Friday, September 12, 2008

Friday Five

Another Friday, another five

1. So my students had practice ISTEP essays to write and several of them were really good. So I decided to make a top author bulletin board to display their hard work. One of the boys comes up to me and informs me that he purposely tried to make his essay suck because he "hates busy work." I didn't know whether or not to take his essay down or leave it up. I didn't think it was busy work. Busy work is doing loads of workbook pages that really don't relate to anything else you are doing in class. Oh well whether or not he tried, the essay was good.

2. Two football players told me at different times this week that they have actually finished their second books this year. I was not really impressed since they have to read outside of my class as a requirement. Then they both told me that they have never finished a book before. One boy even said he liked Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers so much and since his new one Sunrise over Fallujah is never in to check out; he had his mom order it online. Imagine that. It made up for the busy work essay.

3. One of the students I have who was not turning in any work is suddenly turning in his work because his father talked with him. Sometimes parents don't care or it doesn't work for them to talk to kids but this one did. I wish this dad could talk to some of my other students.

4. I'm dreading today because tonight is the big rivalry game between our school and another local school. I know my football players and I have a lot of them, will not be paying attention today. On the day of a football game they are drinking this electrolyte stuff to help them keep from dehydrating during the game. The only problem is that they then have to go to the bathroom all day long. What makes things worse is our team is looking good this year and everyone will be overly stimulated. I just pray the day goes quickly.

5. My son's first tennis match is next week. He is really improving. In 6th grade his tennis team won 1 game and lost 10, last year they won 10 and only lost 1, and this year they are "aiming for perfection" as their tennis shirts say. I hope they do well but they lost several talented 8th graders from last year who are now in high school. This year they all put nicknames on their shirts and my son put big bubba on his shirt. Makes a mommy proud.