Laughter at My Expense!

Today I foibled.

My 7th period class just went all wrong. 

First, I started the class. It was time to issue their multicultural readers and composition books.  So, I get the kids to pass them out, the kids start labeling their new supplies. While they help me I start explaining our persuasion unit. I’m reminding them of what they did last year and what we’ll be doing this year. I announce that we will read “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the end of the year and they all moan. “What’s the problem?” I ask them.  “We read that, this will be my second time”.  Another kid says it would be their THIRD time. I’m perplexed. Why are they reading this in 9th when for us it’s a tenth grade book.

OOPS! 7th period is an eleventh grade class!  Where is my head?

I collect the materials and get started on the CORRECT lesson which is on Native American Literature.  This tends to be a good but talkative class. There are some kids who just don’t shut up. They are polite, and do eventually listen, they just really like the class and their friends.  Seriously, this year is amazing and I think all the kids love their English class.  I’ve received feedback from other teachers saying “My kids always say how English is their favorite class”. 

So, I decide to move some of the kids in the talkative group (yes, they’ve been warned).  So that’s done. 

Now, at some point one student is just always smiling, laughing, and the girls around him are giggling and keep looking at whatever it is he’s writing.  I figure, "Ugh, they’re passing notes and distracting me!". So, I walk over, and rip the sheet of paper out of the kids notebook. As I walk away, I look at it, and ANOTHER BIG OOPS. The kid was seriously taking good notes and it was ALL school work.  I apologized profusely, and we all laughed at ME! 

Good times in 7th period, even if it was at my expense!