custody papers and we were betting he'd be back. It has, after all, been known to happen.
"Remember when I told you that I got a call from the school he went to and they were asking where his special education file was and I told him that he wasn't special ed?"
"Yeah," I said, wondering where this was going.
"Well, they called back to let me know that they found his special ed file. His fifth grade teacher had it."
I was speechless. "You mean to tell me that he was a special ed student?" I asked.
"Yup," she said.
"And his father never told us, he never told us, and the school never sent us the records because his teacher had it in her room?" I was incredulous.
"That about sums it up," she said.
Mrs. Squirrel walks by around this time and we fill her in on the conversation. As a former special education teacher before she went into administration, Mrs. Squirrel has a soft place in her heart for these kids and is our special ed expert. She was stunned.
"All this time," she said shaking her head, "this kid was in regular classes, and he should have been in special ed classes. All because we never got the file."
Insanity.
Scatter Boy came to The District as a sixth grader, when he came to live with his father. His sixth grade teachers had horrible problems with him, both with academics and behavior. He nearly lived in the guidance office and spent a lot of time getting emotionally worked up over just about everything. The sixth grade teachers had several meetings with his father who insisted that there was nothing wrong with Scatter Boy. He just needed structure and discipline. The records we got from North Carolina gave no indication whatsoever that he was a special education, nor if he was ever tested. Dad said he didn't need testing, so no testing ever happened. He was support-teamed, put into after school tutoring, and non-academically promoted to the seventh grade.
The Team got him this year and went through the same routine that the sixth grade teachers went through. It was obvious that something was wrong with this kid. He couldn't focus. He couldn't keep track of things. He was horribly immature one minute and the next minute he was acting like an adult (he's also a rather tall, lanky kid who looks a bit older than your typical seventh grader). Often times I'd glance over at him and he would be twitching ever so slightly and would have a look in his eyes as if fireworks were going on in his head. We got him into study skills with Mr. Title, and got him into after school tutoring. However, he was still failing every class and struggling. Dad, still, believed that there was nothing wrong with him that a little discipline couldn't fix. After all, it's his kid, so he should know, right?
It was frustrating. We knew there was something going on, but his cumulative file and his father never let on what it was, even when asked.
So, I'm cruising through guidance this afternoon during planning and the Guidance Goddess stops me.
"You are not, not, not, going to believe the phone call I just got."
"Scatter Boy is coming back?" I guessed. There had been an issue with custody papers and we were betting he'd be back. It has, after all, been known to happen.
"Remember when I told you that I got a call from the school he went to and they were asking where his special education file was and I told him that he wasn't special ed?"
"Yeah," I said, wondering where this was going.
"Well, they called back to let me know that they found his special ed file. His fifth grade teacher had it."
I was speechless. "You mean to tell me that he was a special ed student?" I asked.
"Yup," she said.
"And his father never told us, he never told us, and the school never sent us the records because his teacher had it in her room?" I was incredulous.
"That about sums it up," she said.
Mrs. Squirrel walks by around this time and we fill her in on the conversation. As a former special education teacher before she went into administration, Mrs. Squirrel has a soft place in her heart for these kids and is our special ed expert. She was stunned.
"All this time," she said shaking her head, "this kid was in regular classes, and he should have been in special ed classes. All because we never got the file."
Insanity.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
It's Carnival Time!
Got the Testing Blues? Hike on over to I Want to Teach Forever and spend some time at this week's excellent carnival!
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