End of the World

The other day, I went to the office to copy worksheets that substitutes can use in case I am ever gone from school.  As I was making copies, I realized that the front/back sheet wasn't copied correctly- the back was upside down.  My first reaction was annoyance, followed by the realization that this one, small detail, could cause pandemonium for the substitute.  People, this is why sixth grade drives me crazy!  I know my students well enough to predict that 1/2 of them will raise their hand and announce to the sub that "THE PAGE IS MESSED UP!!"  1/8 of them will do the same, though they will not raise their hands.  1/8 will calmly complete the assignment, and the last 1/4 will be utterly and completely lost when they encounter the upside down page.  It will be the end of the world.

This  situation caused me to think about other "end of the world" situations we have every day in middle school. 

1. Someone left a pencil on my desk.
2. He's looking at me funny.
3. My locker won't open.
4. There are 2 "number 3s" on this test.
5. The date isn't right on the board.
6. The pencil sharpener ate my pencil.
7. Someone wrote on my book.
8. She's touching me.
9. We are the LAST ones to go to lunch!
10. He's still looking at me!

Mind you,  each of these situations brings class to a screeching halt.  Oh, the joys of middle school!

-Mrs. Combs

PS- In real life, I would never start a sentence with a fraction.  Please withhold judgment! :)

0 for 3

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of frustrating the tar out of my students.  We did a group activity that involved listening to instructions, following directions, and cooperating with others.

We went 0 for 3.

The activity required them to listen while I read a story. Based on the words, they would pass a paper "snowball" left and right to the person beside them.  In the end, they were supposed to have their original paper. (Yeah.....right!)  The game wouldn't have worked right if I had repeated any part of the story,  and that drove them crazy. They are so used to being told things OVER and OVER that they failed miserably.  I was smiling ear to ear the whole time.  They finally felt some of my pain! 

Today, "we" took reading assessments in the computer lab.  I'll know all of the scores tomorrow, but I do know that my kiddos' lexiles range from below 4th grade to 12th grade.

Challenge accepted.

-Mrs. Combs

My 18 Piece Puzzle

School has only been in session for nine days, and somehow I am already working on my third seating chart for fifth hour.  Making a seating chart is by far one of the most difficult puzzles I have ever tried to complete (I have worked on some doozies before. 1000+ pieces! :).  It's not as easy as "girl, boy, girl, boy, girl" anymore.  Here are few things I have to take into account:

1. Students who have ADHD and need to be near me at all times
2. Girls who are hateful to other girls in the class
3. Boys and girls who are suddenly "discovering" the boys and girls next to them...
4. Boys who have punched other boys
5. English language learners who shouldn't be lost in the mix
6. Good students who become bad students near their friends
7. Students with less than perfect eyesight

These seven things are why my tiny 18 piece/student puzzle is nearly impossible.  

I'll let you know how it works out on Monday.  If you don't hear from me, call the authorities.

-Mrs. Combs

Hi, this is Mrs. Combs. I'm calling about your son...

Today I made my first parental phone call.  I can't say I was disappointed that she didn't answer.  I was still trying to figure out my "your son hits people and destroys things" spiel. 

TGIF!

The Good, the Bad, and the Smelly.

I've only been teaching for 7 days, and I can list about 7,000 things that I will be doing differently next year.  (That statement is not so much an exaggeration as it is factual.)

Rookie mistake #2

Giving too many warnings!

Even though half of my students already consider to be mean, I suppose I haven't been stern enough. Maybe that stems from having two adorable middle school brothers?  Either way, I've got a slight case of carpal tunnel that I'm nursing after filling out referral sheets today.  The exhausting part is- all of them came from the same hour!  Hopefully tomorrow they will take me a little more seriously.  In their defense, the poor kiddos have had to pre-test nearly all week, and we are all dying to move on to something more active and fun.  For once, I'm ready for Monday!

Although I have one class that drives me up the wall, there are so many things that I love about my job.  For instance, every hour, we teachers stand at the door to greet our students.  Right next to where I stand are the lockers of three of the smallest, sweetest sixth graders I've ever met.  The girl is so tiny and fragile that she can NEVER get her locker open. (In her defense, the lockers are 50+ years old).  Between every single class, the boys beside her struggle to open their lockers, then immediately work to open hers.  Then, one of them usually walks her to class.  They are the perfect gentlemen! One of them may be her brother, but that almost makes it sweeter.  Today, one of the boys came up to me and asked if I had seen another female sixth grader in our hall. When I told him that she was already on the bus, he said that he just wanted to make sure she could get her locker open, because he heard it was stuck earlier.  My heart melted.  

Oops, I've stayed up much too late tonight, but I'd like to share a few things that I have learned thus far:

1. Candy rewards will likely backfire.

2. It is impossible for 22 students to simply say, 'here.'

3. Nothing breaks up a circle like passed gas. 

-Mrs. Combs

Living the Dream

For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to teach. Honestly, I never really considered any other career.  In high school, I shadowed an occupational therapist, and after approximately fifteen seconds, I knew it wasn't for me.  I probably would have shadowed my English teacher, but when you shadow a teacher, you still have to go to school.  I wasn't about to give up a free day.  I may love education, but a day off is a day off!

As I mentioned previously, I always knew that I wanted to teach.  I also knew that I wanted to teach English. (Feel free to judge my grammar from this point onward.  I realize that I lose all credibility at the first misplaced modifier or missing comma.)

If you don't make mistakes, you won't make anything.    

As I completed my internships in college, I realized exactly what I wanted to teach. My dream was to teach sophomore English in a small, rural high school near my hometown.

So here I am, teaching sixth grade Language Arts at a school that has nearly 200 sixth graders.  If someone had told me I would be in this position 5 months ago, I would have laughed.  A lot.  Then I would have questioned their sanity.  This position met none of my "non-negotiables," but I couldn't be happier.  Somehow, I accidentally landed a job in one of the best districts in the state!  (Seriously, look it up.  We rock!)

Thus far, teaching has been the most exhausting, frustrating, and hilarious things I have ever done.  In my copious amount of free time, I'll fill you in on the crazy antics that go on in my classroom.

My first rookie mistake?

Nearly disciplining a female student for not moving to a new seat after asking her to move multiple times.  Turns out, her name wasn't Claire....

Next year, I will learn student names sooner, rather than later!

-Mrs. Combs