Say What?!?

So happy it's Friday...this week has felt soooo long. Snow days at the beginning or end of the week, cool, but snow days mid week just make the week seem incredibly long.

Even though I have only been with my kiddios 7 days over the last two weeks there have still been plenty of moments that have left me scratching my head and muttering...SAY WHAT?!?

one. I have a lot of students who appear on my roster but never actually make it to my class, or only once every three or four weeks. I use to be more concerned but really at this point I just worry about the students who show up and move on.

So on my last roster of the day I have had a male student show up once in four weeks. Last Thursday his communities in school person (aka personal counselor) stopped by to pick him up for his session...because all sessions are pulled from electives...and I mentioned he has never come back since the first day of the semester.

She shows back up 45 minutes later and informs me that he doesn't want to be in my class and he has just been going to the learning lab and hanging out. And really its not good for him to be in a class he doesn't want to be in so if I would be okay with him just not ever coming to my class. But still getting a grade and attendance for my class. Apparently she has that agreement with a few teachers for several of her students.

SAY WHAT?!?

I told her no. He could show up and sit out in the back of the room and earn his zero and his attendance...but really you are basically teaching a child that its okay to skip whatever makes you uncomfortable...way to go.

two. A female student, M, asked me to use the restroom but didn't have a restroom pass. All students are given 8 a six weeks and have to use them in order to use the restroom or hallway during class time. I asked her how she was going to manage the next five weeks with no restroom passes. M's response: "it doesn't matter I will be in jail on Monday. I have court. After that probably jail." 

This is the same student when we were working on our Be, Do, Have project and I asked her what she wanted to do after high school responded..."I dunno...jail?!?"

SAY WHAT?!?

three. For the past two weeks (really three class periods, stupid snow days) my Robotics students have been putting together their inventory. In partners they have to find 618 pieces in order to fill their lego kits up...can't build without pieces.

What the kit should look like when complete.

I have bins with each type of piece across all of our large tables in order to make the process a bit more orderly, but really they are spending 90 minutes walking around, talking and counting out pieces...not rocket science.

I have never had so many students complain before...ever! 

"My head hurts from looking down"

"My feet hurt"

"I hate legos"

"I am dizzy"

"I am tired"

"I can't find anything..."

SAY WHAT?!?

You spend the majority of the day sitting, writing and being quiet...this is the exact opposite: embrace it, love it or shut up!

four. In SEL aka homeroom this week during our administrative announcements I was trying to promote joining Student Council...it took us five months for a teacher to finally volunteer to join so we are starting a bit late. My kids had no clue what student council even was for..."discussing our problems"... so I was telling them about my experience in high school: we planned the prom, I spoke at graduation, we did fundraisers to raise money, etc.

All they heard was prom and suddenly they were like a pack of wolves pouncing on their prey...they bombarded me with questions like little machine guns. I could barely answer one before the next one has drilling me with eight more questions.

SAY WHAT?!?

I don't have found memories of prom so it was so crazy uncomfortable, stories that just aren't school appropriate to share...although great learning lessons for me. They demanded to see a picture and since I pretty much bend to their every whim...within reason...I am considering bringing one next week. Sigh.

five. In Web Design this week we are working on our blogging unit and have been since last Tuesday, at this point we have set up individual blogs, loaded avatars, posted about me's, posted a review and a dream travel post. As I was walking around checking in with each student, a female student looked at me with those lost student eyes. 

I asked her how her posts were going, her response..."wait are we supposed to do something on this..." 

Nope just sit there and twiddle your thumbs, ignore me talking, ignore the bored, ignore the rubric...you will be just fine.

SAY WHAT?!?

Don't get me wrong I HEART my kiddio's but sometimes they just make me want to shake my head and for lack of anything better to say...SAY WHAT?!?

What doesn't make me say what, is this song by Eric Paisley...the perfect little tune for Friday Night:

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Linking up with Whitney, Miss Angie, Doodle Bugs, Lauren, April, and Lauren.

- The Babbling Box!