*waves*

While I had looked online for when the ELA was going to be, they did say it was coming this week. However since my Principals told me that they were giving it next week.

Now for those who don't routinely know what goes on in an Yeshiva, this does happen. The school does sometimes give tests late, gets permission, etc. So when I came in I got a shock. So the entire day was changed and me and the Science teacher split the day between the 7th and 8th Grades.

I am still, in my years of teaching, still in shock about the behavior of some students. Contrary to other ideas, there does come a time that you cannot control a child. Case in point

7th Grade: Decides to take a newpaper for middle school students that the school gets, rolls it up, puts it in his mouth, and goes around the room acting like 'Lucky the Dog'. His partner in crime who is using a tie to attack other students were thrown out and are going to be severely diciplined.

6th Grade: What do you do when you try to make fun of a teacher and not do your work? Condemned in front of the class, held late, and the card game you were playing in the middle of class confiscated.

Thank g-d I am reaching out to those boys who want to learn. Made me smile when the 7th grade began a discussion on the ramifications of France's double dealing with the US prior to the War of 1812 and that the 6th Grade were 'bad mouthing' their 5th grade teacher last year for her inability to teach them the proper English Grammar rules.

Days like this I remember why I want to continue to be a teacher, and why I wish to stay in the Yeshiva system. Though given the administration not sure how that'll last for next year.

Last two days

6th Grade, it would seem, is actually having a difficult time with the English Grammar rules that I am trying to teach them. going slow and patient with them, I just wish the 5th Grade Teacher had taught them a bit better. Really her English Grammar Rules and explainations makes me quite ill. They were taught the bare minimum with writing and grammar. Thank G-d have worked through their writing issues but have to keep hammering at them with the grammar. Hopefully my hand out work sheet tomorrow will do the trick and we'll be able to do some history.

7th Grade has been having some bad behavior problems associated with two kids. Yesterday was a disturbance and wasn't able to complete all the work we had intended to do in the class. Today threw the two kids out and the Principal chewed them out. They were still cocky at the end of the day. Have to work out some more sheets for the War of 1812 that we will be beginning tomorrow.

8th Grade, the ELA prep is going ahead, we did a practice test and actually marking some of them tonight. Been working on evaluating essays, writing detailed essays, and compare and contrast to prep their skills for next weeks test. Kinda worried about some of them but I am very confident that the majority of them will do well. I just wish there was a way to address the 'Torah doesn't say that' issue. It makes me extremely sad that many of these boys have a twisted sense of what is right or wrong when it comes to the Torah. I am all for protecting impressionable young mind and ensuring their safety and for them wanting to stay away from bad influence. However an article concerning how the Puritans came to America just doesn't fall under that category.

New website: I have used it a lot and love making puzzles for my students with it, http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/WordSearchSetupForm.html - its a word search generator. Just put in the words and click.

Baby I got back

So the Menahel spoke up about the lessons, not sure about me, but about what I am teaching.

The boys apparently had twisted his words, even though his words weren't supportive of what I was trying to teach the boys before hand. The boys used it as an excuse and it finally took 3 days for all of this insanity to be quashed. Thank G-d it has been and hopefully will have just another day to get them prepped.

Last Thursday was actually good, except for the fact that the Principal felt the tests were too hard and it wouldn't do if the kids began to fail the tests. Truth be told I don't have any issues at all with the tests, I know if they study they would do well, but you can't tell me last minute about changing my entire outlook on how to make my tests and give them. So I'll work on making the next one 'easier' I'm going to have to grade all those lovely tests from last Thursday and see how well they all do.

I'm hoping that tomorrow's work day just builds upon the more positive Thursday that me and the kids had last week.

Question

My day can be summerized with the following questions.

Why does anyone believe that using the Torah allow you to be insulting or give a lack of derech eretz to secular studies teachers?

How can an owner of a school willfully undermine a teacher's authority and seemingly put down what they are teaching in the classroom and permit that kind of behavior to continue?

I feel horrible for those 8th grade boys who are trying and wish to learn...detention was given today. I didn't let what they did bother me at all, they stayed late for detention because of their actions till they finally sat there, were quiet, and let me finish the lesson.

Just wondering, what can I do? I teach well, I make the lessons interesting, and I try and do one on one with my students, what else can I do?

What else could go wrong

I am starting to believe that there is no stopping idiocy sometimes.

1) The Secretary has misplaced my ELA book that I am using for practice for my students

2) The Menahel, without asking me, had told the students due to a very innocent passage that mentioned the pros and cons for a mixed gender enviroment in the teaching system (which, for those of you familiar with the ELA, there are almost always one of those every year) warrented them to throw out all their packets.

*SIGH*

I want these boys to do well on the ELA. I already have parents asking me to tutor for ELA, which I shall do, along with students who are requesting History help. It is sad that my in-class help towards these students is being threatened when my Principals both said that the page was fine and quite appropiate, especially in dealing with the ELAs.

Due to this obsenity, I had a very difficult time controlling the class. Many of them felt that they had 'won against me' of the sorts and behaved attrociously.

Makes me very sad.

7th and 6th Grades were quite normal, got the work done, everyone was happy. Moving quietly along. Just the 8th grade has me worried. Yearbook is still not going well, now the ELA, and now I wonder what next?

The week begins rather nicely

Not sure what got into the drinks or food of my 7th Grade but they were not like they were last week. Saddens me, especially in light that most of them didn't do their HW. 'Didn't have enough time' is never an excuse. More on that further down this post. Did the final review of all materials for this coming Thursday's test. Now we begin to look at what Jefferson is really doing as President.

The 6th Grade was also missing some HW but not so bad, but bad for a weekend in my opinion. The work went well, some of them had difficulty doing the work but most were able to do everything quickly and efficently.

The 8th Grade...well the day wasn't totally their fault. The secretary messed up my copying order and the ELA pages were not done properly so couldn't do that with them. Began an intro to World War I. Did some of the ELA, English Booklets, and gave out assignments to those students who couldn't behave/watch their widening maws of audible noise.

I don't understand what some parents think. Your son doesn't want to do his HW now? He doesn't want to not play games? He wants to wait till 8:00 pm or longer to do his HW at night? When did this become a civilization ran by children? How is that that a child not yet out of elementary/JR High School can get away without doing their HW, showing it proudly to their parents, and then being able to go out and play. Well this is the concept that I need to drill into parent's heads this coming week. Tons of phone calls, assignments, etc to be handed out.

On top of that I am really feeling sorry for the JR High Principal and Elementary Principal. They are both being raked over by the Menahel. It is sad, what is the point of hiring people to do jobs when you constantly nitpick them through the entire process? Now I see where a lot of this is coming from and how it is falling onto my shoulders sometimes and can't help but want to help them. So we'll see how that'll go when I go in and talk tot he Elementary Principal tomorrow about several other issues.

Found a new site for all to look at, called http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/. Awesome history site reference source.

Just a quick question to the few readers I have

Should I be disappointed/concerned/some other emotion when I student calls me up on a Sunday night, almost at 8:00 pm to ask me if there was HW that is due for tomorrow? Especially when it was meant as an entire weekends worth of work?