Leaving
Workday - 8:15am-3:45pm
Yesterday a student of mine handed me a textbook on his way out at the end of class. I asked him, "Did you find that? Did someone leave it behind?"
He shook his head, "It's mine".
"Why are you giving me your textbook?"
His response was mumbled and in broken English. "I do not... I won't be... go to school anymore."
"What?? You're leaving school? Why? Where are you going?"
But he was out the door.
He was getting an A, too. One of very few of my students. I was actually dumbfounded. I wish he could have told me why, because now I'm curious. He could be going back to China. He could be dropping out to work (I believe he was already over 18). But he was so quiet about it he made it seem like it was a secret, or at least that he was upset over it. It seemed so mysterious.
Yesterday was also our last day in the unbearable heat of the math wing. Today we enjoyed a cool and comfortable afternoon in the music classrooms. Unfortunately, music rooms present other problems when using them to teach math. I have very little chalkboard space (not to mention little access to the amount chalkboard we have. Most of it is blocked by stacks of papers on tables). Also, the students have no desks to write against. One of the music rooms has three tables that the students can fight over when they arrive. The other room that I'm using has no tables, however, and I'd rather the kids didn't put their heavy binders on the music stands.
I had taken a poll (democracy generally rules my classroom) first to see if the students would be willing to move to the music rooms. I made sure to explain the drawbacks of the room before they all rushed to vote for it. The move would also come with rules, lest they take advantage and be forced back to the math wing. In the end, of course, a small majority voted to move.
I'm definitely much happier in the air conditioned environment. I don't care if I have 1/3 the board area and have to repeatedly erase my notes and write overtop. We're almost finished the curriculum, anyway. Our last test is Thursday, and the 5 class days afterward will be dedicated to reviewing the entire semester.
And so, it's time for a countdown (I think I'm a bit early on this one, but to hell with it. I've been silently counting down the days since March):
23 days left, or
17 weekdays, or
7 in-class days.
Yesterday a student of mine handed me a textbook on his way out at the end of class. I asked him, "Did you find that? Did someone leave it behind?"
He shook his head, "It's mine".
"Why are you giving me your textbook?"
His response was mumbled and in broken English. "I do not... I won't be... go to school anymore."
"What?? You're leaving school? Why? Where are you going?"
But he was out the door.
He was getting an A, too. One of very few of my students. I was actually dumbfounded. I wish he could have told me why, because now I'm curious. He could be going back to China. He could be dropping out to work (I believe he was already over 18). But he was so quiet about it he made it seem like it was a secret, or at least that he was upset over it. It seemed so mysterious.
Yesterday was also our last day in the unbearable heat of the math wing. Today we enjoyed a cool and comfortable afternoon in the music classrooms. Unfortunately, music rooms present other problems when using them to teach math. I have very little chalkboard space (not to mention little access to the amount chalkboard we have. Most of it is blocked by stacks of papers on tables). Also, the students have no desks to write against. One of the music rooms has three tables that the students can fight over when they arrive. The other room that I'm using has no tables, however, and I'd rather the kids didn't put their heavy binders on the music stands.
I had taken a poll (democracy generally rules my classroom) first to see if the students would be willing to move to the music rooms. I made sure to explain the drawbacks of the room before they all rushed to vote for it. The move would also come with rules, lest they take advantage and be forced back to the math wing. In the end, of course, a small majority voted to move.
I'm definitely much happier in the air conditioned environment. I don't care if I have 1/3 the board area and have to repeatedly erase my notes and write overtop. We're almost finished the curriculum, anyway. Our last test is Thursday, and the 5 class days afterward will be dedicated to reviewing the entire semester.
And so, it's time for a countdown (I think I'm a bit early on this one, but to hell with it. I've been silently counting down the days since March):
23 days left, or
17 weekdays, or
7 in-class days.
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