Class Rules

Today I asked my 6th graders to list two or three classroom rules that will help create a positive learning environment.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Don't play with anything in class.
Be nice and kind to your new classmates.
Don't be loud.
Don't look on other people's papers.
No breaking anything in the class.
No skipping class.
No bullying kids for their lunch money.
No calling anybody names.
Have fun!
Don't look miserable all the time.
Be positive all the time. You can't have a positive room if the teacher and students are depressed.
No invading of personal space.
No insulting of any kind.
Do not hit, throw or kick.
Be kind and friendly to your peers even if they are mean to you.

And lastly...
quite simply put...

Behave.

The Name Game

The first day of school is a blend of new faces and names. I have three Joshua's in one class. Is that some sort of record? I started going through the roll and noted two young men by the name of Joshua. I was relieved when I found out that one would go by Josh while the other preferred the more formal Joshua.

Then there was Shane. He wanted to be called Josh as well.

Oh yeah, Laurel goes by Olivia.

Hints of the Seasons

Way back when I was a kid I used to watch the trees for the first signs of spring. I'd ride the bus each day with my eyes scanning the branches of every tree we passed. When would the first buds appear? My investigative eye would continue by searching the lawns for the first crocuses.

I was reminded of those bus rides today as I pedaled along the bike trail taking note of various leaves that had begun to change color. Sure there was plenty of green out there, but there was a good bit of yellow and orange as well serving as a subtle hint that fall is on its way.

Of course there's also one rather unsubtle hint that fall is just about here...school starts tomorrow.

Change of Scenery

Bruce Springsteen sang it, "I'm just tired and bored with myself."

Today I felt it...tired. It was a long week, one filled with moving furniture, unpacking boxes, uninspiring meetings and a good deal of low morale among my colleagues. The tired I felt wasn't the sleepy kind; it was more of the exhausted, bone-tired kind. Hence my motivation to get out and about on this gorgeous weekend wasn't real strong, but fortunately it was strong enough to get me out of the house.

I strolled through Eastern Market and enjoyed an hour or two of people watching. The bright blue skies and gentle breeze were enough to put everyone in a good mood. Buyers and sellers chatted amiably. Laughter and smiles were the norm of the day. Jewelry and crafts sparkled in the late morning sun; outside cafes were full with people of all ages.

My find of the day was a necklace made by local artist Zoey March. I was drawn to her booth by a small sign, "Found Poetry Necklaces." Zoey explained that she uses a square cardboard cutout to look for poetic phrases in old dictionaries that she finds. Her inspiration for the pendants on the necklaces comes from her browsing. Zoey explained that what she loves about this type of work is the way the words surprise her when they come together. She went on to say that the pendant I chose, "Wait in silent wonder," took her breath away when she happened upon it. I agree.

Turns out a change of scenery was just what I needed.

Inspirational

Today's Washington Post included an article on former custodian, Ron Hillyer. It was just the inspiration I needed after a long, frustrating week at school.

Note to self: it's about the kids.

Torturous Thursday

Torturous: adj. \torch-rəs, tor-chə-\ very unpleasant or painful

I'm sure more than one child has come home and described school as torturous, not me, but surely someone.

Today I find myself joining the ranks when I proclaim that school was torturous today. It wasn't the students. They're not there yet. It wasn't another meeting. We had one but it was short and someone brought delicious pastries. The source of today's very unpleasant day was the fire alarm system. The one that was being tested ALL DAY. The first piercing sound at about 9:00 AM made everyone in the room jump. So did the second one. By the afternoon we were one jumpy bunch of people.

I heard there were 160 units to test. I wish I knew that in the beginning, that way I'd know how many more alarm tests I have to suffer through tomorrow.

Shoo...

There's some new device being used in the DC area. It's a noisemaker, one that emits an annoying high-pitched sound heard only be younger ears. The intent of the device is to keep kids...teenagers...from loitering in the area. Apparently all those teens hanging about is chasing those with older ears from the local businesses. Teens don't spend as much money as non-teens.

I wonder how long it will take until some young, tech-savvy teen invents a device to repel the sound.