My fourth period Algebra today was incredible: They were having these discussions where I could cold-call on anyone to “agree/disagree and why” and they would run with it. They were doing gymnastic contortions to look like they were still sitting in their desks when they were actually jumping up to raise their hands as high as possible. It was awesome. They earned a record 8 class points, and they can really get their FOIL on.
Fifth period was an unmitigated disaster. I wasn’t well-prepared and I have a table-group that thinks they’re all that. I needed their patience, and they weren’t feeling it. It became a spitting contest, and nobody wins a spitting contest. Everyone just gets spit on.
Mood swings are a way of life at school. I went into my lunch break blue from fifth period and came out juggling oranges. I went in to my 7th period optimistic and came out pensive. Teaching is unpredictable and it takes all of my energy to maintain my equilibrium.

Positive Dailies:

• I got this email from a mom today

“I just wanted to touch base with you, T was excited about some new math that yall are doing.  She came home saying she understood it.  She worked with her brother on math last night. I love to see her excited about learning something new.”

• C got out of ISS and came back to our one-on-one class with just as much enthusiasm as he had before he got in trouble. I mostly let him do his own thing, but when I looked up and saw him looking sideways at his paper, I said “Talk to me, C”
  “It’s nothing. I just caught myself making a mistake” He talked me through it and explained how he could fix it. That was a dream come true. Every day with C is a dream come true.
• Some of my goofy boys were playing charades in my room during lunch. My favorite was the rock-climbing mime.  They were mostly ninjas.
• “Ms. O, we imagined the ideal top predator today: a flying turtle-cheetah with a lion’s roar and the intelligence of a human!”
• “I’ll try to remember my yoga britches for yoga club tomorrow”
• I had Algebra grading their own work.
  Ms O: What do I expect you to do while you grade your own work?
  Students: Not cheat! Be truthful!
  Ms. O: That’s the second most important thing, but what’s even more important than that?
  Students: …
  Ms. O: Where are we right now?
  Students: math class?
  Ms. O: bigger picture.
  Students: School.
  Ms. O: What happens at school?
  Students: We Sit? Work hard? Be bored?
  Ms. O: Uhhh.. In an ideal world?
  Students: We learn.
  Ms O: yeah. So what should you be doing while you’re grading your work?
  Students: Learning?
  Ms. O: Yeah! Learn from your own mistakes!
  Cue lightbulb. Facepalm. We talked about this yesterday.

Yesterday’s Jokes:

Why don’t you play cards in the jungle?
It’s full of cheetahs!

A lion and a cheetah were having a race.
The lion says to the cheetah “I don’t wanna race you, you’re a cheetah”
The cheetah says to the lion “You lion!”