The Teacher is a Dork

I am hoping that my last few posts have not given anyone the wrong idea about my kids. They are not out of control maniacs. I do not have one student that I would be afraid to share a dark alley with (there are about four in the school that I feel differently about, but we're talking about MINE here). Most of the time, my job is so much fun, I can't believe that I get paid to do it. I've decided that from time to time, I'm going to profile a student who has done something to make me really proud- I always remind myself to focus on the positive. So, first I will share a couple of funny stories, one of which actually made me blush, which rarely happens.

Let me begin by telling you that my classroom is always cold. Summer, winter, in-between, whatever- it averages 62 degrees F. Thursday, I was discussing important science skills with my 7th hour. This class is probably the rowdiest (but most fun) class of the day. I'm worn down by this time, so they get by with more than most classes. As we were discussing the use of observation, I asked C what was something he could observe in our room. He said he could tell that I was cold. I said "That's right! You noticed that I'm shivering and rubbing my arms- that's great". He smiled and the bell rang. As he walked out, he whispered to me, "That's not how I could tell you're cold", and looked at my chest. Yup, that's right, folks, the girls were on high beam! Thank God for the bell- I don't recall ever being so embarassed in front of my class before. Now, to his credit, he WAS using his power of observation! And, it's a big improvement in his behavior that he didn't just bellow it out in front of everyone! *Note to self...start buttoning cardigans all the way up*

A few weeks ago, the kids were working on an earthquake project. We were in the computer lab, and they were searching for information and graphics. One of the girls was searching for an image showing the causes of earthquakes. I guided her to a search engine that I like because it has a filter, and it usually pulls up good information. So she types in "earthquake causes", hits images, and VOILA! The very first picture is taken from the foot of a bed, looking at the asses of two morbidly obese people (like 400 + lbs. each) having sex. She sat with her mouth open (I'm sure she'll be needing counseling at some point to remove that image from her head). And what, you may ask, did her mature, enlightened teacher do? I began to laugh uncontrollably. I was able to tell her to close out, but I proceeded to laugh so hard that tears rolled down my face. After a few moments, she began to laugh too, and for days afterward, every time we looked at each other, we'd begin giggling again. Of course, on lunch, I had to write down the search engine and topic typed in for all of the teachers, who raced to the computer lab to view it (it's good to know that I'm not the only immature perv teaching your kids, eh?)

Ok, let me tell you about Lisa. She's in my homeroom, but I've never been able to get a real sense of who she is. She's a big girl, maybe 5'11" and rather heavy, so I'm sure she's a little self-conscious. She's one of those quiet students who you can easily overlook. She always does her work without questions, she'll answer if you call on her, but rarely volunteers. *This is why my class journals are not always about science topics, but often about the students themselves, so I can get to know them better*. After Christmas, I asked them to write what they had done over break. The other kids talked about seeing family, sleeping in, and playing video games. Lisa wrote a very beautiful account about how she, her mom, and her sister worked at the homeless shelter. They put together treat bags for the kids, and then went back on Christmas day and helped clean up the dinner mess. I wrote back that I thought this was a touching act, and that I was very proud to have her in my class. She never acknowledged my response, just continued on with business as usual.