So I have to put in a post today because today only happens every 4 years! Because I don’t really know what to write about anymore I’ll just walk you through today.
Went to bed last night around 11:30 having fun conversations with my roommates talking about our kids, what we want to do this weekend and complaining about some of the issues we have with our job.
This morning I overslept a little and was up at 5:30 but still caught the bus in time to get on the train (a 45 min ride) this is where I normally catch up on sleep, some how I always seem to wake up just in time to get off at my stop. Today however I woke up with a ton of energy and listened to music on the way to work and when I got off the train I heard the same evangelist that is always at the train stop rain or shine yelling “Proverbs twenty-nine twooooooo!!” over and over again. Instead of taking the bus to the high school I decided to walk because it was a beautiful morning.
In the morning my team stands in a circle and makes announcements and we all check in to see how everyone is feeling, then at around 7:40 we head downstairs to welcome all the students and staff. We even have songs we sing to them if it’s a big enough group walking in. Its pretty goofy but fun and we always get mixed reviews from the students, more of them like it now than they did at the beginning of the year when they didn’t know what to think of us.
At 8:00 I went to my first hour class and got stopped by one of my favorite students who I don’t have in any of my classes because she’s a Junior but she told me about how last night a student was shot a dozen time in a gang related jumping. He was also a Junior but was in some freshman classes, I didn’t know him but he was in one of my teammates classes and I guess he was quite the character, all the teachers had already written him off. This is the first time this year we’ve lost a student to a gang altercation and the school ran as normal which seemed very bizarre to me.
My math class went well today we were reviewing percentages, combining like terms and fractions. Not to long ago I showed my students a wonderful dance Alan (my brother) taught me. Its has been a major hit. All the students are asking me to do and to show them how to do it. When they finish there work I treat them to it, it’s pretty darn funny and now some of the students call me “Mr. Vending machine” (vending machine is the name of the dance)
After hours 1,2 and 3 which lasts from 8-11:25 I headed downstairs and overheard a student say he was going to kick the teacher I work with “in the teeth” and I said really your going to kick Mr.______ in the teeth?”, “Yeah!” he said “and I’m finna kick you in the teeth too!” He obviously was not in a good mood but I couldn’t just walk away and leave the conversation on such a negative note, especially with a student I’d never met before “Really, you think you can kick that high?” “I know I can!” he yelled at me “ok” I said and lifted my hand up “see if you can kick my hand” so he tried it and sure enough he could kick that high “Uh oh, I guess I should have a mouth guard in around you” His demeanor changed pretty quick and he laughed, “naw, don’t worry about it we good” so we bumped fists and went to class.
I’ve found that the quickest way to change a students mood is to surprise them. So many of them have plenty of reasons to be angry, so they are always looking for a fight or a reason to laugh…I prefer the latter J
Well I have to go I will continue walking through my day later, God Bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment