Update on My Hall Pass

My hall pass is in it's second day of use.

Lots of kids seem to be a little reluctant to be carrying my Computer Keyboard Hall pass down the halls (It looks just like the one in the picture.)

"What if someone sees me?" Said one kid.

"I'll look like a dork." Said another.

It looks like kids are only going to be using the hallpass if they really, reallly need to use the restroom, otherwise, they are too embarrassed to be seen with my pass.

So, that idea worked out very well!

See, I Can Learn....

Well, today, I did all of the same things that I did yesterday. You know what, though, I did them better this time. We did group activities in each class and each class went much better than yesterday. Here are the differences:

1) In the classes where we did the Tangram stuff, I walked through each step in front of the class, I had them throw away the extra flap of paper that isn't used in the set, I made sure that each student had the right group of 7 tangram pieces, and I had each student label each of their pieces.

2) Then, I had each student try to put their tangram set back together in the shape of a square. I helped the kids that didn't get it.

3) Then, we formed groups. I still let the kids pick their own groups, but today, they were all boy or all girl groups. Maybe I got lucky, but the groups all worked really well together and didn't just throw up their hands and quit. Each team had to chose a team name. I put the team names on the board.

4) We did each of the 4 tangram puzzles in order. First team to get each player's tangram set into the proper configuration won and got 5 points (if there were 5 teams). Second team got 4 points, etc. This went really well today and the kids were into the competition.

5) Winning teams got prizes. I am a bit of a cheapskate, so each team member on a winning team got one of my Tea Tree Oil Toothpicks to chew on. Remember, it isn't the value of the prize, it is the fact that it is a symbol of your victory. Two ladies teams won today and they seemed pleased to have toothpicks to chew on.

Oh, and why am I doing Tangram stuff in my Technology Class? Making a Tangram Set and the subsequent creation of different figures with your pieces is fairly similar to the process that one uses to create a drawing in AutoCAD. There are certain tools at your disposal, certain rules that must be followed and an end product image that must be created. Just like with a Tangram set.

Next class period, we start learning lines. Yeah!

The Freshman Class Meeting

OK, so during Homeroom, which is the last 40 minutes of the day, we had class meetings.

Homecoming is coming up in a couple of weeks and the different classes (Freshman, Sophmore, Junior, etc.) all are to be planning their homecoming floats, hallway decorations, and so forth.

Someone had the idea (likely as a cruel joke) to make me a Freshman class sponsor, along with three other teachers. I do not have any Freshman in any of my classes, so I don't know any of them. In addition, they are all squirrely as hell and can't sit still for more than 20 seconds at a time.

And I get to help them plan their homecoming float!

Yikes.

We had our second meeting today. I tried to organize 20-25 crazed 9th graders to get some sort of game plan together. What will our float be about? Who can bring costumes? Who will help make posters? You get the idea.

It isn't easy.

From what I understand, it is likely to get worse and worse as homecoming gets closer. Homecoming week is supposed to be crazy.

Yippee!

I Do Too Many Things In Groups...

Today was a long day. I am starting new units in each of my classes (all two of them). In the Technology Class, we will actually be starting to do our AutoCAD stuff this week and next. In the Web Design Class, we will be starting a Photo Manipulation project.

To kick off a new unit, I like the idea of a starting activity that is kind of fun. For the Technology classes, I put together a little lesson on Tangrams, how to make them, how to put them together, etc. In Web Design, we will be doing a project based on a deck of cards, so I put together a short card game that the kids could play.

It is also writing time, so I had each class do some writing after their fun.

It was tough.

I had the kids in groups in each class. Groups of 2 in one class and groups of 4-5 in the other two classes. I think that the kids aren't used to doing group stuff in my room yet, so when they are let free from the computer screen, they get a little squirrely. I had to put a ton of energy into just keeping the peace. Not that the kids were getting way out of line, just that they were getting loud. Gave me a headache.

I continue to notice that kids have a hard time following written instructions. In one class, I gave the groups written instructions to create a set of Tangram Pieces. You'd have thought I had told them to create a nuclear bomb from toothpicks and spools of thread. "I don't get it!" I don't understand!" "What does this mean!" I had one young lady completely shut down and put her head on the desk when she couldn't figure out how to cut her tangram pieces the way the drawings showed her. Ouch.

Anyway, I think that, for the most part, the kids had fun and they did their writing, although I haven't graded it yet.

All in all, the activities took MUCH longer than I anticipated and I didn't get any of the new units started. Oh, well. I'm learning.

I hope.

I Talk with a Parent and Make a Hallpass.

First thing this morning, I was being summoned to the teacher's lounge to take a phone call. It was the mother of the student that I have been struggling with. Great call to get first thing. It actually went well. Her Mom understands that she can be difficult sometimes and that she is not a big fan of computers and that sometimes, she shuts down if she gets frustrated, which happens pretty easily. All in all, it went well. It sounds like Mom is on my side. We'll see how it goes when I have her in class tomorrow.

Today, the classes are all finishing up their initial project and submitting it for grading. Most kids have been working very hard and a number of them have created some great stuff. I look forward to figuring out how to print some of the projects in color and putting them up in my student display in the room.

In my 6th Period class, the kids have been a little advanced of all of the other classes. It helps that there are only 12 kids in the class. Most of them were wrapping up their project halfway through. It might have been a good idea to have some little "Sponge Activities" for them to work on, but I didn't have them. I decided that, because they have been working so hard, I would give them the last 30 minutes or so off. I have seen what happens when kids work hard, finish a project early and do good work and then a teacher lays "extra work" on them. They tend to shut down and will refuse to do any hard work anymore.

A couple of kids were still finishing up the last couple of touches on their project, most others were talking or looking on the internet. I decided to make a hallpass. So far, all I have had is the little hallpass pad, which I have to fill out each time someone wants to leave the room. This is a pain in the butt. I took an old broken keyboard from the still lingering pile of junky computer parts under my desk, cut off the cord and wrote in big letters across the front: "MR. BURKHARD'S TECH LAB HALL PASS!" I also found a notebook that I wasn't using and labelled that as "MR. B'S PASS BOOK." From now on, if a student needs to use the pass, they ask me. If I say "Yes", then they sign out in the hall pass book with the date and time and take my keyboard.

I am hoping that this makes my life easier.

Must run now. I have about 90 projects to grade!

Monday, Monday (Except It's Tuesday!)

OK, the long three day weekend has a me a little messed up. First off, I forgot that it was Tuesday and because it is going to be a late evening ("Back to School" Night) so I showed up at 7:55 a.m. This would normally not be a problem, as we all need to report by 8:00 a.m. Unless it's a staff meeting day! Guess what, Tuesday is a Staff Meeting Day!

So I got to seek out my principal and explain to him that I am an idiot and that my calendar was broken and that I won't miss any more staff meetings. Fortunately, he cut me some slack. This time.

Then, the day got weirder. One of our students here at Highland High School was killed in a car accident last week. His services were today and school was let out for the morning so that people could attend the services if they wished. I did not know the student, so I stayed behind in the school, along with all of the bussed in students that did not wish to go. Classes didn't start until 5th Period, but the services weren't over until halfway through that period, so that class was sort of a throw away.

However, in 5th Period, I did manage to go over the rubric and project submission expectations for the project that we have been working on for the last week. At that point, my "difficult" student that I mentioned last week put up her hand and said, "Will this effect my eligibility?" She is a volleyball player. "Umm.... Yeah, it might, if you don't pass the project," says I. "I am going to talk to the counsellor," she says, and out the door she goes.

The long and short of it was that she tried to indicate that she was not getting the teaching and the support that she needed in my classroom and because of that, she thinks she is going to fail. However, Mr. Ward, the principal, had been in my classroom observing last week when we had our initial difficulties and piped up to say that I was trying to work with her and support her and that she is refusing. She came back to the classroom as mad as hell, but sat down and got some work done.

After classes let out for the day, I sat down to work on grading projects. At 5:00 p.m., I went over to the gym to watch the girls' volleyball game for a few minutes. Then, at 6:00 p.m., I went back to my room to meet with parents for "Back to School" Night. About 12-15 parents came in and talked with me. Most of them parents of good kids. At 8:10 p.m., Open House was over and the Varsity Volleyball Game was in full swing. I watched the rest of that match until about 8:35 p.m. Then, I packed up and drove home. Another 13 hour day.