Gina Harris

9/25/07

Tuesday I went into the class armed with some ideas and techniques to use to try and work with student J. We discussed different ideas in class on Monday, so I was anxious to try them if the opportunity arose. Well, as usual the class totally falls apart when the students are dismissed to reading centers. In one group I had the two students, M & A, that I have given reading assessments to. While we were working in the group "A" says I can't work with all this noise, it hurts my ears. (J was the source of most.) I asked her if it was like this in the mornings and she said "yes, but not as bad." The next group had J in it and he was very rambunctious. After explaining the assignment, they began to work. J was disruptive as usual so I initiated a conversation with him. I asked him how many brothers and sisters he had. He response was, " I have 50 brothers and one stupid little sister." Then he changed that to, "I have 10 brothers, 1 little sister..." Needless to say, the timing wasn't right or something and he just continued to be a mess and didn't much work done. Also, I feel very uncomfortable doing things my was since it is not my class. I am also working with and helping the classroom aide and do not want to step on her toes :-) I thought the assignment was lame but not my call. The word crouched was in the story and J said it was crotch and from there they totally digressed.
I noticed the teacher was frazzled that day and when I left I was too.
I do observe what she does to get ideas and she does some things I would definitely use, but they almost seem like a waste of time because the kids just don't listen. She went over blends and try to demonstrate how 3 letters blend to make one sound. She used water, sugar, and lemon juice to show how 3 things put together can make one. Great idea, I thought but the kids kind of kill it because they are so unruly. She changes their desk arrangements often. I think she is trying to work out the discipline problems with different methods. When I left I told myself I didn't want to go back.

9/27/07
I went back. And I'm glad I did. I realize we are all different and I could never run my class like she does hers. She is super nice. But I could not put up with kids getting up continuously to get a drink, sharpen a pencil, throw something out, go the bathroom, or just wander the room while teaching a lesson. They walk right in front of her while she teaches on the way to do all these things. This is not a Special Ed class and I think more should be expected from these students. Today, I was asked to do more with the students (the classroom aide wasn't there) and I had no problem with that but I was going to use my judgement as far as how to deal with some of these kids. I had great centers today because I only allowed so much foolishness and got involved with them. They did phenomenal work. All but a few finished the whole assignment in the time allotted which is rare. My biggest joy however was J. He came over rowdy and immediately I got him focused on the assignment. He had made a comment a couple of times since I have been coming to the class about this little pinkie ring I wear. He touched it today at centers and I asked him if he would like to wear it. He eyes got wide and he said yes. I told him he could wear it until the timer went off to end the center time but he had to complete the whole assignment. He wore the ring, completed the assignment perfectly (even erasing and rewriting sloppy handwriting) and was good until dismissal time. He actually crawled on the floor for a good purpose this time. He, on his own, picked up every piece of garbage on the floor. Before he left, he gave me the biggest hug. I wanted to cry.