Music Boxes and Stop Watches

Today brings me to the (likely) last day of working before Christmas break, for which I am glad. Today I also start my master's program at Grand Canyon University (online). I think I shall dedicate today's posting to my new pal Dustin at the GCU admissions office who keeps answering my incessant questions and fixing my problems.

Anyway, today I visit one of the fourth grades at my school of highest choosing. To date this year, I have visited ALL classes in the school except for 2 half-day kinders, 1 3rd grade, 1 4th grade and 1 5th grade. (I HAVE been to the all-day kinder, all 3 1st grades, 2 2nd grades, 1 3rd, 1 4th and 1 5th). I am quite the spectacle when I walk down the hallways now - about 9 out of 14 kids recognize me and feel compelled to say hello. It is fun to be popular. :)

I knew some of this class from last year or even the year before. One girl actually remembered me from 1st grade when she went to a different school!

Anyways again, the class was a bit eager to be heard sometimes (read, yelling things out to me without raising their hands), but were really very pleasant and easy. This is mostly thanks in part to two management systems the teacher had in place that I particularly enjoyed:

1- When the class was called to attention and did not give it right away, or started talking during instructions, I just started a stopwatch around my neck and waited for them to pay attention. Once they were listening again I stopped it. The time would add up on the watch and then they would miss that time from their recess the next time.

2- When the class go too loud during a working time, I opened the lid of a music box in the front of the room. This was the cue to the kids to settle down. Once they heard the music they all shut up really fast and I closed the lid. I'm not sure what the consequences for this one are - I'm guessing since it was a wind-up box that maybe when the music ran down they missed out on something? I will have to ask their teacher next time I am there for someone else.

Anyway, I liked these things because they worked well, they weren't confrontational, and they were very easy to leave for a substitute to use! Sometimes a teacher has a great management plan that they use, but it's challenging for a sub to implement - either because it's complicated, or I'd need to know every one's name, etc. And it's always nice to shock the class by revealing you KNOW about their music box. :)

Computer Projects

This morning I got one of those really really early calls, even though the job didn't start until 11. At least I got to go back to sleep.

It was a bit of an abnormal day today. The teacher had to go to a couple of things in the afternoon, but she came back to school between her appointments, as well as before the end of the day. I did some teaching, as did she, as did the IA.

We made lots of Christmas-themed books.

And I read a book.

And I helped the IA find pictures of spices online and make posters with them on the computer. She often has me do some computer project when I'm there. Sometimes I teach her how to do it, but today we were short on time, so I just made them.

And I can't think of anything else interesting to say.

So I'm done.

Very Observant

Today I branched out from my K, 1, 2 streak and subbed in a 5th grade class.

They were very enjoyable despite a short period of time when they all started making paper beards and mustaches and not doing their work.

The rest of the time they were on task and quiet and so independent that I didn't quite know what to do with myself! I've gotten very used to the demanding cries of little kiddos who need my help at every turn!

The class was also quite observant today. They noticed my necklace (it was admired by many girls and boys), the very old blond streaks in my hair that are now grown out like 4 inches because I'm too lazy or cheap to get them touched up (the kids liked them though, so I think that's validation enough), and my Invisalign aligners. I've had those for 5 weeks now and this is the first day anyone has noticed them before seeing me take them out or something. I guess it's because the average fifth grader's eye level is about at my chin. When the first kid asked about them I was afraid I was about to get the dreaded lip question!

However, no comments about my lip were made. (Sorry to disappoint.)

The Legend of Forte

Today was a little like a nightmare. At least where one child was concerned. She was gone for a few minutes once - it was a much more manageable room.

I shall refer to her as "Forte" from now on, as that means loud. :)

Forte wanted to have things her way and when they did not go that way, she got very vocal. She spent most of the day crying. Once I made her cry. You see, she wanted to write on a piece of paper when she was supposed to be listening to directions and watching me demonstrate a project. I told her to put it away. She didn't. I told her again. She still whined about how she "didn't want to!" (I'm always marveled at how kids think that's going to make any difference. Get used to doing things you don't want to kids! You'll have to do it for the rest of your life!) Anyways, I then made her give me the paper. I put in on the chair next to me and she gradually started to scoot her way toward it so she could get it back. So I moved the paper to a different place. She inched toward that. I put it in my lap and gave her the evil eye. She tried to slowly take it off my lap. At this point I'd had it with the interruptions, so I took the paper and crumpled it into a ball and threw it behind the teacher's desk. This sent Forte into a whole new level of crying. I broke out the scariest voice I possess and ordered her to her seat to put her head down and stop crying. The look of fear on the other kids' faces was interesting. Their looks of amazement when I turned back to them and returned to using my sweet voice was particularly amusing.

(Some time later I did give Forte her paper back and explained to that she needed to let me do my job and follow directions. She agreed that she would do that.)

First grade promises are easily broken.

Later in the day she refused to get in line for P.E. I threatened to tell her teacher that she should owe recess time for not following directions. She caved and got in line. However, not long after the P.E. teacher returned her to me because she was so disruptive and she spent more time crying at her desk. The principal even stopped by to talk to her. And after she calmed down I talked to her again.

My talks only seem to have about a 15 minute effect. She continued whining throughout the rest of the day until they went home.

I am marveled at how her teacher deals with her everyday!

Slightly Inappropriate Stories

Today was party amusing and partly frustrating.

The kids were okay in the morning. Chatty, but OK. Then they had inside recess after lunch and the afternoon just went downhill from there.

I did a lot of this:

"Look at me."

"Sit."

"Stop moving."

"Put the pencil down."

"Listen."

"Sit."

"Stop talking."

"Follow directions."

"Stop."

"Sit."

"Stop!"

"Sit!"

Argh. Anyway, I hate inside recess.

I've got one story for you from this morning. During writing time a kid was telling me he was going to write about his trampoline. This was overheard by another child, who also had something to tell me about his or her trampoline. Anyway, eventually, once everyone is back to working one girl comes up to me and quietly tells me she wants to tell me a funny story about her trampoline. I say OK and she proceeds to tell me that sometimes her mom jumps on the trampoline. She then points to her chest and says, "You know these things right here? When my mom jumps on the trampoline they go up and down. When she jumps up they go up and when she goes down they go down!" She then giggled to herself and said, "Isn't that funny?!" (Very innocently and having no idea that what she's saying is the slightest bit inappropriate - she's just making observations!) So I just nodded and said, "Oh. OK, go finish your writing." Which she skipped off happily to do.

First grade. They will say ANYTHING.

One Big, One Little

I think the best story from today once again, revolves around my ever fascinating lip. Little did I know when I moved to Salem 3 and a half years ago that the children of this town would be so stricken by my lower lip. And yet, every year, sometimes multiple times, I have a student point out its strange shape, the dent (a.k.a. "hole"), and generally the many ways in which it is weird.

Today I was sitting by and talking to one little girl in the afternoon class before class actually started. She looked at me, then looked away for a second, and glanced back up and squinted her eyes in that, "I think I'm going to say something" manner. She then pointed to her own bottom lip and said, "You have one big lip," then she moved her finger to her top lip and finished, "and one little lip." I laughed and said, "Yes, I do." She had nothing else to say on the matter and went on with what she was doing.

The rest of the day was pretty ordinary. It was fun. I was glad to be back to working! Tomorrow I hear rumors of another sub job....I hoping it comes through tonight!

Pedrito

This week has started out slow but today I finally got back to work. Unfortunately I got called really late and had to rush around to get there on time. On the plus side, I get paid the same amount for less work!

The job came up as K-1 blend but I think it may have just been 1st grade. The kids were nice but they did not listen very well! The teacher had this listen signal that she put in her note: I was supposed to raise my hand and say "pedrito" and they were supposed to repeat it and look at me and stop what thru were doing and such. Except that they didn't do that! I had to repeat it 2 or 3 times and nearly yell at them to "stop" and " look at me"! I don't even know what "pedrito" means! I looked it up and it's not in my Spanish dictionary!

It wasn't all bad though- they did seem to like me and no one was a big problem. I got lots of random hugs and one girl informed me that I looked pretty. Also, one of the girls I knew from head start preschool 3 years ago! She was a bit of a challenge then, but was very well behaved now. I even talked to her a while about when I was in her preschool class and she smiled and said she remembered. It's fun to see kids years later from when you met them. :)

This concludes my first post from my iPhone. (I forgot to write this before I turned my computer off.) Hope it looks normal!