Today was my second day at CMS, and it was a crazy day. The kids were off the first three days of the week due to extremely cold temperatures and too much snow the third day. So by the fourth day of the week, the students were NOT ready to come back to school.
The day started off nice and slow. I learned that the school gives each teacher a grade distribution paper, to let each teacher know what percent of which grades they give out. Report cards just went out the previous week. This teacher told me she’s never had to give out so many D’s and F’s in one period. She is very concerned about the lack of motivation to do well that she sees in a majority of her students.
First period saw 14 students today. The Quick Write (hereafter referred to as QW) today was this: You finally get to the end of the rainbow…what do you find? She pulled it from a book of journals or story starters. I wonder if the QWs are sometimes more relevant to the students’ own lives or experiences. These seventh graders are having a writing practice test tomorrow.
Teacher is reading to all her classes from a novel called Think Big!” It is one black man’s success story. She checks for comprehension while she reads, asking things like, “Okay, what just happened?” or “What happened before this?” to make sure that the students are paying attention and understanding the text. During this particular reading, she tells them the story of how the author almost stabbed in his friend in a fit of rage when he was fourteen, and how the incident scared him into praying for God to take away his temper. She reminded the students after reading that it takes just one incident to change your life forever, and you have to decide which path you want to take.
This class started improv. The following situations were used: two workers in a hotel making a bed, a mother trying to get a precocious child to bed (during this one the teacher went into role as the mother), two women in a beauty salon gossiping, a boy blowing bubbles.
At this point, the improvs took a more serious tone. She reminded the students that they needed to take the situations seriously or she wouldn’t allow them to continue. We acted out an eating disorder, and then the students were asked to show some kind of prejudice. She reminded the students that she had a “PG class” and that violence is not done in her classroom. Then the kids acted out a friend trying to get another friend to stop using drugs. When the students giggled at the scenario, she moved them into a serious discussion about what drugs do to someone’s life. The discussion quieted down the giggling in the room and several students had serious looks on their faces, showing me that the discussion had some sort of impact.
Second period was 13 students, and one of them, a girl, was having a very difficult time today. She was very disrespectful, and called out a lot without raising her hand. She had a little comment for everything today. She was also very loud throughout the period.
This class was structured in the same was as Period 1 today. During this class, we discussed what empathy means, how to be actors (as well as human beings), we have to be able to imagine what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes.
I wonder if she started off this class with a discussion on what it means to be an audience member. I think that is something that I will do in my own class, have audience be the first discussion.
This class seemed to take the “serious” improvs in a more serious manner than the first class. There was a lot less giggling and pointing.
Third period today was when I finally found my voice with these students. Right now, I am walking a line with how much to get involved and how much to strictly observe. I see the teacher trying to get me more and more involved, and I am holding back for some reason. These eighth graders helped me today, were much more interactive with me. They didn’t just ignore me at the back of the classroom, and I think the teacher was pleased that I took on a more active role.
By the end of fourth period, my voice was silent again. It was a very bad day for this group of eighth graders. While I was wandering around checking people’s QWs, I asked one girl to please put away what she was reading and get started on her three sentences. She got up, looked right in my face and said, “You ain’t my teacher.” I was pretty much stunned into silence for a few seconds before I leveled my voice and said, “Today I am.” The day went downhill for me from this point. The teacher spent twenty minutes of this period yelling, actually yelling, at these students. They questioned everything today. None of them wanted to do the QW because, as one girl put it, “This isn’t writing class.” For the rest of the period the students listened while the teacher explained to them (in a very loud voice) what it means to be on academic emergency and how they couldn’t possibly know all the hoops the teachers are being forced to jump through because they are Just Children. I was a little uncomfortable by this phrasing. I really didn’t think that it was the best way to have this discussion with the students, but then again, I don’t have twenty years of teaching experience under my belt, either. This class received A’s or F’s for the day based on their participation in short improves and their QWs. It was not a fun period for anyone.
At lunch duty today, I found myself doing a lot of posturing to protect myself. Trying to herd the boys into the auditorium was not a fun job, because many of them are so much larger than me, and truthfully, kind of scary. I don’t like it. I don’t like having to put on a brave face and tell these boys, “I’m not afraid of you.” Because I am. I am afraid. I want to shiver when they look me up and down with their eyes glinting. I put on this face, “I’m not scared of you, even though you’re a big boy. You get your butt into that auditorium and sit in a chair. Stop talking. You’re the student and I’m a teacher. Respect me. RESPECT ME!” I feel like I have to act this way or they’ll eat me alive. Is this normal? Why am I so afraid? It’s unlike me to be scared of anything, but I am scared to death of some of these kids. They are so disrespectful, and it’s like they don’t even care. They’re pushy, and why do I feel the urge to push right back?
The sixth graders were a delight today, as they were the first day. 13 students in the first class and 10 in the second. They did Fruit basket, which is a great theatre game, and some pantomime. The first class has this boy who is definitely a drama king. He’s got a great name. The teacher and I talked about how sixth graders are wonderful because they still have a bit of little kid in them, they haven’t been turned yet, almost.
If B.E. or K.C. are reading this blog, I want to know how to do some dramatic inquiry work with these classes, and how to negotiate this with my teacher. Meeting soon?
I will write more next week, I have been very focused on my other schoolwork, and haven’t had time to transcribe my notes until now. Next week will be my first two day in a row shift at CMS, so we’ll see how that goes ☺ Until then readers, I have more homework to complete and no sleep to get….
The day started off nice and slow. I learned that the school gives each teacher a grade distribution paper, to let each teacher know what percent of which grades they give out. Report cards just went out the previous week. This teacher told me she’s never had to give out so many D’s and F’s in one period. She is very concerned about the lack of motivation to do well that she sees in a majority of her students.
First period saw 14 students today. The Quick Write (hereafter referred to as QW) today was this: You finally get to the end of the rainbow…what do you find? She pulled it from a book of journals or story starters. I wonder if the QWs are sometimes more relevant to the students’ own lives or experiences. These seventh graders are having a writing practice test tomorrow.
Teacher is reading to all her classes from a novel called Think Big!” It is one black man’s success story. She checks for comprehension while she reads, asking things like, “Okay, what just happened?” or “What happened before this?” to make sure that the students are paying attention and understanding the text. During this particular reading, she tells them the story of how the author almost stabbed in his friend in a fit of rage when he was fourteen, and how the incident scared him into praying for God to take away his temper. She reminded the students after reading that it takes just one incident to change your life forever, and you have to decide which path you want to take.
This class started improv. The following situations were used: two workers in a hotel making a bed, a mother trying to get a precocious child to bed (during this one the teacher went into role as the mother), two women in a beauty salon gossiping, a boy blowing bubbles.
At this point, the improvs took a more serious tone. She reminded the students that they needed to take the situations seriously or she wouldn’t allow them to continue. We acted out an eating disorder, and then the students were asked to show some kind of prejudice. She reminded the students that she had a “PG class” and that violence is not done in her classroom. Then the kids acted out a friend trying to get another friend to stop using drugs. When the students giggled at the scenario, she moved them into a serious discussion about what drugs do to someone’s life. The discussion quieted down the giggling in the room and several students had serious looks on their faces, showing me that the discussion had some sort of impact.
Second period was 13 students, and one of them, a girl, was having a very difficult time today. She was very disrespectful, and called out a lot without raising her hand. She had a little comment for everything today. She was also very loud throughout the period.
This class was structured in the same was as Period 1 today. During this class, we discussed what empathy means, how to be actors (as well as human beings), we have to be able to imagine what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes.
I wonder if she started off this class with a discussion on what it means to be an audience member. I think that is something that I will do in my own class, have audience be the first discussion.
This class seemed to take the “serious” improvs in a more serious manner than the first class. There was a lot less giggling and pointing.
Third period today was when I finally found my voice with these students. Right now, I am walking a line with how much to get involved and how much to strictly observe. I see the teacher trying to get me more and more involved, and I am holding back for some reason. These eighth graders helped me today, were much more interactive with me. They didn’t just ignore me at the back of the classroom, and I think the teacher was pleased that I took on a more active role.
By the end of fourth period, my voice was silent again. It was a very bad day for this group of eighth graders. While I was wandering around checking people’s QWs, I asked one girl to please put away what she was reading and get started on her three sentences. She got up, looked right in my face and said, “You ain’t my teacher.” I was pretty much stunned into silence for a few seconds before I leveled my voice and said, “Today I am.” The day went downhill for me from this point. The teacher spent twenty minutes of this period yelling, actually yelling, at these students. They questioned everything today. None of them wanted to do the QW because, as one girl put it, “This isn’t writing class.” For the rest of the period the students listened while the teacher explained to them (in a very loud voice) what it means to be on academic emergency and how they couldn’t possibly know all the hoops the teachers are being forced to jump through because they are Just Children. I was a little uncomfortable by this phrasing. I really didn’t think that it was the best way to have this discussion with the students, but then again, I don’t have twenty years of teaching experience under my belt, either. This class received A’s or F’s for the day based on their participation in short improves and their QWs. It was not a fun period for anyone.
At lunch duty today, I found myself doing a lot of posturing to protect myself. Trying to herd the boys into the auditorium was not a fun job, because many of them are so much larger than me, and truthfully, kind of scary. I don’t like it. I don’t like having to put on a brave face and tell these boys, “I’m not afraid of you.” Because I am. I am afraid. I want to shiver when they look me up and down with their eyes glinting. I put on this face, “I’m not scared of you, even though you’re a big boy. You get your butt into that auditorium and sit in a chair. Stop talking. You’re the student and I’m a teacher. Respect me. RESPECT ME!” I feel like I have to act this way or they’ll eat me alive. Is this normal? Why am I so afraid? It’s unlike me to be scared of anything, but I am scared to death of some of these kids. They are so disrespectful, and it’s like they don’t even care. They’re pushy, and why do I feel the urge to push right back?
The sixth graders were a delight today, as they were the first day. 13 students in the first class and 10 in the second. They did Fruit basket, which is a great theatre game, and some pantomime. The first class has this boy who is definitely a drama king. He’s got a great name. The teacher and I talked about how sixth graders are wonderful because they still have a bit of little kid in them, they haven’t been turned yet, almost.
If B.E. or K.C. are reading this blog, I want to know how to do some dramatic inquiry work with these classes, and how to negotiate this with my teacher. Meeting soon?
I will write more next week, I have been very focused on my other schoolwork, and haven’t had time to transcribe my notes until now. Next week will be my first two day in a row shift at CMS, so we’ll see how that goes ☺ Until then readers, I have more homework to complete and no sleep to get….
posted by Jennifer Martin at 11:51 AM
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