Category: Learnin’ ‘Em Kids

I teach. Most of these posts are password-protected.

The Moment Said Smack You

I started a second facebook account. See, a bunch of my former students kept trying to friend me, and, eh, I wasn’t entirely sure I felt like having them all up in my bidness.  So now I have a teacher account and a regular person account.

These kids are in sixth, seventh, eighth grades, and I’ve noticed a couple things about them.  They don’t post many status updates.  But they do become fans.  And how.

I mean, I’m a fan.  I’m a fan of Patty Griffin, and the Daily Show, and Roy Williams, and the Monti, and the Patisserie.  You know, people you can see and places you can go and shows you can watch.

Well, my kids are fans of profiles.  Profiles with titles like:

HURRY UP AND PASS OUT THE TEST BEFORE I FORGET EVERYTHING!

Why do we have to be quiet during a fire drill? Will the fire hear us?

The teacher says work with a partner, I look at my friend, we both nod

I look at my cell phone during awkward situations

Telling inanimate objects to STAY when they look like they’re going to fall

I say ” I was like” instead of “I said.”

When I Say “Yeah Buddy”, Someone Just HAS to say, “Rolling Like A Big Shot.”

Profiles rife with spelling and grammar errors like:

Parents call it “Back Talk” we call it “explaining why their wrong”

Its funny how sitting “boy girl boy girl” used to be a punishment…

No. Your wrong. So just sit there in your wrongness and be wrong.

I have at least one song on my ipod which i have to explain why i have it

Profiles with conversations as titles:

“Sit down, class isn’t over yet”. No, but my attention span is.

“OH, SO LET ME TELL YOU THIS STORY…” “Dude, I was there with you.” “Oh.”

“Sorry.” “STOP SAYING SORRY!” “….Sorry.”

Profiles with incomprehensible titles:

Keep yo hands off my momma, Keep yo hands off my Doritos!!

Why did you smack me? was in the moment and the moment said smack you!! :)

As far as I could see, not much happens on these profiles.  The people who set them up just brag in their status updates about how many fans they have.  And they have millions of fans.  Literally.  That one about the fire drill—over 1.5 million fans.  The “back talk” one—1.7 million.

I really didn’t get it.  And then I got back on my regular person facebook account and saw that a friend of mine had become a fan of a profile called When I was younger I would record my favorite songs off the radio onto tape.

Aw!  I used to do that!

I Love You, Too

One teaching practice I put into place after reading that article that pissed me off was to check for understanding more frequently and broadly.  The way I do this is, sometimes, I ask a question and reach into a can with all the kids’ names on popsicle sticks.  The student whose name is drawn has to attempt to answer the question, AND the stick goes right back in, so the kid is equally likely to be called on again.  (I’m not a hard-ass.  If they don’t know the answer, I acknowledge some part of their response that has value.  And I don’t do it all the time—just after I’ve taught a lesson, before independent practice, when I want to make sure they got the concept.)

This practice has made me realize exactly how much stuff my students are not getting.  It’s a lot.  What an eye-opener for me.

Well, Friday, amidst my plethora of valentines, I got this one from Chang-sun:

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ms. Scott, can you please read MY name on the stick even if it is not mine?  Because I really want to announce some of the answers in the math time.  Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day!  I hope you have a great Valentine’s Day with your family.