Things I've Taught this Week

The current unit in my 6th grade classroom is Ancient Africa.  These are the highlights from my lessons this week.

1.  We do not live next to the Pacific Ocean.  I had three kids argue with me about this in B block.  It should be noted that I live and teach in Maryland.  My honors kids fell out of their chairs laughing at the kids who swore up and down that we live next to the Pacific.

2.  African-Americans do not live in Africa.  Some of the kids still didn't understand this even after I explained that African-Americans are still Americans.

3.  Africa is not full of terrorists.  This shocked about 70% of my kids.

4.  We no longer ship slaves from Africa to the United States.  I had two students who honestly were not aware that slavery has been over for quite awhile.


Oh.  Dear.  God.

Sheep Birds

So my class started their unit on Ancient Rome and of course we begin with the story of Romulus and Remus to explain the founding of Rome.  We read two different versions of the story and talk about why stories tend to change over the centuries. 

Chris:  I like the version where the bird saves the twins?
Ms. C:  The bird?
Chris:  Yeah, the bird.  The book said that the sheep bird saved the twins from the wolf.
Ms. C: That says "shepherd."
Chris:  Oh.... I don't like that as much.... what's a shepherd again?

23 more days I tell myself.  Only 23 more days. 

When Did Nothing Become Lazy?

Right now we have about 24 days left in our school year.  Of course the questions have started, "What are you doing this summer?" 

Now during the school year I am extremely regimented and organized.  You have to be.  But during the summer, well, my boyfriend is lucky if I am dressed before noon.  So when people ask what I'm doing this summer and I shrug and say "Nothing big," I'm surprised that they are surprised. 

My response of "Nothing big" is usually met with a silence and then the other person tries to cover it up by saying something along the lines of "Oh well that sounds fun.  You need it.  The time to relax."  And then I'm given a smile and a nod of approval.  But it's always followed by a list of what the other person plans to do this summer.  "Well my husband and I are traveling to New York for a few weeks to visit his family.  I'm taking a few college classes this summer, and I really want to paint the living room and both bathrooms.  And then in August we're taking a trip to Las Vegas.  Of course my parents want me to come to the family reunion in New Jersey so we're going to try and fit that in too."  This was the actual answer given to me from another teacher.

NO!  This is not the purpose of summer vacation.  Or at least, it's not the purpose for me.  I look forward to not having a schedule.  I look forward to not having to get up every morning at 5.  I look forward to doing the chores (if I feel like it) that get shoved to the side during the school year.  I look forward to taking naps whenever I feel like it.  I look forward to going to the bathroom whenever I feel like it.  (Okay, that last one sounds completely odd, but not if you're a teacher.)  But I don't know why I am made to feel that I am doing something wrong if I don't have these grandiose plans each summer. 

So I guess my point is, it's my summer.  And I celebrate by doing nothing.  :)

Goal For Today...

What I Would love to happen today:
1.  Groceries
2.  Buy shoes
3.  Finish grading papers

What will probably happen today:
1.  Groceries
2.  Buy shoes
3.  Read
4.  Nap

Starting...

I've always found people's first blog entries fairly amusing. They usually start off the first entry saying that they pray someone will read their blog; well, other than their mother, sister, best-friends, cousins, and a few random co-workers. Personally, I know of no one who blogs. So this really will be me saying "I pray that someone reads my blog." I fully intend to devote time and energy to my blog and hope that it doesn't turn out like some of my other hobbies where I am very enthusiastic for a few weeks and then it wanes. So here is a toast to my first entry.