And.... we're back...

So, yesterday, we returned from Spring Break, and tried to get right back in the swing of things.

The difficulty is, the swing of things as defined by me is considerably different from the swing of things as defined by my students. I came back ready to tackle the last bits of literature and writing we needed to complete before the end of the semester. My kids, on the other hand, seem to have come back ready to tackle each other.

Two examples of this immediately spring to mind, and oddly enough, both are from the English II crew...

First we have student A, whom we will call Bones, for reasons of anonymity. Mr. Bones seems to be under the impression that the swing of things should involve his attempting to surreptitiously violently jostle his male colleagues family heirlooms, much to the dismay of the room.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have student B, whom we will call Mr. Wendall. Mr. Wendall seemed to feel that the swing of things should include at least some jack-o-lantern commentary added to every task within the classroom. This included complaining loudly at having to take notes, complaining loudly about having to use paper and pencil, and complaining at a high pitched whine, likely only heard by dogs and small rodents, about having to finish the last writing assignment of the semester.

Perhaps today will be different... at least, one hopes that the swing of things no longer collides with other student's junk..... 

T'was the day before Spring Break...

So, we've survived high stakes testing; the kids have nearly all reported that what we had done in class had helped them tremendously in preparing for the test itself. The only problem is, it has left the jackolanterns all wound up, and without an outlet.

Thus far, I've confiscated a steel hammer, written two referrals for playing soccer with the trashcan outside the restrooms across the hall, and had to explain why we have to work before spring break...

Just need to get through, that's all.....

High stakes testing...

So, today marks off the beginning of the state-mandated high stakes testing....

Leaving aside the obvious - it doesn't come close to measuring what it actually purports to measure, it isn't a fair evaluation of students by any stretch of the imagination, and it only serves to sour what is, for some, an already bitter relationship - today is going to suck for an even worse reason....

Today, without the escape valve of "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" of afterschool duty, I get to play hall monitor....

Yay me....

Spring Break?

So, here we are, about a week before spring break...

Why so late, you ask? Because the Easter Bunny, with his pastel-egg laying chickens... but that is a different rant.

Anyway, a short list of the last few weeks...

A rash of kids caught in compromising conditions has brought about a rash of rashes and a flurry of referrals...

Sophomore dropout season has begun - 3 this week alone....

Prom has come and gone; kudos to the kids for pulling off a great prom on a shoestring...

Some of my jack-o-lanters have taken to texting parents from the bathroom that they are sick, resulting in the nurse having to find them to send them home sick, even though she hasn't seen them at all...

The high stakes test that doesn't come close to measuring what it claims to measure is coming up, right before spring break; the kids are focused.... on spring break.

Kid walked in with gold shoes. Seriously, he walked in with shoes spray-painted gold, with purple laces, for a step competition being held tonight. The uproar was.... interesting...

I've had to block out my door windows to prevent the silent conversations through them; only to have a host of ding-dong-ditch games being played outside the room now.