A little bit of everything

I ain't got no organization today, friends.  Sorry.

New favorite student anecdote, care of a student "struggling with behavioral norms":

Student enters colleague-friend's classroom.  He knows the student via previous year's communications.  The young person points to the room across the hall and hollers to my friend, "I'M GOING TO S*** ON THAT F***ING SUB!"

My friend, knowing that coming down on the child for swearing is only going to make her freak out on him super-angry-style but obviously needing to address the behavior, responds, without missing a beat, "[Insert student's name here], that's GROSS."

Friends, I can understand being f***ing angry.  I can even understand calling the sub crummy by using a four-letter word.  However, I have never, in my life, ever considered defecating on someone in anger (or in any other mood, for that matter).  Where on earth did the child even come in contact with this idea?  This is one time that I am glad I have NO idea where a kid is coming from.  It sounds like they're getting her some help, and my fingers are crossed that it works quickly.

In other hard to believe or understand areas,  GLEE tonight:

• Is anyone else disturbed by a teacher in a tighty-tee singing "Busta Move" to the children...
• not to mention the actual move-busting with the children?
  
• The mandatory reporter in me is already dialing Family Services. 
• Where are the teachers in the hallways during all this slushy-throwing?
  

Today I presented to a small group of colleagues about a new web tool we are using.  Somehow, I have never been able to get used to what awful listeners teachers are in a group setting.  I don't think I've ever been to a meeting with colleagues where people aren't whispering throughout.
Teachers are just like kids when they are the students.  Allow me to set the scene:

We're in the computer lab.  I'm at the SMARTBoard showing how it works and checking in with individuals as they complete the steps and get set up. In the session, I have

• the boys in the back who aren't really listening to instructions,
• the girl who is still stuck on step 1 when the rest of the group is finishing step 2,
• the girl who finished the entire task in the first ten minutes and spends the remaining time checking email, then stays late because she's confused,
• the boy who cracks jokes and distracts me,
• the girl who wants my undivided attention the whole time,
• the kid who decides she'll just see me after school and so wanders and bounces around,
• the student who calls my name over and over after being asked to wait while I finish with someone else,
• and the one who races ahead, thinking she's hot stuff, until she messes up on something I haven't explained yet and wants me to fix it for her while everyone else waits.

Next time: Peer Editing & Being an Artist