Who Doesn't Love Some Discarded Books?

Magical Mystical Teacher's Six Word Saturday is

Books open doors. Open a book!

I concur!

I opened up a book last night, and finished it this morning. It was brain candy romance that I read when I need a fix but do not have a lot of time. Not sure it opened a lot of doors, but it relieved some stress by allowing me to escape reality for a little while.

One of my colleagues passed on a box of brain candy to me the other day. She is no so unlike me in that she does not have a lot of time but needs to zone out, so she brought a whole box to my classroom marked "Desk Supplies." I'm not sure if it's a reused box, or it was disguised to hide our dirty little secret.

About that same time, Ari, a senior girl in my proficiency class, brought Tana French's In the Woods and asked if I'd read it. She also asked if I had anything good to read. I enjoyed In the Woods (although the end was not as good as it could have been compared to the rest), and we talked books for a while, but sadly, I did not have anything to pass on. I haven't been reading much for leisure (education research journals anyone?), and I donated a my box of unwanted books before I moved. It's not that I'm book poor, but the stack I have is of unread books only.

The box of brain candy changed things because my colleague passed it on to me saying, "Just pass them on when you are finished!" I went through and picked out what I didn't want to read or had already read, and what I thought would be okay to pass on to students and came up with a little pile of John Grisham (been over him since '99), Mary Higgins Clark (haven't I read just about everything she's written?), and Nicholas Sparks (I can take him or leave him).

I was so ecstatic to see them attack the pile like hungry teens on pizza! Some of them admitted to enjoying reading, but others who took books were indifferent. A couple thought they had to take a book, but when they realized they didn't, they reconsidered and put it back. Whatever. What was interesting is that those who don't read a lot but were excited to have a book to read. It's interesting how sometimes if you just give a kid a book, and these "kids" are two inches from being full-blown adults, they will take it happily and read it. Some of them won't read it, I know from experience, but the fact that they just blasted excited to get a book is so wonderful!

Once or twice the past, I've brought extra books in for my alt ed kids to take home, and I get the same reaction. How hard it would it be for me to bring in some books to give away from time to time? Their tastes are probably closer to mine than my middle schoolers, as they also read both young adult and adult books. I typically like to trade my books in for new ones to read, but if I'm money smart, I can do this pretty inexpensively. It's a little impact, but maybe for a couple of teens, owning a book, or being "given" a book, even if it's from a pile of discarded books, is a treasure. I know it is to me!

Stupid Chocolate Pushers

For the last two years, the band has peddled chocolates at our school. Last year it was to raise money for instruments, and this year it's for a trip to New York.

You know the chocolate, right? The World's Finest Chocolate. It is totally NOT the world's finest chocolate, but when I've hit the 2nd period yearbook slump, and Gabby is carrying a full box, the temptation is sometimes too great.

Oh, the glorious waxiness of crappy fundraiser food!


But halfway through the bar, self-loathing (chocolate for breakfast!)
and flavor disgust kick in
and then I
give the rest to Thing One (editor who eats anything)
or
eat the rest really fast.

Damn band and their pushers.

A Two-Eraser Day for My Seniors

Last night was I so blasted irritated with my seniors because they were just off-the-hook crazy and loud. Some of them needed to revise some essays they had started and never finished, and before they left, I wanted to give them a pep talk for the Writing Proficiency Exam there were to take today.

High stakes writing exam. Most of them had already taken it once (and failed), and most of them really wanted to pass so they can graduate in January. Super high stakes for them! So, you'd think they'd calm down and let me get a few words of wisdom in, wouldn't ya?

Today, was a different story, though. Half the class was still taking the test (3 hours later!) and those who finished were confident and joyful that they had passed, yet utterly brain dead from the experience.

Because they expressed pride in themselves, and gratitude to me, I gave them the night off from thinking.

And they were so exhausted from testing, they were super quiet. A couple played hangman on the board. A few talked quietly between themselves, and several just zoned out with headphones.

I love it when they think so much they wear themselves out!

In any case, I'm very proud of them, and I will be broken-hearted if they don't pass.

P.S. Apparently one of the topics was about the importance of staying in high school instead of dropping out and going to work. Or something. Hellllloooo! This topic was meant for my students! These are the kids who have dropped out or been kicked out of regular high school. At one time or another, they have reflected on how important getting that education is and have some to our school. They should have profound thoughts on the topic!

White

"Hey, Miss!" one of my night school students calls over to me across the room. "Cuba [self-professed nickname of Alex] over here says that his sister has the same mother and father but that she's half Cuban and half white! Explain that!"

What an interesting riddle! Is it possible that one of Cuba's parents is not a faithful spouse?

Oh, noooo!

Cuba explained that he was born in Cuba, but his sister was born in the United States, hence, she is half white.

However, as Cuba puts it, "Man! She's she's totally white!"


I have to leave it at that for now, as I have a paper I need to write. So, for now...
Talk amongst yourselves...

Transfer This, Please!

Today I went joyfully into reteaching annotated bibliography, and where I meant to only spend half a class period doing so, it worked out better just giving the rest of the period to redo the assignment. In some classes, I ran around giving one-on-one help, but--cross your fingers--it was looking like they just needed a little spackling to cover the holes and most seemed to be doing fine with that further instruction.

I know some of them are perplexed by the annotated part of the bibliography, and since they are by nature lazy creatures, I tried to explain to them we aren't doing this to torture them to more hold them accountable for the sources they use. Afterall, I reminded them, they are living in an age where they are bombarded by information, and it is important for them to closer scrutinize the information they receive. I believe that, especially for their information-overloaded generation, being able to sort useful, reliable information from the rest is a an essential life skill.

Ah, but why do I bother talking about essential life skills with 8th graders? They usually zone me out. "Life" is too far into their futures, or so they think.

"Okay," I reminded them, "On Wednesday, you need to turn in an annotated bibliography for your science project or report to your science teachers and one to me, too."

I've only said that a gazillion times, and it's on the board, and it's in their science project packet. But they keep giving me these damn blank stares.

Oh, but a new comment from a student, "But, Miss! Mr. Science Teacher hasn't gone over this with us!"

Somebody please shoot me now!

I could not even hide my exasperation as I went into full-on HappyChyck theatrics: "I'm going over this with you!"

The student sat there looking stumped, and half the class stared at him like he's the village idiot.

"You see, Mr. Science Teacher said, 'Ms. HappyChyck, do you think you could go over this with the students?' I said, 'Sure! No problem! I know just what to do!' And then, I gave him the same materials I'm giving you, so he knows what you should know."

I think there might have been more about how I would expect them to be able to read and write outside of my classroom, too. I don't know. I was in that full-on exasperated drama mode.

I wonder what Wednesday will bring...

S.O.S

I got nuthin' new to say. Same Old Stuff.

• Tomorrow I'm reteaching how to do an annotated bibliography. I've struggled with getting my students to cite sources before. Last year we started doing the annotated bit in the spring, and when I suggested to the team that we try really hard to get the students to write bibliographies--and annotate them, they thought it was a good idea. Why annotate? To hold students accountable for the sources they use. We were using EBSCO, and most sources give the correct citation to use, but my students didn't bother with the annotated part on their practice assignment. We need to go back and connect the dots. They have a bibliography due for their science projects this week.
  
• I'm struggling with my master's program, but unlike my struggles this summer, this time I am just so tapped out. Seriously just too much on my plate. The class I am currently taking is about how children learn, and it includes stuff about how the brain learns, which is a pretty new terrain since I received my undergrad degree. I find this stuff über interessant, but I am also too numb to care.
• I start to get homesick this time of year, which is kind of crazy considering how long ago I moved from my hometown. On Friday morning, I felt compelled to talk to my parents, and it needled me so much that I thought maybe there was something wrong, so I called during my prep. Everyone was fine, and I talked to my dad for 15 minutes, which for him, is a reeaaalllly long time to talk on the phone. It was so nice! He's not a phone talker, but when he is a great storyteller when we're porch sittin'. This time of year, there's no porch-sittin' when we visit, but there's still lots of jawin'. On Saturday, I talked to my brother, and I told him I was getting homesick, and he said, "I don't know why! It's cold here! I'm trying to think of ways to get out of here!" I think that colder weather makes me nostalgic for home. Listen to me, I might start getting all Garrison Keillor-ish if I don't stop now. Warning to my family: I might be calling more in the next few months!
  
• Above all...it's Sunday night, and I've got the Sunday Blues. I get them most Sundays, and only Desperate Housewives makes me forget for a little while that I have to work on Monday. I'm am living for those two Sundays in December when I won't have to have the blues. I'm a living for those 16 days when I can just relax by the fireplace and read until my heart's content. Isn't that what I'm always living for? Yes, it is.
  

Time-Wasting Equipment

The last three days I was using a VCR from 1984 (or so it looked) that was hooked up to my LCD projector so students could watch Anne Frank Remembered. Of course, it was one of those new-fangled kinds of VCRs that had a DVD player with it (so, it obviously wasn't really from 1984) but it didn't have a blasted counter with it, so every period I'd have to spend 5 minutes with the kids doing the High Low Game (think The Price is Right) trying to find the right place.

Picturing 15 kids yelling "No, past that! We've seen that! No, wait! We haven't seen that!"

Also picture 3 particularly loud kids yelling the opposite because they couldn't be helpful if their lives depended on it.

Picture the rest of them chatting with their friends because they can.

Picture pandemonium.

Picture my envy of my colleague who scored the only DVD copy of the video at Barnes and Noble last Sunday after we were brainstorming ways we could both use the one old VHS video.

Picture me saying expletives in my head but aloud: "Okay, well, this is close enough. Let's start here."

Our school has gone so modern, that it's not even that easy to use a VHS tapes, which I know is old technology, but many of us still have those valid, expensive-to-replace resources. I scored the VHS player from the Spanish teacher. I'm thinking I should visit the local thrift store for my own...with a blasted counter!

Even before our new school, I have never used videos very much in my classroom. Just a few times a year, and I never use them at home. I don't have a player, and I think I have maybe two home videos. So, standing there at the at the player each period made me feel so nostalgic. But I know it was just another one of those foolish-looking teacher moments.



**I know some of you are wondering why I wasted class time and didn't just rewind at the end of one class and before the other.

• I did do it for classes that preceded prep or lunch
• The video is so long that I had to be careful to get it all in over 3 days. It was close. Half the classes saw all of it. The other half missed the last few minutes.
  
• I did not dare skip hall duty after we receive a nasty gram from the principal this week about being in the hallways during passing period.