Third Week of May

Monday
We’re working through a novel right now in Language Arts, and today we were supposed to work through chapter 10. Chapter 10 is the big chapter; as I tell the students, it’s the chapter in which stuff starts happening! (By this point in the story, they’re a little tired of 120 pages about cold, hungry beggar children.) Chapter 10 also includes two deaths, one very tragic and one very violent, as well as some swearing from one of the characters. It is quite possibly the most depressing, and yet most action-packed, of all of the chapters in the book.

To ensure that my students handle this chapter with as much maturity that seventh graders can muster, I read the chapter out loud to my students. They listened with increasing attention as the chapter progressed, and in each class period, I worked my read-aloud skills for all they’re worth. As the paragraph involving the swear words approached (and after a hefty lecture to remind them not to react to or repeat those words), I sped up the reading and increased the volume to convey the character’s frustration. By the time we got to the section in which a beloved character dies, the students had no choice but to be listening. (Ex-drama teachers make entertaining readers!) Through the section describing the little boy’s peaceful death, the students were swept along until the story paused for them, and when it did, some of them needed the pause to let the tragedy sink in fully. Then we were off again, on the roller coaster of another character’s vengeful emotions as he leaps into action, helping his little group to escape, rescuing the little girl, and fighting the man responsible for the first death until the man dies and the children race for their lives to escape into the hills… where they finally stop to catch their breath (and my class and I along with them!).

There’s more, of course, in this monumental chapter, but hopefully you get the idea. I don’t usually get to do this; typically the students read a portion to themselves, or they divide up the reading and report to each other in groups, or students take turns reading as the class follows along. Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to be the reader, especially when you’re the most experienced reader in the room (experience reading dramatically and experience with this particular book). Even with such a dismal story, it was thrilling to get that chance. I wish there was more time in the year so that I could do a regular read aloud with my students.


Tuesday
A few weeks ago, I moved my classroom around so that my desk was at the back of the room. This also allowed me to locate the worktable and extra chairs at the back of the room, making them more accessible for use on writer’s workshop days or to visitors. Along with the worktable, I have a second teacher chair (padded, with arms, on wheels). This chair has turned out to be a student magnet. I didn’t realize it when I moved the classroom around, but this chair is the one drawback to the new furniture arrangement. They’re obsessed with the chair; they even argue with each other over who gets to sit in the chair. They flock to it every morning (and afternoon). They fight over whether or not the chair is considered “reserved” if Mrs. Chandler calls you over for something. (Apparently it isn’t.) When I assign them to the worktable for an assignment or for some writing time, they assume I’m allowing them to sit in the chair; they argue with ME if I tell them to move to the normal chair. It reminds me a little too much of siblings fighting for the front seat! I’m going to have to declare the chair a “no go” zone.


Wednesday
More evidence that Murphy is obsessed with me: I had a sub this morning so I could go to a meeting with a teacher at one of the elementary schools. I arrived at work early to write my sub plans and managed to be on my way to the other school in plenty of time for the meeting. As I pulled into the parking lot, my phone rang. It was the union rep at the elementary school calling to tell me that the meeting had been postponed until Friday.


Thursday
Today we finished the novel we’ve been reading in Language Arts. I took volunteer readers until no one else wanted to read, and then I finished the reading myself while my students drew pictures. This is the fun part: I’ve been asking them to draw pictures throughout the novel, and they’ve been pretty depressing so far. Finally, today, the pictures are suddenly much happier, showing glad reunions, successful voyages being completed, children finding a purpose in helping others… It’s quite uplifting!


Friday
I had a sub again today, thanks to a series of meetings with people who apparently forgot that I’m actually supposed to be a classroom teacher. While I was gone, my kids worked on a paper in which they were required to write a fake letter to a fake Chinese emperor describing an invention they'd created. Most of them used actual Chinese inventions that are described in our textbook, but a few of the most creative students made up their own inventions and tried to convince the emperor to try out their fake creations. I love it when they think outside the box!

My second meeting of the morning ended up lasting three hours. It was a crazy situation in which the principal of another school had asked me to talk to him about his strengths and weaknesses as a principal. It was awkward, but productive. When we left, he asked me to meet with him again in a month or so for follow-up, so apparently I didn’t scare him off.

For this meeting, we met at the coffee shop where I seem to hold all of my meetings. My next meeting took place at a restaurant a block away. Before the fourth meeting of the day, we stopped at the coffee shop again. After the fourth meeting, which came to a shockingly abrupt end, we met at the coffee shop again. While I’m sure the proprietor of the café doesn’t mind the additional revenue, he’s got to be wondering by now if I actually work in a real classroom at a real school…