diary of a guest educator

"no whining" book sale

although it's very difficult for me to part with books, I realize that's it's once again time to sort through, deal with the excess, clean out, and make room for new.

cope, adjust, and move on.

(that's what I tell my students, when they begin to whine.)

so, with no whining, I have listed 20+ books in my Amazon storefront, and have priced them to sell, as they say.

every book, whether paperback or hard cover, is just $5.

(plus shipping.)

all of them are in like new condition, and are also listed on my art blog, in the right-hand column.

please give them a good home.

later,

Mrs. O'R

are you smarter than a 5th grader?

if you've never seen the tv show, I would suggest that you watch it.

once.

that's enough.

enough to make me a bit crazy (with major disappointment thrown in) at the number of adults in this country - educated adults - who fail miserably in this game.

one of the advantages of subbing is being able to see all the "stuff" in a variety of teacher arsenals, and try things out.

in a recent two-day assignment with 7th graders, I opted to try something fun for the last 20 minutes of a Friday afternoon.

using Brainquest, grade 5, we played our own version of "are you smarter..." and it was a huge success.

I asked them all to stand, and then went around the room, asking the questions in order off the cards.

if they answered correctly, they got another question.

if they answered incorrectly, they had to sit down, and the question went to the next person.

the "record" for number of correct answers in a row was 6.

and although it was very frightening when I went through most of the class before someone could tell me in what year we celebrated our country's 200th birthday, the kids had a lot of fun, and I felt as though it was "educational" fun, as well.

are you smarter than a 5th grader?

later,

Mrs. O'R 

a very full week

I will be subbing in a different classroom every day this week, filling in for teachers who will be testing/evaluating students.

assessments are done twice per year in this district, and during the next two weeks, I will have lots of different assignments.

today was a return engagement, however, back to the 4th grade class I worked with last Thursday.

I had the opportunity to touch base with the regular teacher last Friday, so I had a clue about what my day would be like.

and I had managed to retain a fair number of names, always a problem for me, it seems.

but I was not exactly prepared for the way we started our day.

the other two 4th grade teachers have been quite disturbed by the amount of talking in the hallways (it's a modified open-concept layout) and also by the rough and unfair play practices on the playground.

so, they decided they would start the day by hauling all the 4th graders into the multi-purpose room, and give them a what-for-talking-to.

I made sure my little ducks were all accounted for and attentive.

they were told, among other things, that they could no longer talk quietly while waiting in lines (bathroom, bubbler, lunch, etc.) in the hallways, and if there was not significant improvement, they would no longer be allowed to play football at recess, recesses would be shortened or eliminated altogether, and of course, detentions would be dished out.

man, you could have heard a pin drop!

they were reminded that when in the halls, and others are talking, they should not TELL them to be quiet, as that just adds to the noise.

a hand in the air is the universal signal for all to stop talking.

later that morning, as I frantically lined them up for art class, I remembered the signal, and calmly raised my hand to get them quiet.

nothing.

I stood there, hand in the air, for what seemed an eternity.

the schedule was already mucked up by this meeting, and now I couldn't get their attention.

with a deep sigh, my forearm slowly lowered across the top of my head, with my right had dangling helplessly near my left ear. this drew some attention, and soon my entire row of ducks had were standing quietly, with arms resting across their heads, hands dangling, exactly the same.

it was all I could do to keep from laughing out loud, but hey, whatever works, right?

one of the other 4th grade teachers came past, clipboard in hand, ready to dish out those detentions, and did a slight double-take.

I immediately gave my line leader the signal to go ahead, and we were off to art, silent as the grave.

I think I like 4th grade.

later,

Mrs. O'R

thank goodness for dictionaries

a half day in middle school, 6th grade.

nice way to end the week.

and it was the afternoon, too, which always seems to me to go faster than the mornings.

this was a nice group of kids, too, very anxious to share with me when asked, and I was able to generate a couple of interesting discussions while going through their weekly reader newsletter.

remember those?

I occasionally will use a word or phrase that I'm fairly certain they do not know, just to see if anyone is curious enough to ask.

this group wants to know, and I had directed them several times to the row of dictionaries on the back shelf.

no, I'm not going to just tell them what it means, they have to work for it!

(yes, I admit it, I just like messing with their heads.)

anyway, during a half hour of SSR (silent sustained reading), I noticed a bit of whispering going on between a young lady and the guy next to her.

I had noticed her right away when they entered class after lunch, because she was having difficulty walking in the platform heels that were obviously new.

she had on a nice dress, quite different from the usual jeans & tops of all the other girls, and I detected a hint of make-up.

she was also on my list of students that would be taken from the classroom at various times for special help.

so when I saw this young man get up and go get a dictionary, look something up, and share it with her, I was tickled pink.

she didn't know a word, and rather than just tell her, he helped her find it in the dictionary.

I had made a difference!  yippee!

he caught me watching them, and was immediately concerned that I would reprimand him for talking during this time deemed silent.

I tried to assure him with a smile that it was ok, and life went on.

at the end of the day, the two of them hung back and approached.

he explained that he was helping her with a word that she didn't know, and I told him that was great.

and by the way, what was the word?

oh, I had to ask.

he blushed, and whispered to me "whore."

I tried not to flinch, turned to her, and asked her where she had heard it.

apparently, she had been called this at lunchtime, on the playground, and she didn't know what it meant.

her sweet helper added that he knew what it meant, but didn't know how to explain it, and thought maybe the dictionary could help him get the meaning across to her.

he knew it was bad, and felt she should know.

what a trooper.

I thanked him for his help, and told him to hurry along for the bus.

I then told this young lady that if anyone ever called her that again, she should tell the nearest teacher, and she promised she would.

she didn't seem phased by it at all, which left me feeling relieved and then concerned.

I left a long note for the teacher, explaining it all, and headed for home.

tgif.

later,

Mrs. O'R

new grade, new category

today I was scheduled for a class/grade I had not subbed for before - 4th grade.

again, I am amazed at the scheduling for kids, so much crammed into one day.

and thank goodness they are pretty much on automatic pilot when they come in - they all know (well, almost all) where they should be, what they should be doing, and what comes next.

but the teacher had warned me that this was a very talkative bunch, and that I would have to sit on them a bit.

we had a good day, in spite of a missing milk count clipboard - hey, this is important stuff! - and the ability of one young lady to find something to "tattle" about every half hour or so.

drove me crazy!

but she's just one of those needy kids, and this is her way of getting the attention she craves.

to keep from losing my cool over it, I gave her jobs throughout the day - passing out papers, collecting homework, picking up scraps for the recycle bin after a cut-and-paste assignment, etc.

she was too buy to notice that Alecia was chewing gum - AGAIN.

tiny victories.

later,

Mrs. O'R

challenged

today I was back in familar territory, a 6th grade classroom I had been in last spring, and with students I had subbed for last year as 5th graders.
but there was one young man I had not met before.
and on the top of the pile of worksheets and books left for me by the teacher, was a note regarding this one student.
apparently, he has quite a few "issues," and the 6th grade teachers had a conference with the parents, and come up with a long list of ways to deal with this kid, how to reinforce good behavior, when it's ok to just let him walk around in the back of the room, when to call the police, etc.
oh my, not really the kind of thing you want to read at 7:45 am.
but, I read it carefully, made sure I knew where the phone was, and put the office extension number in my pocket.
as they filed in, I watched for this seat up front and center to be filled.
but he did not arrive before the bell.
I took attendance, and the kids told me that he often comes late.
we proceded with our assigned tasks, and after about an hour, I thought that maybe I had dodged a bullet today, and he would be absent.
but shortly before lunch, he walked in, excuse in hand, and said, "Who the hell are you?"
although we had moments of understanding, tiny lights at the end of very long, dark tunnels, it was pretty much downhill from there, and I felt as if I was spending most of my time keeping him in check, and could never really focus on anything or anyone else.
about two o'clock he threatened to pound another student, a young woman who had no fear, was sick of his interruptions to class, and probably would have come out pretty well, had it come to blows.
so I sent him to the office, and called to tell them he was on his way.
he arrived back in class shortly before day's end, and I made surre he had all the homework that had been assigned.
at the bell, he was gone, to detention, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
it was a challenging day, and I guess I should be glad that no one was injured, and the police did not have to be called.
but it was not the way I want to "teach."
later,
Mrs. O'R

split shift

today I had a wonderful day in 5th grade, half the day in one classroom, and half in another.
the teachers are beginning a series of tests and assessments, and I've got quite a few days scheduled in the next couple of weeks.
today I worked as part of a team, and observed two different teaching styles.
not having taught elementary students much in my past life, I'm trying to decide what techniques to try of the ones that I have observed.
I appreciate the ability of the one teacher to remain calm, and maintain an almost hypnotic, steady tone in speaking with the class.
but that's not me.
I like to shake things up once in awhile, and I think that can be a good thing.
the other teacher is a bit more animated, and seems to relate to the kids in a different way, maybe because she's the mother of teenagers, been there, done that.
but there's still that nice, sing-song-y way of talking to the class that I don't get.
I'll find my own way, I'm sure.
I never was as comfortable with younger students.
hope I get called for middle school soon.
later,
Mrs. O'R

donations for school supplies

one of the "widgets" - and, don't you just love that word!? - that can be added to a typepad blog is a "tip jar."
some people collect donations to cover their blogging costs, others collect for specific organizations, etc.
so, I decided I would configure my tip jar to accept donations for the purchase of school supplies.
last year, I spent a considerable amount of money on pens, pencils, and notebook paper, which I gave away to students that did not have what they needed for class.
granted, some of those kids, especially at the high school, just didn't bother to bring stuff with them, out of laziness, or defiance, or whatever.
but I was determined that "I don't have a pen" would never be a legitimate excuse for not getting assigned work completed in class, if that's what our lesson plan called for that day.
I also bring a box of kleenex to class, just in case there isn't one.
last winter, at the height of cold and flu season, and then again in the spring, for allergies, I gave away a LOT of tissues.
the elementary teachers usually have it covered, but the high schools...
and, I found that the lack of tissues in the classroom was another convenient excuse for an extended bathroom break.
when you click on the donations for school supplies link, you will be taken to a page where you may enter your donation, minimum of $2, a message, if you like, and your name and email address.
then click on the button at the bottom that will process your donation through paypal.
if I should have any extra money from these donations at the end of the school year, I will donate it to one of the schools and let you know about it here.
thanks for reading my blog, and I hope we all have an enjoyable year.
later,
Mrs. O'R

herding cats again

kindergarten cats, oh my!
there had been some trouble getting an associate to work every day this week, so I was called last night to help out today.
as an associate (wonder why they don't use the term "aide" anymore?), I was helping a very nice teacher that I will refer to as Ms. Gerbil.
she told me that her last name is often mispronouced, and she had recently been called "Miss Gerbil" by one of her new charges - I love it!
the kindergarten area is amazing!
all the 4-K and 5-K classrooms are connected to a central resource room, a huge, multi-level room filled with all kinds of activity stuff - a huge sandbox on a table, for easy access, a big doll house, lots of building block parts and pieces, books, puzzles, toys, and even a log cabin playhouse that has a new theme every month.
this month it's a Vet's office - love it!
but we had much to do before we could explore this area, including calendar time, play time, a color-cut-and-paste project, snack time, SEVERAL bathroom breaks, story time, lunch, music class, three recesses, rest time, songs for every activity, and yes, even The Chicken Dance.
and yes, I did The Chicken Dance, quite well, actually...
it's fascinating to see the range of abilities (and attention spans) in five-year-olds.
some could probably color, INSIDE the lines, all afternoon, and be content.
and others, well, every minute or so they must be gently reminded what "their job" of the moment is.
thirteen out of fourteen were very receptive, and listened to me quite well.
but one young lady decided from the get-go that I was not her teacher, therefore she did not have to do anything I asked of her.
and I find it very irritating when you tell a child to do something, or to stop doing something, and they just look at you.
they do not do, or do not stop, just look at you, blankly, as if you're speaking a foreign language.
she won a few battles, but I kept my cool, and won the war.
she was always the last one to line up for anything, but I was right there, behind her, making sure she kept up with the group, was quiet, and kept her hands to herself - not an easy task.
"when we're walking, we're not talking."
it was a long day for these little ones (and me, too), but soon it was time to get packed up and line up for the bus.
only one little guy couldn't remember which bus he was assigned to, but fortunately, his bus driver recognized him, and he was soon on his way home.
I helped clean up a bit, and assured Ms. Gerbil that they had not scared me off, that I would come back, if asked.
I better rest up this weekend.
later,
Mrs. O'R

vocalizing

last night I received the call, and today I subbed for the new high school choir director.
second day of school!
unfortunately, there wasn't much for me to do.
after homeroom (I didn't have one assigned), I supervised a study hall.
most of them didn't have much to do yet, but they busied themselves, and I told them they could talk quietly.
when I asked one young man if there was any rule against wearing caps in class, several students piped up that it was my choice, so, of course, I asked him to remove the cap while in "my" class.
don't know what that's all about, but it still irritates me when I see men wearing hats/caps inside.
guess I'm from that generation (oh, brother, that makes me sound old!) that was raised to expect them to take off their caps indoors, as a sign of respect.
my request was met with no resistance (big relief!), and the other guy in class with a cap took his off, as well.
I also insisted that they not put their feet up on chairs - something I would have to repeat several times the during the day - what's up with that!??
don't teachers make kids sit in chairs the proper way?
well, I do.
no classes second and third hour.
normally, the choir director would be teaching lessons during those times, but he hasn't had time to make a schedule yet.
fourth hour was a big mixed chorus, 40+ kids.
there wasn't any music in the folders, so I decided not to attempt getting them to sing.
the lesson plan said only to take attendance and put in the dvd, movie version of "Oklahoma!"
attendance was a bit painful - why don't kids speak up clearly anymore?? - but we managed, and I began a short intro. I had quickly prepared.
overheard one young man in the third row mutter, "I don't want to listen to some old lady talk about a dumb musical," and he began texting on his cell phone.
big mistake.
he didn't see me coming until I was directly in front of him, and it startled him when I said, "Put it away, or it's mine!"
I started toward the front of the room again, but turned around and added, "And I'm not THAT old."
visibly embarrassed that I had actually heard him, he and his buddies were quiet and attentive the remainder of class.
fifth hour lunch was a choice between institutional spaghetti (yech) and the "sandwich bar."
I chose the latter, and selected a non-threatening bologna sandwich, peaches, an oatmeal bar and a pickle.
and milk.
I'm not a milk drinker, but it's free.
the teacher's lounge/workroom was spacious, and I talked a bit with a couple of teachers I had already met.
they all seemed pleased that there was a new sub for the year, I guess we're a precious commodity.
nothing going on sixth hour, but I chatted with the band director, and let her know my music background, so if she ever needed help with anything...
seventh hour was girl's - oops! - WOMEN'S choir, another 40+ group of gigglers who insisted that it was ok if they stretched out on the floor, using their backpacks as pillows.
I insisted that today it was not ok.
perhaps tomorrow it would be ok.
eye-rolling, but no major protesting.
I'm liking this school!
during eighth hour I decided to put the chairs into some kind of order, and only arranged enough chairs on the risers for the largest class.
stacked the others in the corner of the room.
wrote out my daily report, wrote a little thank-you note to Mr. Newchoirdirectorwiththenewbaby, and waited for 3:03 to arrive.
first day of my year, and no casualities.
can't wait to see what comes next.
later,
Mrs. O'R