Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 June 2003 13:43:43
Interesting conversation this morning. "OK, so we wore jewellery which is against school rules, we shared answers in the test, we talked, we answered back and argued the toss whenever you spoke to us, we sat and drew pictures on each others' arms, and we carried on even after you gave us a final warning, but we did the work so what's your problem?" This from two thirteen year old girls. It took most of break to explain the problem to them (oh, how sad) and I still suspect they don't get it.
This in contrast to yesterday when the toughest girl I teach suddenly turned to me and said "I like you, you're all right". Amazing! I didn't know what to say!
Test with Year Seven yesterday - the test was due to take 20 mins and they were to have the rest of the hour as extra play. It took thirty minutes to get them sitting at separate tables and quiet. Thirty minutes! After the test they had 10 minutes of sitting and listening to a lecture!!! Then I felt awful this morning when they came and brought me a beautiful letter to apologise!
My year fives and year sixes amazed me, though. They're doing some work which is far beyond what they should be able to do, and thoroughly enjoying the challenge. I really can't believe they're doing it...and certainly couldn't believe it when they suddenly said "Can we do some more of that multiples game?"
My own kids? More tantrums last night - both of them being a pain. I finally lost it when Tiddles informed me that he was tantrumming because he was worried about his girlfriend - he's ten! - because he hadn't seen her on the bus for a few days. This may be because he's not actually travelling on the bus at the moment.
Conversation in the car: We're going to be second cousins. Our cousin's girlfriend is pregnant. S is going to be a daddy so we'll be second cousins, won't we? Mummy, is it a baby she's going to have?
.... followed closely by... "Will the baby be a boy or a girl or what?"
Oh, and I am feeling rather smug, by the way... used my washing machine expertise to mend the staffroom dishwasher! Hooray for clean dishes for my cuppa.