Completed Marking = 1/F*
(Friday's Workday - 8:00am-4:45pm)
* where F is the amount of fun I've been having (represented in whatever units you measure fun in).
This is the proportion I introduced to my grade 9 math classes. Actually, I merely described the proportional relationship. On Friday (of course) they all wanted to know when they would be getting their tests back. I told them it would be sometime next week, but how early or how late in the week would depend on how much else I have to do. I said if they got them back on Monday they should be thinking "aww, poor Ms. Smartypants, she has no life!".
The conversation was actually more ingenious than I'd first realized. Now the kids might be slightly more open to getting their marked tests and quizzes back a little later. Not because they'll be happy for me for finding something better to do (even though this is exactly what I told them they should be thinking), but because they'll probably enjoy putting me on the spot for each day they're delayed.
On Friday night, in fact, I did have a life. I went to see a musical with a group from school (some staff, mostly students). One of our music students was cast in the ensemble, and we were all excited to see him perform. This outing is why I couldn't post last night (I got home at 1am) and why I could consider my workday to be 8am to 12am! After all, I was out with students. It might have been a field trip! But, sure, okay, as you can see from the top I didn't include it. I was at school until almost 5pm doing real work, though. I was working one-on-one (and later on two) with the Chattanooga girls.
To summarize my thoughts on last night's performance, first of all, the student was great. His performance was awesome, he had a couple of lines, and I found it pretty cool to see him in there. The musical itself, however, was godawful. And I don't mean the performance, but the actual piece. It was some rarely performed, widely unknown, and poorly acclaimed Rodgers and Hammerstein production. It's so rarely performed, in fact, that this little company's performance of it was the Canadian premiere!
The company included a couple of fairly good performers, but also a number of fairly terrible ones. I could even pick out this ear-bleeding singing while some cast members were in the background chorus (as they were not introduced as main characters until later in the musical). I had picked out a particularly awful chorus member early on, only to find out she was cast as a major character in the middle of act two! Sure enough, she had a couple of solos so I could hear for sure just how poorly she sang. Her tone was throaty and flat, and then she would actually shake her head at the ends of phrases to give some illusion of vibrato! It was painful to watch. I don't know what they teach people in musical theatre these days, but that is definitely poor practice.
Regardless of everything I mentioned above, it's still good to get out to "the theatre" one in a while. I really need to see shows more often. When I'm rich and have a car (once a laughable statement, this may actually happen next school year), I will certainly look into it.
* where F is the amount of fun I've been having (represented in whatever units you measure fun in).
This is the proportion I introduced to my grade 9 math classes. Actually, I merely described the proportional relationship. On Friday (of course) they all wanted to know when they would be getting their tests back. I told them it would be sometime next week, but how early or how late in the week would depend on how much else I have to do. I said if they got them back on Monday they should be thinking "aww, poor Ms. Smartypants, she has no life!".
The conversation was actually more ingenious than I'd first realized. Now the kids might be slightly more open to getting their marked tests and quizzes back a little later. Not because they'll be happy for me for finding something better to do (even though this is exactly what I told them they should be thinking), but because they'll probably enjoy putting me on the spot for each day they're delayed.
On Friday night, in fact, I did have a life. I went to see a musical with a group from school (some staff, mostly students). One of our music students was cast in the ensemble, and we were all excited to see him perform. This outing is why I couldn't post last night (I got home at 1am) and why I could consider my workday to be 8am to 12am! After all, I was out with students. It might have been a field trip! But, sure, okay, as you can see from the top I didn't include it. I was at school until almost 5pm doing real work, though. I was working one-on-one (and later on two) with the Chattanooga girls.
To summarize my thoughts on last night's performance, first of all, the student was great. His performance was awesome, he had a couple of lines, and I found it pretty cool to see him in there. The musical itself, however, was godawful. And I don't mean the performance, but the actual piece. It was some rarely performed, widely unknown, and poorly acclaimed Rodgers and Hammerstein production. It's so rarely performed, in fact, that this little company's performance of it was the Canadian premiere!
The company included a couple of fairly good performers, but also a number of fairly terrible ones. I could even pick out this ear-bleeding singing while some cast members were in the background chorus (as they were not introduced as main characters until later in the musical). I had picked out a particularly awful chorus member early on, only to find out she was cast as a major character in the middle of act two! Sure enough, she had a couple of solos so I could hear for sure just how poorly she sang. Her tone was throaty and flat, and then she would actually shake her head at the ends of phrases to give some illusion of vibrato! It was painful to watch. I don't know what they teach people in musical theatre these days, but that is definitely poor practice.
Regardless of everything I mentioned above, it's still good to get out to "the theatre" one in a while. I really need to see shows more often. When I'm rich and have a car (once a laughable statement, this may actually happen next school year), I will certainly look into it.
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