USA Project

Today my students began a project where they will road tripping across the USA and they got to pick three cities to visit. My seventh period began with this -

"Miss why didn't you do Europe?! I wanna go to Tokyo!"

"But J- Tokyo isn't in Europe"

"Yeah Yeah I mean I wanna go to China"

"But J- China isn't in Europe"

"No, miss I wanna go to Tokyo in China"

"J- Tokyo isn't in China"

"Oh."

This only got worse as I began showing them the location of places like Seattle and Chicago and then they asked "Miss, where is Houston?" uh oh.

This is why we need social studies in school, plain and simple.

Are you KIDDING me?

On a regular basis my kids come up to me in the beginning of class saying "MISS! My binder is missing! Someone took it!" To which I always respond. "Nobody is taking your binder you probably just missed it when you looked. Have a seat and I will find it when everyone else has gotten their binders."

So today appeared to be just another day-

"MISS! I can't find my binder" - Student 1.

"Ok have a seat and I will find it when everyone is seated" - Ginge

"MISS! My binder is GONE!" - Student 2.

"Its okay. Calm down. Just have a seat" - Ginge

.....students are milling around the windows where the shelves of binders are located.....

"MISS! My binder is gone too!" - Student 3

"Ok WHAT is going on here"- Ginge

"MISS I SEE THEM! THEY ARE ON THE ROOF!" - Student 4

"WHAT!? HAVE A SEAT. NOW!"

Yes, someone in my class today decided it would be BRILLIANT to throw students' binders out of the window and down onto the roof below. As if these kids weren't driving me crazy already.

Quotes to keep me going.

Last night in my certification class I was given a paper with this quote on it. It now hangs up next to my desk:

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

I can't see why you'd want to live here.

After finishing my first six-weeks in the classroom I feel more defeated than ever. My students are not learning. They are continuing to fail tests that I gave them every answer to the day before. They do not turn in easy projects I built in to help their grades. I have one entire class that I cannot seem to manage. They cannot stop talking long enough to write their name on their paper, let alone listen to me deliver content.

2nd 6-weeks big goal part 1- find some way to break through to 6th period.

I cannot even try to say this is all student based. I am still struggling with clear content delivery and keeping my kids engaged throughout the lesson. My organization is getting messy with 140 kids turning in late work, missing classes and doing different assignments. so...

2nd 6-weeks big goal part 2- engage my kids and organize my classroom

They say all first year corps members go through the "what am I doing here?!" phase and apparently it gets better and passes. I cannot wait for that day. Until then I live every sunday in fear of the upcoming week and hoping that I can convince myself to get off the highway at my exit instead of continuing to the airport bound for a better city.