Day 38

The kids are back after five days off and they are aggravating. Loud, unprincipled, devilish--I have my phone call list filled each period, and spend too much planning time calling parents. I expected it would be like this, as it always is after a long break.

During last period--only my second meeting with the sixth grade class--I have just gotten through defending Mr. McGillicutty against the students' charges that I am the "main teacher" and Mr. McGillicutty is the "lame teacher." "We are both the main teachers," I say. Mr. Mcgillicutty just watches you from the back of the room and I watch you from the front," when Teh Big Cheese puts her scowling face in the door. "Don't let me catch you leaning on no counters up in my school," she hisses at McGillicutty. "You always doing nothing. Every time I see you you are doing nothing. You better get Mr. G to give you a job because next time I see you leaning on my counter I am tanning your hide."

She rolls out and then the kids all fall out. "We knew Mr. G was the main teacher. Better give Mr. McGillicutty something to do!" Ugh.

But I taught them a pretty successful class despite the hilarity. I taught them about conflict and then we talked about mood and tone in literature. I used paintings as examples, asking them about the mood, and they knew 6 of the 8 paintings I used, including titles and artists' names and bios. I was quite impressed. I need to visit Mr. T the art teacher and express my appreciation.