Brainstorming the castle.
What comes to mind when you hear the words "water," "debate," and "document?" For my students, the responses included, "your balls in my mouth," "poop," "camel toe," and "turkey." Yes, indeed. Welcome back. It's always an exciting time when the students have been home and we have to remind them how we behave in school. There is always someone out to sabotage the lesson. Still, while playing musical brainstorm (they roam around to the hip hop beat adding thoughts to posters with the words on them)...I found myself laughing at the sexual obsessions of teenagers everywhere.
I scooped up a good note today revealing what is on the mind of many while I wax forth about the merits of the adverb. I'll copy its contents later in the week.
Knowing as I did, that today would be icky, I tried to plan a relatively unimportant lesson. All I wanted my students to be able to puke back by the end of the 46 minutes was what unit we'd be starting and what did they hope to get from it. I think I managed to pull that off. But these returns are so jolting. I've forgotten, ever so briefly, how to juggle forty requests. I've forgotten how to hear "I want your praise" when someone shrieks "I answered that question first mother fucker so shut the fuck up." Sigh.
When asking one student to throw out his gum, he shouted, "I'll swallow it. That's right miss, I swallow." Oh, the chuckles that ensued. Oh, how my sense of humor differs tremendously from theirs. Oh, how long the year can feel.