Graduation night

The final final exam was today.  Interestingly, one student, who will get the dubious honor of being Fred 13, cheated on her final exam.  She would never have gotten caught if it weren't for the fact that by the time I handed out 8 exams, she was finished answering 30 chemistry problems. I told her that she would have to take another exam or get a zero since she didn't have time to answer 30 problems in less than five minutes.  She assured me that she just guessed at them all.  She's never without a lie on her tongue.  I caught her with her cell phone during a test earlier in the year and she lied to the principal about it and got off the hook.  She again ran to the principal.  I refused to budge on this.  Principal told her to just take it again.  I mixed the questions up and handed it to her.  She refused to do it.  Then she started whining about how she didn't feel she should have to do this and she didn't know why I was making her do this.  I told her that I believed her to be a cheater and I knew she was a liar and she had to prove me wrong.  She got mad and said she was going to tell her mother what I said about her.  She left and I gave her a zero.  On a high note, graduation went very smoothly and only lasted 40 minutes!  Now, I'm looking forward to a relaxing three day weekend so I can job hunt! :-)

It wasn't as bad as all that

Well, all the dread and agony I had felt over dealing with this class for three hours was a big waste of energy.  They were downright decent and respectful.  Of course, there were only six of them. Supposed to be 8, but two were no shows.   Freds 1 through 3 were half of that group.  Fred 1 decided at the last minute to skip the final and have a D for the year, so that certainly cheered me up.  They were so quiet at lunch that I didn't even know where they were sitting - so unlike yesterday, when I had to go to their table twice over them banging on the table and wrapping too loud.  After their exam, they watched Rango.  Well, four of them watched Rango, one girl laid in the floor and slept.  Last eight students tomorrow morning for their exam, then all I have to do is clean out my room and the lab, turn in all papers, keys, etc., and head back north to look for work.  I really hope I can find a school that I love next year.  I'm so sick of moving!

Oh goody, just me and the monsters

Well, sophomores finished exams today.  I had two who blew the final and failed for the semester. I'm making them both re-take the final.  Maybe it was too hard.  After all, it was open book, and I did have them write down the page numbers to find answers, and they only had two hours to find 37 answers.  Not sure how much more I can "accommodate" those two.  But, I can't let them fail, so I guess I can give them their old test back and have them correct the ones they missed...while I stand over them and make buzzer noises if they mark it wrong again.  Tomorrow's the day I dread.  The only class I have to test tomorrow is that lovely one I'm always going on about. And, of course, the only nice kids in that class exempted the final, so the monsters will be the only ones there.  Oh, and just to make sure I suffer thoroughly, I have them for three hours!  Oh yes, I get to take them to lunch.  Hope I don't hurl.  I know, two tests to go, then payday, pack and run for my life!

Seniors done, sophomores next...

Seniors took their finals today.  Had a couple who didn't show up for their final.  Too bad for them.  Funny thing was, we went over every single question that was on their final.  I even had them look up the answer in the book and write down the page number.  Then I let them use their books. Believe it or not, one person made a hundred, and four failed the exam.  Go figure.  Maybe the sophomores will do better tomorrow.  I did the same thing for them.

Another lovely parent meeting

You remember Fred 4, right?  The one who hates me?  The one I wrote up a couple of weeks ago?  Today, F4's mom sends me an email wanting to meet with me before final exams (which are Wednesday).  I agree to meet with her this afternoon.  Now, I already knew what she was going to ask.  I knew she would try to get me to drop the write-up so her child wouldn't have to take exams.  But, I think it is so pathetic that a parent cares more about her child's GPA than about her child's character.  Basically, she asked if I would take back the write-up.  I told her no.  Then she says that the reason she is asking is because her child has never had to take a final exam before.  I told her I was sure F4 would have no problem passing the final.  Then she tells me that she's worried it might bring down her GPA.  I then explained what happened when F4 got written up and what has been happening everyday since about Thanksgiving.  Apparently, the rudeness, smart mouth, bad attitude aren't any concern to mom.  She's not even worried about her child passing.  She's just worried about keeping that high A. Finally, after realizing I was not going to change the rules for her, she says that her daughter asked her to come in and try.  I think if my son treated his teacher the way F4 treats me, the first thing I would have done before begging for exemption would be to have my son apologize to his teacher, then try to wriggle out of final exams.  It was all I could do not to just stand up and shout "Oh my God, people!" and walk out of the meeting.  I know, I know, just a few days left.  Tomorrow seniors take exams and Wednesday everyone else does.  Get me through the week, Lord!

OMG! How much longer till summer?

Field Day was a success, pretty much.  We only had three issues:  a fight, a kid with tobacco and one with alcohol.  There were some kids playing dice in the boy's bathroom, but I couldn't get in there to catch them.  I almost got out of having to get in the dunking booth, but some students, apparently, were saving all their tickets for when I went in.  So, after listening to them moan about how unfair it was that I wasn't getting in, I got in. The water looked like they got it out of the river, complete with smell.  I REALLY didn't want to go in.  The seat didn't drop all the way, so when you went in, you got caught on the edge of the seat which snagged your leg.  All I could think about was that person who got the flesh-eating bacteria in the water in Georgia.  Luckily, out of the twenty or so who wanted to dunk me, only about six succeeded.  One kid - not even one of my students - ran up and just pushed the target, dunking me.  The kid got three days after school detention and didn't even know me!  My reputation must be spreading like wildfire.  Afterward, I went to change and when I got back they were all in the cafeteria eating lunch. I don't know where all the teachers went, though, because there was only one teacher in the cafeteria when I got there.  After lunch, the talent show began.  You know, it is amazing that some of the kids you think have absolutely nothing going for them, end up being the most talented.  I heard some kids sing better than anything I've heard before.  A group of kids did a play about temptation that gave me goose bumps.  Of course, right after that, a student ran into the bathroom.  After a while of her not coming out, I went in.  Apparently, the play made her suicidal.  I let her tell me her story, then discussed the fact that what she was going through right now was only temporary, and in a few years, she will be able to stand on her own and pick her life.  She could do anything:  travel the world, heal the sick, create a new website.  I told her that the guilt she feels for what her dad is doing is useless.  It won't change his behavior and she has to realize that, as hard as it is to face, we can't help those who don't want help.  Sometimes all we can do is advise and then stand back and watch them screw up anyway.  Feeling guilty for what someone else does is counter-productive. I told her that instead, she should focus on her future.  Look up the college she wants to go to online and see what courses they offer.  Determine what classes she should take next year to help her be prepared for the classes she will have to take in college.  I think it helped, but when I noticed where she had stuck a pencil point into her wrist, I took her to the guidance counselor.  She did tell me that she was glad I had come in to check on her and not someone else.  Maybe I helped.  Got home around 4ish, exhausted and sunburned.  Thank goodness it's Friday!

Field Day tomorrow

Not too bad a day, considering.  My seniors had review today, which is completely unnecessary since the final is open book, but I spent about fifteen minutes reviewing every question on the exam before watching a NOVA movie about how smart animals are.  The kids seemed to enjoy the movie, and the ones who usually start trouble slept through it.  I stayed about an hour after school to check on which seniors exempted.  Got those marked in my grade book and will give to their homeroom teachers tomorrow morning.  The Field Day festivities begin promptly at 8am tomorrow.  From 8am until 12pm, we will be having the powderpuff football game.  For those of you unfamiliar with that, it is where the girls play football and the boys cheer.  I think the game will probably be over by around 10am.  My group of teachers are setting up a dunking booth.  It will start at 10:30am.  I'm scheduled to be in it around 11:30am.  At 12:00pm, all students will have lunch until 1pm, then from 1 until 3, we will have the talent show.  I will then go back to my classroom to make copies of tests for next Tuesday.  I will also figure out exemptions for my 10th and 11th graders.  Might even go ahead and make their tests out also.  I'm still a little peeved that the worst class I have will be the one that I have to keep for three hours during finals.  Oh well, it's practically over.  I'm packing my house up and packing my classroom up.  All that's left is exams and clean up.  This is the easy part.  YIPPEE!

This place is a soap opera

Interesting day.  I can say that because this time it wasn't me dealing with the drama.  Another teacher had a run-in with a couple of students.  It was serious enough that the teacher may not return next year.  Not because of the students, but because he got mad enough to quit.  Glad I'm not the only one thinking about that.  In another incident, we have a student (not one of mine), outrageous enough that he gets the dubious Fred 12 honor.  He has been making his teachers crazy since he arrived here.  Very flamboyant and outspoken.  I heard he even wrote something in the newspaper about how mistreated he is at school by the teachers.  He was making comments all day about getting students to attend the board meeting this week. He asked a teacher if they were attending and the teacher said no.  He then stated that he thought it should be mandatory that teachers attend.  Then he mentioned that our principal wasn't going to like what was decided at this week's meeting.  That he had already spoken to four of the board members and knew something about the fight policy and cell phone use.  I had a run-in with him earlier this semester when he was coming into the building through a door I and a student were exiting.  He almost knocked us down without as much as an I'm sorry.  I mentioned to the student that he didn't have manners.  He came back out the door and confronted me about what I said.  He stated, cockily that he did so have manners.  I replied that if he really had manners, he wouldn't have to tell people that he had manners.  He's been in so much trouble at the school, I don't know why he hasn't been sent off.  One of the few things I'm grateful for at this school is the fact that I don't have to deal with him daily.  Of course, if I go back next year, I will most likely have him.  Another reason to job hunt.  I hear they're hiring truck drivers.

One day and seven classes to go

It started out pretty good today.  I'm trying to cover as much as I can in biology since I'm not going to have time to cover the animal kingdom like I would like to.  So, I figured the best way to cover echinoderms and arachnids was to watch videos.  We watched a very cool movie on National Geographic about people eating tarantulas.  I took up textbooks and only have about 4 students who owe me books.  These books are so old that I don't think they will have to pay for them if we don't find them.  I made out my physics and zoology final exams today.  Since I was in such a good mood when I made them out, I even put the page numbers that the answers are on beside most of the questions.  Can you tell that I really don't want to fail a senior?  Anyway, I did have a write up today.  One of my students, Fred 11, wanted to go to another teacher's room.  I told him he would have to wait until the end of class and he got upset.  He turned around and said, "F*ck this sh*t!" and slammed his book down on the desk.  Funny thing, when I took him to the office, he swore he didn't say that.  He claimed he said "Screw it."  I told him I heard him.  He still denied it.  Principal is now trying to get witnesses who heard him say it.  Some people would think it would upset me that he lied, but I figure if it were me, I'd probably lie my pants off to stay out of trouble.  Especially when it means I wouldn't be exempt for finals.  Twelve classes to go.  That's right.  I no longer track time by days, it is down to classes.  Woop!

Final class week. Then exams, Then Summer!

Yes, I'm counting.  Three days of classes, Field Day, Exams for seniors, Exams for everyone else, Clean up and summer!  I am an interim teacher at this school.  My job has posted online.  I have not re-applied for it.  I think I'm going to apply for every other science teacher job out there first.  This town is just too small and too narrow minded for me.  I know that small towns are known for that, I just didn't think of it when I moved down here.  Mainly, I was thinking of the low crime rate.  I miss restaurants and theaters, zoos and museums, and alcohol.  I never really drank that much, mostly when I eat mexican food and watch Alabama football, but man do I miss it!  Mainly, I miss friends.  The only people I know here are teachers and I only know a few of them. None of them live in this town, they live in the bigger city up the road.  One of my students today told me that he heard I would be moving to the lower grades next year.  I asked who told him something like that.  He said he couldn't say.  I told him I heard he was going to fail 11th grade.  He yelled "That's a lie!"  I said, "Oh.  We must have talked to the same person."  Well, I thought it was funny.

The kids are okay, but God I hate the parents!

Had a phone call from a parent today.  The call went something like this:

ME:  Hello Mrs. <parent>.  I received a note to call you ASAP.  Is anything wrong?

PARENT: You're d*mn right there is!  I want to talk to you about the incident with my daughter!

ME:  I didn't realized there was an incident with your daughter.

PARENT:  I'm about to talk to the principal about you, telling my daughter she's stupid!

ME:  I called your daughter stupid?

PARENT:  H*ll yes you did!

ME:  I went up to your daughter and told her she was stupid?

PARENT:  No.  You said it to everybody.

ME:  I told the whole class they were stupid?

PARENT:  No!

ME:  I told the whole class your daughter was stupid?

PARENT:  No!

ME:  So, I didn't call your daughter stupid?

PARENT:  Yes you did!

ME:  I'm confused.  What exactly did I say to your daughter?

PARENT:  You said her 103 grade in math didn't matter!

ME:  Oh.  Well, yes, I did say that.

PARENT:  I'm going to Montgomery and telling them to fire you!

ME:  The grade doesn't matter.  What matters is what she's learned.

PARENT:  Don't you dare say that!  She worked hard for that grade!

ME:  When she gets a job, nobody will care that she got a 103 in math.  They will care that she can add and subtract.  That's what I was telling your daughter.

PARENT:  Well, I've had enough of you calling these kids stupid!  I'm gonna make sure you never come back here again!

ME: Would you like to hear the whole conversation I had with the students?

PARENT:  NO!

ME:  Well, are you finished?

PARENT:  YES!

Click

Summer can't get here fast enough!

Five classroom days to go!!!!

Well, I didn't write anyone up today, so that was a good thing.  However, I did have a drama queen incident.  You remember my favorite class, right?  That lovely sixth period class that got a test today.  Well, Fred 2, was sitting behind a girl (it's never a good idea to let him sit behind girls) and he was pulling her hair back into a ponytail.  She was trying to get her hair out of his hands.  I needed to space them out for the test, so I just asked him to move to another desk away from everyone.  He wouldn't move.  I also picked out a couple more students to move so they wouldn't be all huddled together during the test.  He finally moved, but then started talking and moving around.  He kept going on and on about being moved.  I finally sent him to the hallway so the others could start their test.  When I got out in the hallway, I sent him across the hall to complete his test.  I then returned to my class and got them started.  A few minutes later, he starts pounding on my door, scaring everyone.  I open the door and he shoves his test at me.  He didn't answer any of the questions.  I called his mom (remember, she's on speed dial now) and told her the situation.  She spoke with him and then he returned to the room across the hall.

Another interesting incident:  I had a couple of students, Freds 9 and 10, who I had to report today.  Fred 9 kicked a bunch of desks over in class today.  I took him to the hallway to find out why and he said that Fred 10 made him mad.  He was sick of her trying to give him drugs.  I asked if she was trying to give him drugs in class and he said she told him she had something in her purse that would calm him down.  I immediately told the principal. We'll see tomorrow if anything came of it.  I'm guessing the only thing that will happen is that Fred 9 will be mad at me for getting him in trouble with Fred 10.

Tomorrow is Friday.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Next week we only have four days of classes, then our field day next Friday.  The following week is finals, then a week of packing and turning in all our stuff.  I did hear today that this county is cutting $225,000 from the budget, so still looking for work for next year.  Say a prayer for me!

And yet another write up

Ok.  I'm getting tired of writing kids up.  Today, I had a student open a bag of potato chips and start eating them - loudly - in my class.  I looked over at her and said, very nicely, "Put them away."  She replied, "No. I don't care if you write me up.  I'm hungry."  So, I took her outside to the office and explained that all she had to do was put them away and she wouldn't be written up.  Then I offered if she threw them away, I would tear up the write up. She said, "I paid $2 for these chips!  I ain't throwing them away!"  So, I left her there.  I don't know.  Is it me?  Rest of the day went pretty well.  There was a bunch of cookies and cakes in the teacher's lounge for Teacher Appreciation Week.  So, I had cake and cookies for lunch.  They do that on purpose so teachers won't walk out this close to the end of school.  Hey, it's laid out right, ain't it?  I'm even going to take my biology kids to the lab tomorrow to study the pulse rate of lumbriculus.  My lovely 6th period darlings have a test.  Almost poetic, don't you think?

Another Write Up

I don't know if the students are behaving worse or if my patience is at its limit, but had to write another student up today.  My advanced seniors are doing a Powerpoint project.  Three students present their project on the Electromagnetic Spectrum and all the rest of the class gets a free 100 daily grade just for sitting there listening.  Had one student laying her head down, presumably taking a nap.  I went over to her to get her to stand up, because I think it is terribly rude to the students presenting.  She refused to stand up and claimed she was writing something.  Since there was nothing to write about in the class today, I reached for it assuming it was a note to a friend.  She jerked it away.  I asked what she was writing and she yelled, "It's none of your business!"  That was it.  I took her outside and wrote her up for distracting the class.  Then, my sixth period class, you know, my favorite one - puke.  They were in a loud, entertaining mood today.  I'm giving them a test on Friday, just because I don't like them.  Hope the little brats took good notes, because this stuff isn't in their books. We'll see who has the last laugh!  Bwahahahaha!

Told you Fred4 would try!

I was waiting for it and it happened, just as I predicted.  Fred 4, who I wrote up last week, showed up during my planning period with my write-up in her hand.  She claimed the principal wanted to know if I would dismiss the write-up.  I told her to inform the principal that I would not.  Then she asked why not.  I informed her that I dismissed the last write-up I did on her and when I did that she had promised to behave.  Since that day she has done nothing but tell the entire class how much she hates me and how much she hates the class.  She has come into my room everyday determined to hurt my feelings and belittle me.  So, I told her I would not let this slide.  Then, she puts her hand on her hip and says "What do I have to do?"  I told her she had to take the write-up back to the principal. Then the waterworks started. However, she did that last time too.  I told her nothing will get the write-up dismissed.  She has three days of after-school detention.  So, boohooing all the way out of my room, she returned to the office.  I know, you feel sorry for her.  But, if you had been dealing with her all year in my class, you would only feel bad that she got after school detention instead of in school suspension.  At least then I would have gotten a few days without the "I HATE YOU" glare.  Oh well, eight days to go.

The job hunt begins

I always hate interim jobs because at the end of the year, you have to start applying all over the place again.  Thank goodness it's all online now.  Saves me the time of filling out all those applications.  The mock wedding is tonight, but I have decided to job hunt instead of going.  Plus, it costs $5 and I get to see it for free on Monday when I take my class.  On the plus side of today, ....hmm...well...I got nothing.  Oh!  I lost a pound!

Storm at 3

Weird thing happened yesterday.  I was introducing some of my classes to the story of Otzi the iceman.  We were watching a BBC documentary on the story of his discovery and apparent murder.  When I got home last night and pulled up my AOL mail, there on the news was Otzi.  Apparently, yesterday scientists found a red blood cell that looked brand new in his body.  I told my students as we watched the finale today.  Then, just for fun I told them that I think AOL is watching what I download to determine what their news will be about.  I think I actually had a couple kids convinced that I was that important.  Clever, aren't I?  Then, right at dismissal time a freak storm came through with thunder and lightning loud and bright enough to make a God-fearing man pee in his pants.  Power went out throughout the school followed immediately by the terrified screams of the students (and a few teachers).  An exciting end to a fairly good day.  Tomorrow should be better.  That class.  You know the one.  The one with most of my Freds.  Yea, that one.  Well, most of my Freds will be attending the elementary school's field day all day.  So, I should have a wonderful day tomorrow!  And...only ten days to go!

Progress Reports Go Out

Progress reports went out this morning.  Fred4, the one who hates me, remarked that my class was her lowest grade.  Then, of course, she went on to comment rather loudly about everything she could. Every time someone made a comment or asked me a question, she would yell out either the answer or the fact that I had not answered the question.  Finally, after about the third time she said that I wouldn't answer questions, I commented that I didn't need to because she seems to have all the answers and keeps sticking her nose in everybody's business.  That may have pissed her off, because then she really got wound up.  I finally had had enough and pulled out a write up slip and wrote her up.  After that, she got quiet and got busy.  I waited for the bell to ring, the took her to the office.  Very sad, only 11 days until exams and she would have exempted if she hadn't gotten in trouble.  I'm betting tomorrow she will be apologizing in an effort to get me to drop the write up.  Unfortunately for her, it ain't gonna happen.  Then, had to work the ballgame again today and got to my car only to find a flat tire.  I would suspect Fred4, but she wasn't out of school yet.

Oh Great. I get to work the ballgame.

Well, I got roped into working the ticket booth at the softball game.  I was told there would be two games.  Since our field doesn't have any lights, we have to start early.  I left at 2pm, during my planning period and headed to the field.  Ended up sitting in the hot sun taking tickets until around 7pm.  It was an area tournament. That means we had four games.  Three more tomorrow and I will get to work that also.  I think I'll wear shorts and a tank top tomorrow and try to get some sun.  The only thing that isn't pasty white on me now is my nose, which has taken on a nice reddish tint.  Got home to my 82 degree house.  My air isn't working.  I flipped all the breakers and am hoping it will kick on.  I think it was cooler at the game! Whew!