Wow, rough day

Hello,

I'm sure your child was able to label me as "crabby" today.  It was a long day.

Things that children said to me today:

"But everyone else does it."

"But I didn't do it on purpose!" 

"Do we have to do the homework?"

"What if we don't?"

"But I did it, I just left it at home."

"My mother didn't put it in my backpack."

"You didn't give me one."

"I thought you were talking to her."

"We were just taking the long way back to class.  We're allowed to."

I'm barely cracking the surface. I had some of the most one-sided conversations today.  It was a terrible storm of "Not my faults," and "Who me?"  I felt like I was in lecture mode for half the day.  AAuugh!  I really don't like days like this.  One of the best things about teaching is that the next day always feels like it is going to be better. 

We did have some learning take place in between all of the times children weren't taking responsibility for their behavior.  We heard from several speakers about the Amur Leopard and the Duck-billed Platypus.  The Leopard won the class vote 13 - 7.  I think the students were quite shocked to learn that there are only 30 Amur Leopards left on the planet.  Tomorrow's match-up is between the Red Fox and the (traditional) Leopard.

In science, we heard about the rock cycle in a presentation from our Rocks and Minerals group.  This was the last in a series of presentations that started yesterday.  We also did a couple of geologic charades.  One group performed as a canyon being formed by a river.  Another group was a destructive earthquake.  Many students were confused by this performance, so I showed them a video clip of how the land acts very much like a liquid during an earthquake.  The quake moves in waves and the land "ripples" like water.  The performers did a good job of this.  We'll do a couple more geologic charades tomorrow.

My math class has been working on gaining the knowledge they need to tackle chapter three head on.  We have been working with multiplication and factors.  In Rocket Math, the class voted on the theme of our inspirational posters.  In the past, I have had race cars, a football field, a rocket going across space, etc.  The idea is that every time a student passes a math level, they get to move their rocket, car or ball.  This year they voted on bowling for the theme.  I've cut out the lanes and copied the pins and bowlers.  As soon as I can put the finishing touches on these things, the kids will be able to move their bowling ball closer and closer to the pins as they pass more and more multiplication tests.  The ten pins will represent the last ten tests.  Pass all the tests, get a strike.  Not as easy as a race track, but we're making it happen.  I don't think it is the bowling theme, but the fact that the results are public that will make this motivating. 

Welcome to any math parents reading this for the first time.  Please feel free to call (841-2599) or email me with any questions or concerns about math class. 

Have a great night.

Mr. Shea

PS. Lego Club tomorrow until 5:00.