Clips from Class - Veteran's Day

2nd Period:
Since today is Veteran's day, I had a warm up for the kids that explained what it was and where it originated from and then we talked about what veterans were and why they are being celebrated. Overall, the conversation was quite interesting and focused. Here's a snippet from the discussion.

Mrs. SL: So what is a veteran?
Kid that may or may not be in MS-13 raises his hand
Mrs. SL: Yes?
Kid that may or may not be in MS-13: People that wear green.
Mrs. SL thinking in head: Did I say veteran? Or perhaps I said leprechaun?
Loud other student: No, dumbass, she didn't say what is a leprechaun!!

Don't you love it when the students say exactly what you are thinking?

4th period:
This period is notorious for being quite misbehaved. It's a small class that in this situation generally works at a disatvantage to me. They are so chatty and comfortable that it drives me crazy! Anyway - don't ask me how this conversation got started but it did, it may have originated from talking about imperialism, at least I'd like to think so.

Adorable but Obnoxious Male Student: Who is that Spanish guy on the Food Network?
Mrs. SL: WHat Spanish guy? There is no one.
Hipster kid in back: You mean Emeril?
Mrs. SL: Ew, Emeril sucks.
AOBS: Yeah, he looks like Oxyclean guy.
Mrs. SL: You mean Billy Mays?
AOBS: Yeah man.
Loud ass girl in back: What?!
Mrs. SL: It was sad when he died
**at this point there was some eruption of conversation about the Mr. Clean cartoon guy that I tried to tune out as I was passing out papers.
Loud ass girl in back: Wait - Oxyclean guy died? With the beard?
AOBS: What? OXYCLEAN BEEN DEAD! FOR REAL! (at the top of his lungs across the room)

I could not stop laugh for a solid two minutes. Tears were streaming down my face.

Hopefully 7th period goes well!

Love,
Mrs. SL

Drawing from Examples

So I have this adorable student who handed me the assignment that's attached as a picture. I asked him why he drew such an extensive picture at the bottom and he said -

"well, the instructions said to draw"

If you can read the instructions, you can see where he got that from although he had no idea what they were talking about.

I still gave him a decent amount of points. It was for completion not content, most just reasonable effort.

Poor guy. I have to teach him the other meaning of "draw."


Love,
Mrs. SL

Holding the Bell

It was so annoying this morning. I am giving my Unit 2 test today in all my classes. There are 25 multiple choice questions and also a BCR ( Brief Constructed Response). The students need the whole time to finish. There are some students that get extra time because of these education instructional plans that they have (another story). Anyway - they decided - and if by they I mean the administration - that they would just "hold" the bell for a few minutes after 2nd period. If by two minutes did you mean 15 minutes? Now my third period can't even take the BCR until tomorrow. It's shit like this that drives me crazy.

Oh - apparently this was the reason why the bell was held...we got this email from our principal like half way into 3rd period.

"There was not a major emergency this morning when we held the bell for the end of second period. There were four students who supposedly accosted another student in a restroom and we wanted to get them before the class change. Sorry for the disruption."


Happy almost Friday!

Love,
Mrs. SL

P.S. Stay tuned for a quality assignment that was turned in. I have to scan it in and redact it but it's a good one. :0

What is a Slogan?

Today in class we are working on creating bumper stickers about Progressive Reforms. I was explaining to one bright student what a slogan was by using the example of Fischer Price: "Play, Laugh, Grow" and then I also gave her the example of Burger King: "Have it your way!" and then we also used some examples in class of actual bumper stickers supporting a cause.

Their topic was dealing with adversity for African Americans and major players in their problem were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, who both were major proponents of education. The girl shouted out with such enthusiasm:

"Oh, I know. Read, Write, Draw!"

I almost peeded myself laughing. Thought I'd share with you all.

I had to share this gem even though it's my second post of the day.

Sincerely,
Mrs. SL

Getting Tazered is Cool

Here is an excerpt of a conversation that I overheard while the kids were working on a project having to do with the Progressive Era.

Girl Student #1: So then I saw the cops come and tazer this guy. It was awesome.

Boy Student: Oh man, I want to be tazered so bad. I'm being serious too.

Girl Student #2: Oh, I got shocked once. I stuck my hand in a socket and got like shocked and it was like scary.

Girl Student #2 is NOT the brightest bulb in the box.

Happy Learning,
Mrs. SL

Immigration - Our New American Life

Today, at the end of class I had the kids do something called an exit card. This is something they do at the end of class in order to get them to synthesize what they've learned that day or over the past few days. We've been talking about immigration and so they got a fake postcard where they were asked to pretend that they were an immigrant that moved from another country and they were writing a postcard home to their family. "What is life like in American now?" is pretty much the question that they had to answer. Here are some of the responses. I did not alter any of their responses.

"Hello family, Aerican is Pretty good, I have a job but we only get payed scents an hour."

"This is your nephew ****** im down in the U.S.A. I play soccer and i go to school downhere."

"Dear family, im here in American and its not so Great here like everyone says of think is it hard and a cruel place. I like some of the places. bye."

"Dear family, This is a good country, their is jobs, money, and land. This is a land of oppority. I love this land."

"Um so I hate my life. I get paid like 15 cents an hour and work 12 hours a day. my family and I sleep in a one room apartment building and it sucks!"

"Hi family U.S.A. is great a have job, but the trip was horrible. Take care."

"dear mom and dad in America it is great here. but when we got hear they couldn't say the names correctly so they gave us new ones."

"My name is Luginut I came from Europe and this life sucks I have a small shelter and I get paid 5 fricking dollars a day. i hate this."

"hi Aunt. I'm doing fine here. well not really. The treat immigrants horribly in here. We don't make that much money here. My hand hurts badly. They treat us like savages and we have to work work and more work."

"I am an immigrant I can't wait to expirence american priveledges The boat ride was torchure It's better than my country. I do kinda miss my family that died on the ride hear from all kinds of disease. - Egor Moscovisck "

"new land is fun because of job and freedom (but only only get limited of job and freedom). 10 and 15 unknown people in room. both hate it and like it."

"yoyo, it is hot down here and I think this is heaven!!! all of yo all invited!! -daddy yankee"
this kid will get zero credit for a few reasons, he didn't even put his real name on the postcard for one.

"hey mom its boring over here don't come. we work for nothing."

"Hey dad, it's Mia. ive been here in American and im being worked to death. I have this nasty room that i have to share with 6 other people. DON'T COME HERE! Stay in Spain. Love, Mia Applebottom."

"Don't move from England. America sucks. You're going to work long hours in a factory where you'll probably die."

"hey mama we came and since we did most of the railroad suddenly they hate us now signs are everywhere. i wish i can go back to asia."

"Dear family, I'm writing to say how things Are very different from home. people have exspect me to do more than i am capabile of. I'm only 14 and doing Adult work. my friend died yesterday because the black lung got to her. and now working in the factory, im developing a disease and i don't know how long i'll live. i'll be sure to send as much money as i can."

"I am working by butt of. & the good thing is that I don't have to worship their God."
(i don't feel Ms. SL) - I think she meant that she doesn't feel well....either way, this answer is horrible!

"Hi mom its your son Esteban, how you been? I've been good, I just got a Job as a cole minner, it real tough but it the only job that would take me. I just wanted to tell you Im good and next time I write to you, you will see some money."

Yes, this is how my students write. It's terrible. Although sometimes it makes reading their answers a bit more interesting.

Hope you enjoyed the choice cuts from this exercise!

Sincerely,
Mrs. SL

Rockefeller the Dominatrix

On Thursday of last week I gave a quiz about industrialization in the early part of the 20^th century. We have been talking about it for the past week or so, learning a bunch of new business concepts and terms. The quiz I gave had several questions that were short answer. I wanted to share with you two choice cuts from this quiz.

10. What is the difference between an invention and an innovation?

Umm. An invention is like things kinda simpleish like a mechanical pencil things like that and an innovation is like discovering light things like that.

14. Do you think men like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller were “robber barons” or “captains of industry”? There is no right or wrong answer as long as you explain why.

I think they were “robber barons” because they were dominatrix and would top over everyone else’s businesses…

Thanks for reading everyone! I'm going to update this several times a week - lord knows that I have enough material!

Happy Weekend! :)

Mrs. SL

USA vs. The World

Background: We were talking about the difference between immigration and migration because we are talking about industrialization and the increasing size of the workforce in America.

A-student (seriously): Mrs. SL, what is America?

Me (totally calm, thinking that she just needs some clarification you know, between the different Americas or something): Well, it's sort of the shortened way of saying "United States of America". It's all the states together, like we had a quiz on earlier this year. You know, that map in the back of the classroom.

A-student (w/ a disgruntled look and she's examining the map): Um...I thought that was the world.

Me (at this point, some higher being took over my body so I wouldn't laugh or flip out): Well...that's not that world. That's just the US. The world is you know...Africa, Asia, Europe, all the rest of the continents. (at this point, I'm PRAYING she knows what I'm talking about)

A-student: Oh yeah. Ok. Thanks.

I think we need globes in the classroom. Don't you?