It's no secret that our school system is low-performing. It's no secret that we've got a lot of growing to do to get us out from under the state's thumb. And it's no secret that our kids have a long way to go to meet the standards that have been set for them.
This school year, our county has added on an additional 30 minutes to the school day, presumably to help raise test scores and move our students closer to success. At our school in particular, that 30 minutes has been tacked on as an extra class at the end of the day, a period that is supposed to focus on increasing literacy among our students.
At first, those extra 30 minutes were killer. Students and teachers alike were used to walking out the door at 3:00, just seconds away from freedom. Students were confused about the point of those 30 minutes; without a structured activity, it felt like free time. Teachers like me were frustrated by having another period to plan, and the transition from a content class to "literacy period" felt artificial and uncomfortable. And what do kids even care about literacy, anyways? They don't like to read, and they definitely don't like to write (mostly because they struggle immensely with both).
Now, planning literacy time is something I genuinely look forward to. Why, you ask? Because the 7th grade team has started using a resource called "Word Generation". According to its website...
"Word Generation is a research-based vocabulary program for middle school students designed to teach words through language arts, math, science, and social studies classes. The program employs several strategies to ensure that students learn words in a variety of contexts." (www.wg.serpmedia.org)
Each Word Generation lesson is focused on a controversial issue that is relevant to the kids and/or important to discuss, and is written in the form of a question: Should single-gender education be an option in public schools? Should athletes be paid multi-million dollar salaries? Should junk food be allowed in schools? Should the U.S. use the death penalty? What kind of health education is the best (abstience vs. safe sex)? Each lesson includes a short article with 5 focus words, a math problem of the week, topics for debate, a science experiment, and a writing prompt. Last week, we discussed whether or not boys and girls should be separated in schools, made a pros and cons chart, watched a news clip about a school that does this, solved a math problem on the same topic, and wrote letters to our principal to defend our positions. This week, our topic was "Should drugs be legalized?" It was refreshing to have a mature conversation about a topic that is very controversial and, for some of these kids, hits close to home. And the best part: the kids have no idea that they are improving their literacy. Learning vocabulary, reading an article, communicating their ideas orally, and defending their arguments in words--we're making the most of this 30 minutes, and the kids are actually engaged. I will say, we have a long way to go with their writing and arguing skills, though. Below, I've included some samples from this past week's discussion. Please note that I took special care to spell everything exactly as they did. And pay special attention to the logic they use...it's frightening and hysterical at the same time.
Enjoy!
“Drugs shoud be legal, but only for people over 21. This will keep more teenagers from getting addicted because if drugs where legal more people will stay alive and if it was legalized more people will be dead that why drugs should be legal. They will be skinny”
“I agree with D because teenagers sould not be on durgs because they get reallie addicted to it and end up getting killed. But people over 21 sould use it for there needs. Not for a bad reason, some use it durgs for medicane for there problems.”
“because, say if I were to have some weed and I were to give it to that person and he were to ask for it and I wouldn’t have it and then he might either kill me or beat me up.”
“I think drugs should be legalized because people who on drgs they get real skinny and if they wont on drugs they would be thier regular sizes.”
This week, our topic is affirmative action. I'm excited to see where the discussion leads. I love having conversations that involve race, because it's something the kids aren't exposed to very often since they are in a very homogenous community. I also love to watch them squirm when I say the word "white". I can't WAIT to make them say it, too.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Heard in Room A410....
Writing prompt: "What would you do with $1,000,000?"
Student: "If I just won 1 million dollars I will spend it on a house car and save the rest of it. And I also will move and give my mom and dad some."
Miss H: "You'd move out, now? Who would cook for you and help you clean?"
Student: "I cook. I make spagheeettti, macarooooniii..."
Miss H: "Can you cook anything that's not pasta?"
Student: "Yeah, pasta salad!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volleyball girl: "Miss H, you don't look white."
Miss H: "What?"
Volleyball girl: "You don't look white."
Miss H: "What do I look like?"
Volleyball girl: "I dunno....yellow?"
Volleyball girl #2: "You don't act white either."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student: "Miss H...can you put me up for adoption?"
Miss H: "You want me to put you in a foster home?"
Student: "Naw, I want you to be my momma!"
Miss H: "Oh, you want me to adopt you. Be careful, two different things."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student: "We playin those rednecks today...oh, sorry Miss H."
Miss H: "I'm not offended. I may be white, but I'm not a redneck."
Student: "But you ain't really white!"
Miss H: "Psh!"
Student: "What, you think it's bad to be black?"
Miss H: "No, I just think it's pretty obvious that I'm white.
Student: "You don't act white!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volleyball girl: "I ont like that girl. She saying we ghetto."
Miss H: "So, own it!" (Finger snap)
Volleyball girl: "Oooooh, Miss H went hood on us!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VB Girl: "Black people are ghetto."
Miss H: "ALL black people are ghetto?"
VB Girl 2: "Naw, that's a status."
Miss H: "A what?!"
VB Girl 2: "A status."
Miss H: "You mean a stereotype? A status is something you update on facebook."
VB Girl 2: "Whatever."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student (boy): "Miss H, the only teacher with swag!"
Man, I love my life.
Student: "If I just won 1 million dollars I will spend it on a house car and save the rest of it. And I also will move and give my mom and dad some."
Miss H: "You'd move out, now? Who would cook for you and help you clean?"
Student: "I cook. I make spagheeettti, macarooooniii..."
Miss H: "Can you cook anything that's not pasta?"
Student: "Yeah, pasta salad!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volleyball girl: "Miss H, you don't look white."
Miss H: "What?"
Volleyball girl: "You don't look white."
Miss H: "What do I look like?"
Volleyball girl: "I dunno....yellow?"
Volleyball girl #2: "You don't act white either."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student: "Miss H...can you put me up for adoption?"
Miss H: "You want me to put you in a foster home?"
Student: "Naw, I want you to be my momma!"
Miss H: "Oh, you want me to adopt you. Be careful, two different things."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student: "We playin those rednecks today...oh, sorry Miss H."
Miss H: "I'm not offended. I may be white, but I'm not a redneck."
Student: "But you ain't really white!"
Miss H: "Psh!"
Student: "What, you think it's bad to be black?"
Miss H: "No, I just think it's pretty obvious that I'm white.
Student: "You don't act white!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Volleyball girl: "I ont like that girl. She saying we ghetto."
Miss H: "So, own it!" (Finger snap)
Volleyball girl: "Oooooh, Miss H went hood on us!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VB Girl: "Black people are ghetto."
Miss H: "ALL black people are ghetto?"
VB Girl 2: "Naw, that's a status."
Miss H: "A what?!"
VB Girl 2: "A status."
Miss H: "You mean a stereotype? A status is something you update on facebook."
VB Girl 2: "Whatever."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student (boy): "Miss H, the only teacher with swag!"
Man, I love my life.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Peanuts, Please!
Where in the world was Courtney this time last Saturday?
Why, at the Inaugural Enfield Peanut Gallery 10K Run, of course.
Last week, at approximately 9:31 am, Lojo and I were lined up behind the spray-painted “START” line on a street in downtown Enfield, laughing hysterically as the town mayor shouted “Go!” to begin the first-ever Enfield 10K run.
Rewind to the beginning of August, when I received the weekly blast from the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, an email with the latest and greatest events happening around Ro Rap. I always at least skim through the bulletin, in hopes that something even semi-interesting might be happening to add a little flavor to our bland lives, but I am almost always disappointed.
Oh, but not this time. There, in that very email, was finally something of interest to the ladies of the Ponderosa: a 10K run in a town that was close to our hearts. We marked our calendars and told our kids that we would be participating in a run through the town, in hopes of earning some street cred and support (“You running 6 miles…in a row?”).
It snuck up on me. One minute we were hanging bulletin boards for back-to-school, and the next it was October 1. Lojo is training for a marathon, and her dedication to her training schedule is admirable if not frightening. I, on the other hand, hadn’t run in over two weeks, what with getting home close to 7 almost every night after volleyball practice. But I figured, hey, if I could run 13 miles 2 months ago, I can certainly handle 6 today. So we set out for the registration destination, but not before we convinced our neighbor to take a “before” picture in our cul-de-sac.
(No, I haven't gotten taller since moving to NC. Lojo just happens to be the one person in the world shorter than me.)
We arrived at Jennie’s Beans & Buns at 8:45 to ensure a spot in the race since we had neglected to pre-register. Jennie’s looks like any other old building in the area—old and uninviting. There were hardly any cars in the parking lot, and I was started to feel anxious. I had no idea what to expect, but I surely wasn’t expecting much.
The second we stepped inside the coffee shop, I was immediately taken aback. It looked so…normal! And cute, even! This was exactly the kind of place we had been looking for since we moved to Roanoke Rapids—a casual local spot to get some work done after school and on the weekends. And all this time it had been sitting in the middle of downtown Enfield, less than 3 miles from my school. This was the first surprise of many to come.
The place was empty except for two or three white ladies and the owner. All of the women were friendly and seemed excited to have us there. They signed us in, gave us our time chip and race numbers, and asked questions about where we lived and worked. As more people started to trickle in, we learned a little more about the event: a whopping 5 people had pre-registered, and they were already up to a total of 10 runners a mere 25 minutes before the race was to begin! I caught Lojo’s eyes and we both stifled laughs as we realized just how small this event was. We decided we were going to win this race, hands down, if there were only 8 other people running! And if nothing else, we’d at least win the ladies’ division. The only other women we saw didn’t look like much competition, anyways.
Our hopes were dashed when an Army recruiter, high school cross-country athlete, and a marathon runner walked in the shop just a few minutes later. We gave up on winning overall, but were still confident about our ability to be the first females to finish.
At 9:25, five minutes before the official start time, the race organizer (whose wife had checked us in) gathered around all 15 (!) runners and read off a list of people he wanted to thank for making this first Enfield Peanut Gallery 10K race possible. The list of people he thanked was definitely longer than the list of runners. He took a few minutes to explain how the course was marked, then walked us over to the start line (the word “Start” written in spray paint on the street) where the town mayor gave us the official “GO!”—and by that, I mean she literally just said the words, “Go!”….and we were off!
We died laughing for the first few minutes. This whole thing was just too much. Fifteen runners? A route marked with spray painted arrows and homemade mile marker signs? Running through Enfield? Oh, and our newest discovery—we were the only females running! The other two women we had seen were there either to cheer on their husbands or participate in the 1K “Fun Run”. So before we even started, we won the race!
It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect a run. The course took us through the streets of Enfield, where I saw a few of my students outside their houses, and along the railroad tracks. It even took us straight through a cotton field—as in, we were running on a dirt road with nothing but cotton on both sides of us. There were no other runners in sight—the men had all taken off ahead of us, determined to win. We, on the other hand, could go as fast or as slow as we pleased. After all, we were already the fastest female runners! There were even a few water stations along the way, but I can’t imagine it took more than a few bottles of water to hydrate all the participants.
At the end of the race, we received goodie bags with our very own Enfield 10K Peanut Gallery shirt and some other freebies. They presented a giant bag of peanuts to the male and female winners (Lojo beat me by a second!) and we laughed our way back to the car. With a hot coffee in hand (from our new favorite coffee shop, of course), we strolled the streets of downtown Enfield, where local residents were setting up booths for the annual Peanut Festival. I saw a few more of my kids and finally got to see the town in all its glory. We didn’t last long, though—we were starving and had plans to head to “civilization”, a.k.a. Rocky Mount, for the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden to refuel (and the obvious stop at Target).
You can only imagine how much fun we had retelling that story to family and friends and basically anyone who would listen ("We got first in the women's division!!!!! Guess how many women we were running against? ZERO!") And it wouldn't be complete without a picture of us in our t-shirts and with the loot:
One of the best Saturdays in a long time.
Why, at the Inaugural Enfield Peanut Gallery 10K Run, of course.
Last week, at approximately 9:31 am, Lojo and I were lined up behind the spray-painted “START” line on a street in downtown Enfield, laughing hysterically as the town mayor shouted “Go!” to begin the first-ever Enfield 10K run.
Rewind to the beginning of August, when I received the weekly blast from the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, an email with the latest and greatest events happening around Ro Rap. I always at least skim through the bulletin, in hopes that something even semi-interesting might be happening to add a little flavor to our bland lives, but I am almost always disappointed.
Oh, but not this time. There, in that very email, was finally something of interest to the ladies of the Ponderosa: a 10K run in a town that was close to our hearts. We marked our calendars and told our kids that we would be participating in a run through the town, in hopes of earning some street cred and support (“You running 6 miles…in a row?”).
It snuck up on me. One minute we were hanging bulletin boards for back-to-school, and the next it was October 1. Lojo is training for a marathon, and her dedication to her training schedule is admirable if not frightening. I, on the other hand, hadn’t run in over two weeks, what with getting home close to 7 almost every night after volleyball practice. But I figured, hey, if I could run 13 miles 2 months ago, I can certainly handle 6 today. So we set out for the registration destination, but not before we convinced our neighbor to take a “before” picture in our cul-de-sac.
(No, I haven't gotten taller since moving to NC. Lojo just happens to be the one person in the world shorter than me.)
We arrived at Jennie’s Beans & Buns at 8:45 to ensure a spot in the race since we had neglected to pre-register. Jennie’s looks like any other old building in the area—old and uninviting. There were hardly any cars in the parking lot, and I was started to feel anxious. I had no idea what to expect, but I surely wasn’t expecting much.
The second we stepped inside the coffee shop, I was immediately taken aback. It looked so…normal! And cute, even! This was exactly the kind of place we had been looking for since we moved to Roanoke Rapids—a casual local spot to get some work done after school and on the weekends. And all this time it had been sitting in the middle of downtown Enfield, less than 3 miles from my school. This was the first surprise of many to come.
The place was empty except for two or three white ladies and the owner. All of the women were friendly and seemed excited to have us there. They signed us in, gave us our time chip and race numbers, and asked questions about where we lived and worked. As more people started to trickle in, we learned a little more about the event: a whopping 5 people had pre-registered, and they were already up to a total of 10 runners a mere 25 minutes before the race was to begin! I caught Lojo’s eyes and we both stifled laughs as we realized just how small this event was. We decided we were going to win this race, hands down, if there were only 8 other people running! And if nothing else, we’d at least win the ladies’ division. The only other women we saw didn’t look like much competition, anyways.
Our hopes were dashed when an Army recruiter, high school cross-country athlete, and a marathon runner walked in the shop just a few minutes later. We gave up on winning overall, but were still confident about our ability to be the first females to finish.
At 9:25, five minutes before the official start time, the race organizer (whose wife had checked us in) gathered around all 15 (!) runners and read off a list of people he wanted to thank for making this first Enfield Peanut Gallery 10K race possible. The list of people he thanked was definitely longer than the list of runners. He took a few minutes to explain how the course was marked, then walked us over to the start line (the word “Start” written in spray paint on the street) where the town mayor gave us the official “GO!”—and by that, I mean she literally just said the words, “Go!”….and we were off!
We died laughing for the first few minutes. This whole thing was just too much. Fifteen runners? A route marked with spray painted arrows and homemade mile marker signs? Running through Enfield? Oh, and our newest discovery—we were the only females running! The other two women we had seen were there either to cheer on their husbands or participate in the 1K “Fun Run”. So before we even started, we won the race!
It was a beautiful day, and the weather was perfect a run. The course took us through the streets of Enfield, where I saw a few of my students outside their houses, and along the railroad tracks. It even took us straight through a cotton field—as in, we were running on a dirt road with nothing but cotton on both sides of us. There were no other runners in sight—the men had all taken off ahead of us, determined to win. We, on the other hand, could go as fast or as slow as we pleased. After all, we were already the fastest female runners! There were even a few water stations along the way, but I can’t imagine it took more than a few bottles of water to hydrate all the participants.
At the end of the race, we received goodie bags with our very own Enfield 10K Peanut Gallery shirt and some other freebies. They presented a giant bag of peanuts to the male and female winners (Lojo beat me by a second!) and we laughed our way back to the car. With a hot coffee in hand (from our new favorite coffee shop, of course), we strolled the streets of downtown Enfield, where local residents were setting up booths for the annual Peanut Festival. I saw a few more of my kids and finally got to see the town in all its glory. We didn’t last long, though—we were starving and had plans to head to “civilization”, a.k.a. Rocky Mount, for the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden to refuel (and the obvious stop at Target).
You can only imagine how much fun we had retelling that story to family and friends and basically anyone who would listen ("We got first in the women's division!!!!! Guess how many women we were running against? ZERO!") And it wouldn't be complete without a picture of us in our t-shirts and with the loot:
One of the best Saturdays in a long time.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
RIP, SmartBoard
Today was a sad day in Miss Hiltunen's class. At approximately 11:00 am, in the middle of a lesson on finding greatest common factor, my precious, beloved, underappreciated SmartBoard met its end. With a flicker and a flash, it was gone. I knew it was coming. The board had been blinking for months, so it was only a matter of time. But it didn't make it any less depressing. Luckily, the lesson I had planned for today was not SmartBoard intensive. In fact, it was pretty hands-on. I went old school and wrote all the notes on the whiteboard (actually, I think old school would be writing on a chalk board), and the kids did really well rolling with it. Then, the kids split up into groups and used hula hoops to make giant Venn diagrams to find the GCF of a pair of numbers.
We hardly even noticed that the board wasn't working.
I think it's safe to say that had this happened last year, I would be in a tizzy, freaking out about what I was going to do until my board is fixed (most likely it will take over a week). Some of you may be shaking your head at the poor fools of my generation who don't know how to survive without technology. And while yes, not having technology is certainly an inconvenience, the issue goes beyond that. The SmartBoard has been installed dead-center in my classroom, which makes sense since my instruction typically revolves around it. However, it also means that I have very little whiteboard space, and what room I do have is off-center and is not visible to 25% of the class. So now the question becomes--how can I post ANY sort of notes or practice problems so that every student can see them? The million dollar question....
I've resigned myself to the fact that there's nothing I can do about it and it's not worth getting worked up over. It will definitely mean I'll have to do some very strategic planning this weekend, under the assumption that it will be a while before I have my board back. However, it could be worse. It could have happened on a Monday, after I had spent all weekend creating elaborate powerpoints. And, maybe, just maybe, I will actually enjoy a break from creating said elaborate powerpoints.
Before my 8th period class, I decided to draw a gravestone on my whiteboard next to the SmartBoard so the kids wouldn't ask me why I wasn't using my SmartBoard today. At some point in the period, probably during pack up, they decided to pay their respects to "S.B.", and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it later that afternoon. My favorite--the misspelled version of "bye homie". Especially because I know some kid thought he was really clever, calling the SmartBoard "homie". If only he knew...
(imu = i miss you)
PS...We won both of our most recent volleyball matches...new record is 5 - 1!
We hardly even noticed that the board wasn't working.
I think it's safe to say that had this happened last year, I would be in a tizzy, freaking out about what I was going to do until my board is fixed (most likely it will take over a week). Some of you may be shaking your head at the poor fools of my generation who don't know how to survive without technology. And while yes, not having technology is certainly an inconvenience, the issue goes beyond that. The SmartBoard has been installed dead-center in my classroom, which makes sense since my instruction typically revolves around it. However, it also means that I have very little whiteboard space, and what room I do have is off-center and is not visible to 25% of the class. So now the question becomes--how can I post ANY sort of notes or practice problems so that every student can see them? The million dollar question....
I've resigned myself to the fact that there's nothing I can do about it and it's not worth getting worked up over. It will definitely mean I'll have to do some very strategic planning this weekend, under the assumption that it will be a while before I have my board back. However, it could be worse. It could have happened on a Monday, after I had spent all weekend creating elaborate powerpoints. And, maybe, just maybe, I will actually enjoy a break from creating said elaborate powerpoints.
Before my 8th period class, I decided to draw a gravestone on my whiteboard next to the SmartBoard so the kids wouldn't ask me why I wasn't using my SmartBoard today. At some point in the period, probably during pack up, they decided to pay their respects to "S.B.", and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw it later that afternoon. My favorite--the misspelled version of "bye homie". Especially because I know some kid thought he was really clever, calling the SmartBoard "homie". If only he knew...
(imu = i miss you)
PS...We won both of our most recent volleyball matches...new record is 5 - 1!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
3-1!
About two weeks ago, I was seriously wondering if coaching volleyball was a good decision for my personal sanity. It meant 12 hours a day at school, and still coming home with work to do. It meant forgoing my workout schedule and having less time to cook healthy meals to stay in shape. It meant collapsing into bed dead tired, and waking up feeling like I got hardly any sleep. And it meant 2 more hours a day with 12 and 13 year olds. It didn't feel worth it, and I was not sure I'd survive.
Today, many of those things are still true. I can't remember ever feeling this tired, both mentally and phsyically (although I can imagine I felt similar to this at some point last year). I hardly get 7 hours of sleep, and I haven't run in 2 weeks. But I'm loving it.
I'm loving the opportunity to be with such a great group of girls outside of school and really build relationships. I'm loving playing a sport that I miss so much, even if it's just standing in for a missing girl during practice. And I'm loving seeing the girls WIN and be excited about it.
As of yesterday, we're 3 - 1! We've only played two teams, but we play double headers because the schools are all so far apart and it limits the amount of travel. Our first match was away, and you could tell the girls were nervous. We lost in two games. But once the nerves were gone, we came back and won the next match in three games. The girls went NUTS--they pigpiled on top of the girl who served the winning point. They were so proud of themselves that they told everyone at school the next day that they won--and failed to mention that we also lost a match right before.
Yesterday, we played our second double header. The other team was significantly smaller and less talented. But the girls were equally as excited about winning 2 more matches, and it was so encouraging to see them celebrate their victories. The coach from the other team complimented our girls' talent, and it really meant a lot to me. Because two weeks ago, we looked rough. Balls were dropping on the court left and right. There was no communication, and we hardly looked like a team. I was honestly worried that we weren't ever going to win a game, much less a match. Not only did we not look so good, but I am an inexperienced coach and had no idea what drills to run in practice to make it effective. I was worried and frustrated and exhausted, and I wasn't having fun.
And then, I decided that it wasn't worth being stressed over. I decided that I just wanted it to be fun for the girls, and for it to be an opportunity to teach them about responsibility and working hard. I wanted them to focus on being a team and acting like one. To represent Enfield in a positive way, especially since there is so much negative attention on our school.
So far, I'd say it's been a success. Not only have they worked hard, they've been WINNING and making me proud to be their coach. I'm truly enjoying being on the sidelines of a game that I love with girls that I love, as well.
Today, many of those things are still true. I can't remember ever feeling this tired, both mentally and phsyically (although I can imagine I felt similar to this at some point last year). I hardly get 7 hours of sleep, and I haven't run in 2 weeks. But I'm loving it.
I'm loving the opportunity to be with such a great group of girls outside of school and really build relationships. I'm loving playing a sport that I miss so much, even if it's just standing in for a missing girl during practice. And I'm loving seeing the girls WIN and be excited about it.
As of yesterday, we're 3 - 1! We've only played two teams, but we play double headers because the schools are all so far apart and it limits the amount of travel. Our first match was away, and you could tell the girls were nervous. We lost in two games. But once the nerves were gone, we came back and won the next match in three games. The girls went NUTS--they pigpiled on top of the girl who served the winning point. They were so proud of themselves that they told everyone at school the next day that they won--and failed to mention that we also lost a match right before.
Yesterday, we played our second double header. The other team was significantly smaller and less talented. But the girls were equally as excited about winning 2 more matches, and it was so encouraging to see them celebrate their victories. The coach from the other team complimented our girls' talent, and it really meant a lot to me. Because two weeks ago, we looked rough. Balls were dropping on the court left and right. There was no communication, and we hardly looked like a team. I was honestly worried that we weren't ever going to win a game, much less a match. Not only did we not look so good, but I am an inexperienced coach and had no idea what drills to run in practice to make it effective. I was worried and frustrated and exhausted, and I wasn't having fun.
And then, I decided that it wasn't worth being stressed over. I decided that I just wanted it to be fun for the girls, and for it to be an opportunity to teach them about responsibility and working hard. I wanted them to focus on being a team and acting like one. To represent Enfield in a positive way, especially since there is so much negative attention on our school.
So far, I'd say it's been a success. Not only have they worked hard, they've been WINNING and making me proud to be their coach. I'm truly enjoying being on the sidelines of a game that I love with girls that I love, as well.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
"Hey Miss H..." PART 2!
Student (same student from part 1): "...Ima bring pitt bulls to school tomorrow and let them bite all the teachers."
Miss H: "I'm going to write that up as a threat."
Student: "Naw, it wasn't a threat....I was serious!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "...Ima white boy."
Miss H: "Why do you want to be a white boy?"
Same student: "Cuz, I be doing skateboarding tricks."
Student #2: "Yeah, I got a skateboard and some skinny jeans."
Miss H: "Do you think all white boys wear skinny jeans?"
Student #2: "Yup."
Student #1: "Ima white boy. If anyone asks me whats my race, Ima say white African-American. My daddy be orange." (???)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "___ said he be po'. He can't afford no lunch. Will you buy him lunch?"
Miss H: "How do you know I ain't po'? What, you think just because I'm white I'm rich?" (I love this line.)
Student #2: "You ain't white. You light-skinned."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "And I'm just a herman being."
Miss H: "A what?"
Student: "A herman being!"
Miss H: "You mean a human being?"
Student: "It don't matter...it's the same thing!"
If only you could actually hear these babies talk. So much funnier.
Miss H: "I'm going to write that up as a threat."
Student: "Naw, it wasn't a threat....I was serious!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "...Ima white boy."
Miss H: "Why do you want to be a white boy?"
Same student: "Cuz, I be doing skateboarding tricks."
Student #2: "Yeah, I got a skateboard and some skinny jeans."
Miss H: "Do you think all white boys wear skinny jeans?"
Student #2: "Yup."
Student #1: "Ima white boy. If anyone asks me whats my race, Ima say white African-American. My daddy be orange." (???)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "___ said he be po'. He can't afford no lunch. Will you buy him lunch?"
Miss H: "How do you know I ain't po'? What, you think just because I'm white I'm rich?" (I love this line.)
Student #2: "You ain't white. You light-skinned."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same student: "And I'm just a herman being."
Miss H: "A what?"
Student: "A herman being!"
Miss H: "You mean a human being?"
Student: "It don't matter...it's the same thing!"
If only you could actually hear these babies talk. So much funnier.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
"Hey Miss H..."
Student: "...where you stay?"
Miss H: "I stay in Roanoke Rapids."
Student: "Roanoke Rapids?"
Miss H: "Yes, Roanoke Rapids."
Student: "Oh, well...where you stay at?"
Miss H: "I'm not telling you my address."
Student: "Why not?"
Miss H: "Because I don't want you showing up at my house! Anyways, my address doesn't come up on a GPS." (This is true.)
Student: "What you mean? Everybody's house is on GPS."
Miss H: "My neighborhood is new and the street isn't on the map."
Student: "So you mean to tell me...If your house is on fire, and you call the fire department...how they gonna find your house?"
Miss H: Laughter. Nothing but laughter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student 1: "...I quit the football team."
Miss H: "Why?"
Student 1: "Because I won't pass my physical."
Student 2: "Do you even know what a physical is?"
Miss H: "I stay in Roanoke Rapids."
Student: "Roanoke Rapids?"
Miss H: "Yes, Roanoke Rapids."
Student: "Oh, well...where you stay at?"
Miss H: "I'm not telling you my address."
Student: "Why not?"
Miss H: "Because I don't want you showing up at my house! Anyways, my address doesn't come up on a GPS." (This is true.)
Student: "What you mean? Everybody's house is on GPS."
Miss H: "My neighborhood is new and the street isn't on the map."
Student: "So you mean to tell me...If your house is on fire, and you call the fire department...how they gonna find your house?"
Miss H: Laughter. Nothing but laughter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Student 1: "...I quit the football team."
Miss H: "Why?"
Student 1: "Because I won't pass my physical."
Student 2: "Do you even know what a physical is?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)