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!