Back on the Bandwagon

I need to get back on the blogging Bandwagon, if I was ever on it in the first place. I have lots of blogs that I check on daily and I love getting their ideas and seeing how others approach teaching math and deal with the issues that arise in their classroom. It's only fair that I do the same for others by keeping my blog up to date. And plus, I love looking back at what I wrote weeks, months, or years later.

We got back on the bandwagon this week as our first week back from Christmas break. It started out rough. Pretty rough. Friday the 18th we had some very unfortunate events unfold at our middle school involving very heavy drugs and the deal and use of them. This made our news papers and as well as the knifing incident that happened two weeks prior. While kids were on break, this all broke into the media, which is probably a good thing that it became public news they were on break. Squelching the rumors and the constant conversation about this became a constant battle during the classroom in the early part this week. For the most part the controversy settled down by mid-week and we carried on with our lives.

I got my Activ-Board installed over break, so that was an added bonus to coming back to school after break. I did spend two days of break at school getting it all figured out and the software installed. It's been fun learning how to use it and finding different resources. If you have any websites for resources--send them my way! So far it's been positive. The clickers have been ordered and are on their way as well as an ActivSlate. I've had mixed reviews about the ActivSlate, so we'll see how it works once I get there.

The immaturity of my 8th grade boys is still shining! I have such a bleeding heart for wanting them to do well and be successful and not have to repeat the class next year (They have to have a B average to go on to Geometry next year). I have no problem determining when to send a kid out for profanity or flagrant disrespect or harassment, but when it comes to things like a student saying, "Ugh, this is so gay, why do we have to make things so complicated" or when three students (the same students as the paper-wad chewing) decide to blow their noses simultaneously, I have a problem being firm with a consequence. We use the Honor Level System at our school so all I have to do is flash them an orange infraction slip and this normally turns things around. However, when it goes to me actually turning in the infraction, I always think, "well it wasn't THAT big of a deal." I just need to be more MEAN. As of lately with my 7th hour class, the last class of the day, when I need their attention I'll say "Okay, eyes and ears up here" and if I don't get everyone's attention then I just wait, and I'll say, "If I wait, you're waiting after the bell." Most of the time it works--might take 30 seconds or so. I need to be more mean, more firm, more strict and more consistent.