Day 60

Had my formal observation today. The Big Cheese sat in my room for 90 minutes, getting up occasionally to go yell at someone in the hall. I did what I usually do--lots of modeling, arts integration, connecting content to real life, a PowerPoint presentation timed out with assignments, etc. She ate it up, and told the kids at the end of class: "You got a good teacher. He knows what he's doing. You fail, it's on you. You gotta stop talking too much, and stop being lazy." She told me in the Office "I am proud of you. It was a pleasure to sit in your class. Order anything you need for your room and I will approve the funds."

It went smoothly because with her in there the kids were all on task. As soon as she left I had to start writing names on the board.

Last period two of my sixth grade headaches were up to no good. Speares and Lohan were doing their white girl imitations, which were funny about 3 weeks ago the first time they did them. Now, not so much. They came in, hands on left hips, right hands held up, out, and to the sides like Egyptian figurines with purses on them. "Oh my God, check out his SHOES. Check them out!" They said, then "Oh my God, check out his glasses! Tee hee hee." After about 30 seconds of this I pulled out my phone. "Oh my God," I said, "Check out their sad faces when I call their parents!" They sneered at me like real white girls and then continued, so I gave them detention.

Big mistake! At detention I told them they could clean my boards and floor and I would let them go early. "We don't want to go. We want our whole half hour!" they said, adding "Check out his hair, Oh my God! Tee hee." Then they told me about their boyfriends. Oh, Lord, give me strength. They're going to want detention every day. Oh my God!