I didn't teach today, due to the testing schedule, so I got a lot of planning done. Although I'm feeling the it's-May burnout, I'm excited about things to come.
Next week, we will have our last physics lab, last physics review day, and comprehensive physics test. Then, the week after, we move on to genetics! Genetics is, hands down, my favorite topic. I may have thought that about a few other topics so far this year, but this one is different. Genetics is awesome. I get paid to teach kids about Punnett Squares.
I still owe you a couple of stories.
Monotheism
A few weeks ago, the 6th grade history class had a monotheism panel. A member of each of the big 3 monotheistic religious were asked to answer student questions about their beliefs and practices. Yours truly was chosen to speak for the oldest of them.
I was asked some really good questions, and some less good questions, but I had a blast. I got to explain that Jews cover their heads as a sign of respect, and that 13-year olds have a ceremony to announce the start of self-responsibility for their actions and choices. I also explained that this ceremony often has a big party.
By the end of the panel, the students had learned a little bit about three different religions, and many of the girls announced that they wanted to be Jewish so they could have Bat Mitzvahs, so they could be responsible for their own life and education. And have a party.
I walked away with a new appreciation for the similarities between the three religions. Like, they're practically identical. Except for some of the small details.
Getting in Trouble
A few weeks ago, a student had a big meltdown in the classroom, which is not too unusual for a middle school student. It was the end of detention, and as we were packing up to go outside. At this time, students must stay in uniform, but during the winter, a lot of students put on boots or sneakers as soon as they get outside to walk home.
This is the email I sent to the dean:
"This afternoon X made an egregious show of disrespect
in my classroom. At the end of detention, he started putting on his sneakers. I
told him to stop, and to put his uniform shoes back on. He flat out said “no”.
The rest of the class lined up (and Mr. S walked them downstairs) while X sat there continuing to put his sneakers on. I took $5, and he said he wouldn’t
take them off. I got Mr. D (I didn’t know what to do), who tried to talk
him into putting his shoes back on. X stood up, walked up to where Mr. D was standing in the doorway. X kept arguing it was after 5PM and he had to
leave. He eventually took off his sneakers, and walked in his socks out of the
classroom. About halfway down the hallway, Mr. D convinced him to stop and put
on his shoes. He finally did, and left the building. We decided we would rather
have him leave than lose his temper, but he was a little scary."
The next day, I got in trouble. Not really, but I had a talking to. My IL was mostly concerned that I would find a student scary. She made it clear that no student here, no matter how disobedient, would ever pose a danger to a teacher, under any circumstances. The culture here doesn't allow it. I shared that this was not the case last year, and that I still had some details to adjust to in this new and wonderful school. Not only am I safe here, but my superiors are seriously concerned if I don't feel safe. What kind of school is this?
Being a Bitch
And then there's that regular, once in a while, being called a bitch. A student lost a dollar, talked back, lost $5, and then refused to do work. I sent her out of the room, and on her way out, she muttered "Bitch" loud enough for the class to hear. I was proud to have enough experience to not react the way she wanted (as I would have a year ago), and casually proceeded with my lesson. I am getting better at this. By the time I have kids, nothing will get to me. Right?
Yes! Caught up on story time! Now I'm up to date on my planning AND my blogging.
I'm still sore from Monday's weightlifting, but I'm hoping I won't feel so bad after doing the same routine Thursday. The lunges and squats are actually, dare I say, getting easier. Yesterday, I did a nice 4-miler, but my strides were interrupted by a phone call from my sister. I've gotten to the point where I can reasonably talk on the phone during a run. Not bad.
Today, I'll bike for 45 minutes. I'd like to go outside, but I'm not quite confident enough to ride on the road that close to dusk. It's probably smart to stay outside. I'll have to entertain myself with TV. Most certainly smart, intelligent TV. In the first official week of my summer triathlon training (started after half marathon and 1 week recovery), I'm doing a good job. 100% so far (except for Sunday's 5 Boro Bike Tour, but I think that was a smart training decision, not a lazy one). Weights tonight, a 4-miler tomorrow, 6 and a swim on Saturday, and 2 and a 20-ish bike ride on Sunday.
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