Conferences

Today is the first day of the second round of report card conferences. I'm not quite sure why they have them now, but I think it's so parents get a warning if their kids are going to be held back. I think it makes more sense to have them after 1st and 2nd quarters, rather than now, when there are only 39 days of school left. 4 parents showed up today, but hopefully I'll see more tomorrow at the evening conference.

I am always amazed at what some of these kids will come up with. Today, my homeroom class had a food fight in Language Arts. Really? There is a student who is particularly troublesome, and started the incident. She later walked into my classroom, crushed a few carrots between the pages of a textbook, and earned herself 3 days suspension. She is a challenge, because she can be malicious in very creative ways. I've become very discouraged about how to help her, and I'm concerned that she is a danger to other students.

I've kind of hit a lull in motivation as we get into the 4th quarter here. 39 days of school left, and about 8 of those are half days. I love the kids and I love teaching them, but I'm tired. I have much more planning to do, and grading. I am pretty excited about a lesson I have planned soon, though, which will involve marshmallows and toothpicks to teach about hydrocarbons. I keep forgetting how fun this is. I slog into school in the morning, and it's not until my first student finally completes the circuit of his conductivity tester and makes the "Aha!" face that I remember why I love this job.