Paper, Scissors, Rock?

The last twenty-five minutes of school every day is an Enrichment period.  If my students have completed all their work for the week, we do some sort of activity on Fridays.  This past Friday we played Duck, Duck, Goose...and yes, 7th graders LOVE this game.  A boy was "goosed" and promptly stood up and with a puzzled look on his face, said "what do I do now??"  Unbelieveable...

So because of this recent experience, I took a bit more time than usual explaining how to play rock, paper, scissors.  I asked the students to show me what "paper" looks like with their hands, what the "scissors" look like with their hands, and finally what the "rock" looks like.  When I said, "Show me what the rock looks like," a boy stood up in the back of the room, and said, "I'll show you what rock looks like...ROCK HARD ABS!!!"  I said no thank you.  I stopped breathing for the first phrase of his comment, so I'm glad he didn't linger on it and moved right on to the end.  Be careful what and how you say things...

It Only Takes One

A funny then a serious one...

Trying to get one of my students to divide 150 by 75 in her head, I asked how many quarters are in 75 cents?  She correctly said 3.  I then asked how much money there would be if her friend also had 3 quarters.  She said "A dollar and some change."  :)  I love teaching math.

Now on to serious...

I have formed a very special bond with one of my students.  He doesn't have a mom at home and has a very rough home life.  He is a fantastic athlete and has all the potential in the world.  The Lord has put him in my life, some days to try me, some days to bless me.  Today was a trying day for both of us.  We have had a great week, and today I found him storming down the hall muttering something about wanting to hurt somebody.  I slowed him down and tears brimming in his eyes, he told me of an earlier conversation with a substitute teacher.  I know that some of what he replayed to me was skewed i his favor, but I also know from my "many" years of experience that middle school students are usually honest to a fault.  Apparently his class was discussing their dreams, which their bellwork was on, and he had said something about wanting to play for the NBA someday.  The  substitute responded to him that that dream could never happen.  She told him that in order to get that far, he would have to first pass middle school.  He responded, probably disrespectfully, that he was passing all his classes and was working hard.  She told him that his teachers were probably just giving him good marks so he could play and that there was no way he could earn passing grades on his own.  According to her, he just needed to give up now. 

With tears in my eyes, I did my best to console him and remind him of all the work he had done this semester.  What makes me so angry when it comes to my students is that it takes ONE bad experience with a teacher to undo months of positive growth.  I'm learning that many things in this life need to be taken day by day and this is certainly one of them.  Pray that this young man will be surrounded by Christian men and women who show him how much he is worth and how much he is loved. 

Middle School Cheerleaders...Need I Say More?

Cheerleader playing with my iPhone:  "Does this have one of those pen things that touches the screen?
Me:  "A stylus?"
Cheerleader:  "No, one of those pens!"
Me:  "That's called a stylus."
Cheerleader:  "No Miss Wynn, I'm not talking about the person who does your hair!"

One of These is Not Like the Other

Short laugh for you Math people out there!  We are working on recognizing 3D shapes in my Honors class this week.  While "discovering" the names together, we came across a figure that had rectangles as bases.  Keep in mind that we had been using words like "pentagonal," "hexagonal," and "octogonal."  My students correctly decided that it was a prism.  Feeling VERY sure of himself, one of my students yelled out "RECTAGONAL!"  I am so glad I have a classroom where we can laugh with each other and continue learning!

A Day In The Life

My day started at 5:30 am.  Upon arriving at our workshop, I somehow managed to get separated from my group.  I went in to the auditorium, got my laptop out, turned it on, got my notebook ready, and sat down, eager to learn!  Little did I know.  A principal from our school district walked up to me and said "What are you doing?"  By the grin on her face, I realized I was in the wrong place.  This was followed by a conversation with our assistant principal.  The kids at the middle school have discovered how to make flying objects out of paper and paper clips.  These lovely contraptions are called "hornets."  I had an entire conversation with the teachers at my table about the "wasps" our students make before my friend decided to remind me that I used the wrong flying, stinging insect name.  Thankfully, my issues didn't follow me to the gym this evening...as I remembered to spray down the correct treadmill after running.  I'm ready for bed! 

You Never Know

Something that will never cease to amaze me are the unique connections that happen between me with my students.  This has been a hard month, personally, and my classes have been so compassionate and just plain sweet.  One particular young man made an enormous impression.  During morning duty, I thought I was doing a great job of hiding my sorrow over the loss of a close friend.  A student appeared at my side, not announcing himself or making a joke as per usual.  He looked at me and said, "Miss Wynn, are you okay?"  Later on when I had him in class, he waited until all of the students had left, came up to me, gave me a huge hug and said, "I understand.  My grandpa died last month."  We had a good cry together and I know that that was definitely a God-appointed moment.  I would not have made it through the day without him. 

That Really DOES Happen!

I found myself on lunch duty today realizing that I don't get "sour puss" teachers.  I laugh every single day regardless of how my personal life is going.  Walking around the cafeteria on "flying food patrol," I come upon a table of boys.  All five of the boys are laughing, one is doubled over.  As I get closer (stop reading now if you have a sensitive gag reflex), I see chocolate milk spewing from mouth and nose of the hunched over kid.  This was not a dribble...it was a gusher, and he couldn't stop giggling, which made the flow even worse.  I, in turn, couldn't seem to stop the hysterical laughing coming out of my mouth.  I can always count on my middle schoolers for a laugh!

Lost and Found

Along with being a Math teacher, I am also a sponsor for a cheer squad at the middle school.  Today we had our first practice of the school year and I handed out their uniforms, warm-ups, shoes, socks, bows, and bloomers.  Thirty minutes after our practice has ended, I receive a frantic text message from a squad member.  "My plastic bag ripped and I think I left my bloomers in your room or maybe even outside!?!  Have you seen them???"  I texted back telling her to not worry about it, if they were lost we would just order a new pair.  Fifteen minutes later, the same squad member texts me back that she found her bloomers and I would NEVER guess where they were.  She had never taken them off...

Oui?

Introducing a lesson about translating math words into numbers and symbols, I teach a "mini" lesson on phrases in French.  This is meant to show students that breaking down a word problem is just like translating a foreign language.  You have to know the separate parts of the sentence before you can put it together to make sense.  I love the conversations that come out of this lesson, but one in particular I will remember for a while.  I overheard one of my students informing his buddy that "oui" in French meant "yes."  I challenged him and asked him if he could spell it.  He matter of factly got the attention of the entire room by standing up and saying "W-I-I."  Regaining my composure while stifling a laugh AND correcting him wasn't an easy feat, but how quickly I was reminded of how technology saturated my students are!