8 days

>>Things have been very calm around the classroom. We are winding down. The kids are a little antsy, but things have gone well. I have two more meetings and then I am done! We only have 8 days left, and really only 4 are working days. I'm excited but sad that school is coming to an end.

Quotes:

(while talking about Justin Beiber)
Sam: I sort of don't hate his music, I just hate his face.
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Aide: Are you a cone head.. from the planet,.... uhm.. what planet were they from?
Frank: Eqypt?
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Sam: I accidently smokes a cigarette when this asian guy on his bike said to me "come on smoke this!"
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(when referring to above)
Aide: How did it make you feel?
Sam: Popular.
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Sam: Then another time, this other asian guy rode up and said here pee in this and showed me a cup and I just ran away.
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Marcus: (Hands Sam a cup) Here I already peed in this cup. See it's black! (He's african american)

Girls/ 11 days

>> There are only 11 days left of school. Because there are only 11 days left of school, my students are having the most impossible time focusing. Even though they are still required (mostly by me) to complete work. They tend to find every excuse to NOT do work, and to chatterbox it up with everyone else. The topic of discussion lately has been girls. Let me first begin this discussion with special education students cannot handle girls. Well, actually middle school boys cannot handle girls. I know it is difficult for many of my students because they are AWARE that they are in special education, and they hate it! I do not take offense to it because nobody wants to be different, let alone in middle school when things are so hard. Students hate to be seen walking into my classroom, walking with me, being pulled out, etc. But, anytime a middle school girl comes into our classroom my studnents cannot function. they get giddy, or quiet, or weird. They either talk too little, or not enough, or refuse to do anything. I am perfectly honest with my students about how, it is fine having Grace as the only girl in our class because if we had anymore these boys wouldnt get anything done. So today while one on one reading with students, two girls came in to get cards signed for another teacher. Jaime completely shut down and asked if we could wait to read until they left. Then he said,

Jamie: Can I go flirt with them? Can I? Can I go flirt with them?
Me: What? What are you talking about?
Jamie: Come on, can I go flirt with them?
Me: Okay, sure, lets see your best moves!
Jamie: wait.. uhm.. nevermind.

>>Now, because spring is in the air, the topic of discussion amongst everyone is Sam. Sam likes some girl, and on friday (when Sam was absent) Marcus told the girl Sam liked her. (Don't ask me why I am privileged to all this info) Sam was at first very mad at Marcus, but then, he found out the girl likes him back. He is so stressed out because he just does not know what to do.

Sam: She likes me too. But I want to tell her we should be friends first. Because I am definitly not ready for a relationship. Do you think she'd be okay with that? I have a feeling shes going to tell me "wait! no! lets be boyfriend and girlfriend" What do I do then?

>>It's a whole mess and it causes everyone to not concentrate. Then, to top it all off Phillip brings in a rose for Grace today. Then asks her to marry him. Sam proceeds to say "No! Not like that! do it like this!" and shows him how to get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. Phillip does this. Grace takes the flower but says no.


WOW spring.

12 days

>> I am attempted to remember the last time I blogged was. We have 12 days of school left. I continue to tell my students that if we can make it through the next 8 days we will be in fun mode. (They are very excited) I have scheduled all my IEP's to make it through the end of the year (Two IEPS left, and one transition meeting) I have two teacher parties, one SPED meeting, a picnic day, and then a half day and I will have made it through my first year of teaching.

>>Sam was absent on friday. He proceeded to tell us numerous times throughout the day today, that when the school called to see why he was sick, he was the one who picked up the phone, said he was his dad, and said Sam was out sick. He was so proud of himself, but he had a major meltdown when I told him I was going to tell the principal on him. (I didnt.)

>>I know.. boring post. Thats pretty much how today is. Boring.

13

>>I called my kids a bunch of creeps today. Then, I caught a bunch of them discussing shaving their underparts. Disturbing. I swear I am a good teacher. :)

>>I also know I am destined to be a teacher because of what happened after school today. I found out I have 75 dollars to spend from PTC. So I am trying to spend it before the end of the year. I went to Staples and it was the most amazing thing. I bought binders, paperclips, post-its, and pens. It was AMAZING! i am such a teacher. I love new school supplies :)

Quotes:

Marcus: Why would she save a booger? SHES A LADY!
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Jamie: And then they wrote on myspace "He had sex with hannah montana! so I had to delete my account"
Marcus: You dont have to say that! Just say he bing-bonged her!

15

>>15 more days of school. I'm not sure if I am beyond excited (mostly to sleep in) or a little bit sad. One of my students brought a knife to school today. Just a small pocket knife, but another student told me about it, and it was scary! we had to search him until we found it. He got to stay at school for the rest of the day. And Its kinda scary to know that prob. nothing will come from it. I'm not really sure how i feel. Almost just numb.

Quotes:

Aide: Who is the president that helped freed the slaves?
Sam: Abe Leepercum!

--
Carl: What do you tell a woman with two black eyes?
Nothing she's already been told twice.
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Sam: You are too old to smack a girls butt!

16 days.

>>Things have been okay. A little wild and crazy but, we are surviving. I just have quotes to post today, since I'm exhausted and I want to be lazy.
:)

Carl: Yea, I use girls shampoo. That's how come my hair smells like the ocean!

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Sam: hey. we are men! we can do what we want. You are women you do the work!

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Sam: The clouds were like made of rainbows! The sky was a rainbow! Is that even possible? Marcus thought we were high!
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(As I am sitting at my desk with my hands going through my hair)
Carl: Uh Oh. Thats the stressed look. you always do that when youre stressed! are you okay?

Good news/bad news

>>What do you want first? The good news or the bad news? Always start with the bad and end with the good right?

The day began with our standarized testing. The FINAL day. After 3 days of 120-90 min. blocks of testing every morning, We had our final testing day (well, not the 8th graders but the other two!) About mid way through the testing time my principal comes in with one of my 8th graders, matthew. (Matthew was suspended not to long ago for pot) Anyways, While my kids are testing the principal goes On and On about what am I doing sending Matthew down to take the test with all the other 8th graders. He shouldnt be taking that test and What did he score last year, and why didnt we change him to the modified version of the test and he was just goofing around and not taking this seriously and blah blah. I went on to explain to him that I got Matthew in my class in Jan. The middle of Jan actually. His IEP was already held, so i could not change his test scores, and I did not even know him, and I did know even know what his test scores were from last year, so how could I really justify changing them. He ends the conversation with "Matthew will be testing in here for the rest of the time. " and then and he's leaving he says, "I know he just doesnt even understand it anyways" Matthew does not need that. He needs someone to have a little faith in him. He doesn't need someone to sit there and talk down to him when he already has the cards stacked against him. Matthew proceeded to just bubble in random answers and I tried to say, "he shouldnt have talked like that and blah blah" He was just really mad, and hurt. and i explained that I was mad too.

>>Things with Matthew calmed down. But, during P.E. Zed and Steve got into a fight with another student. A fist fight. Statements were written, things were dealt with. And it came down to the fact that Steve pretty much started the fighting, and continued it when another student got involved. Our Vp asked me what if I thought 1 day suspension was okay for fighting, and I agreed. But, I said she should prob talk with his mom because I am not sure if she would think that was okay. So we decided that either suspension or 3 days of after school dentention with me was mom's choice. urgh.

>>Finally, Principal comes in during lunch and found out that Matthew was found with visine in his pocket, which I guess is like "drug" related. So, he was going to get suspended. He ran from the principal, so they gave him 5 days plus a meeting to determine expulsion. It really makes me sad, but we will see what happens. I have never had to go through one of these before, so It will def be a learning experience. I cant save every kid.

>>I had some good news about something that happened today, but I forget.. Oh wait! yes. Phillip is doing wonderfully during lunch again. We have been our with him for two weeks, and his has not had any hitting/fighting/throwing things issues all week. Excellent!!!

FINALLY: I leave you with the funny quotes of the day!

((Note: I have decided to start putting the quotes in my phone so I can actually remember them. Hopefully I will have new ones everyday now))

Marcus: Yeah. I shave my armpits. It's annoying when you're trying to touch yourself and there is hair there.
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Me: What kind of tacos did you have last night for cinco de mayo?
Jamie: Bushy.
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Phillip: I Love you Sam.
Other kids: See! He said it! He loves you!
Sam: I like him. I like him like a friend. Not like a lover!