Thursday, April 23, 2009

bang your head slowly

i thought i'd write a nice, calm, reflective post on how thinkblocks have been going, or perhaps how i'm worried about a certain student, or maybe even the book we're all reading for teachers as readers. you know, something thought provoking and slightly intelligent.

i can't make my brain form complete sentences.

today was horrid. there must be something wrong with the air pressure, the moon, or the equilibrium of the earth. something has crawled into our children's brains and turned them from the active, engaged learners we love to.... well, kids with spring fever. but not a low-grade fever. a 'we'd better go to the er because this isn't your typical fever' fever. not just a warm forehead and achy body fever. the kind that cripples you.

my bff was off the wall today. i actually video taped our interactive writing today so that mr. lipstick can understand what i do everyday. and so that i'd know that i hadn't made it all up in my head, this really was how his thought process was going.

the transcript of the tape goes something like this:

me: ok, read it to me:
bff: ok, read it to me. what does it say?
me: your turn to read it
bff: thanks for the ice george. you're a curious monkey, aren't you?
me: I'll read the first part you tell me what's next. 'the pigeon went to _____'. what comes next?
bff: a very curious monkey
me: ok, what word is next, let's read it again
bff: the pigeon went to SCHOOL! SCHOOOOOL... School! how do you write it?
me: what do you hear? say it slowly
bff: sssss..... wait- *begins singing magic school bus song. then writes school from memory from picturing magic school bus*
me: great! what does that say?
bff: what does that say? what does that say? oh boy oh boy oh boy! *covers eyes with hands* Can i read it? can i open my eyes? *takes hands off eyes.* oh no! my eyes are glued shut. ahhhhhh! ok, that's better. WOW! it says "the pigeon went to school"
YOU DID IT! you're the best. i love you.

5 minutes later and i'm practicing my mental imaging skills- imagining a nice frozen margaretta.

my bff never really intends to misbehave, or is overly malicious. but i feel like he's a good litmus test for what's going on in the building. if he can't stay calm for more than 2 or 3 minutes without breaking into repetitive behavior, well, something is up.

and it was. note passing, kicking, screaming, hiding from teachers, running out of the classroom. (different children no less). our hallway was filled with screaming, kicking kindergarten students for the majority of the day.

ugh.

1 comment:

Snippety Gibbet said...

I had kindergarteners sitting in time out today, who have never been anything but angelic before. It's like they all got a shot of adrenaline for breakfast. I kept telling myself, "Be calm. Be calm. Breathe."