I teach Social Studies 9 now. These kids are fresh out of Middle School, and haven't yet gotten used to the ways of big kids.
Today I was doing a homework check with my 9s, and I told them it would only take about four minutes, so they were allowed to just sit quietly and review their notes until I was finished.
Riiiiiight.
I had to raise my voice above the din, and explain to them that high school students do this thing called "chilling." You know, where they sort of just relax, stare at the wall, maybe doodle a bit. That worked for about a minute, but then they started to get nutty again. I had about four kids left to check, when I came up with the most brilliant invention.
A new game.
In my deepest, most confident voice, I bellowed, "OK, we are all going to play a game that you are probably familiar with. I need everybody to put their heads DOWN."
A titter rippled through the class, and I heard a few ask, "Are we playing seven up?"
"Heads DOWN!"
"Are we--"
"Heads DOWN!" Most of them seemed to be following. "OK, now heads down, SHUT UP!"
"Wha--"
"HEADS DOWN, SHUT UP!" I must have repeated that a few times. Finally, I think they got the point.
And they were silent. It was glorious.
After I finished my final homework check, I raised my head and commanded them, "Heads UP, SHUT UP. Yes, heads up, SHUT UP!"
You see, I invented a wonderful game. Seven Up: High School Version.
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7 comments:
thats amazing
bott, you are my hero
Brilliant - I wonder how long the game will last. Of course, you can always make up rules as you go along, like "if you don't shut up I kick you into the hall" and other fun rules like that!
I taught a sax class early last year. It was an introductory "this is a saxophone, here is where your fingers go" type thing. I was told I would be getting them to play their first notes! So in my mind I'm envisioning a bunch of bright-eyed students who are a bit cowed by holding their glorious instruments, and imagining all the potential imbued in them. What an idiot!
I felt like I was physically assaulted by the noise! Predictably (in hindsight), most had already gotten their horns to make sounds. But most of those sounds haven't, shall we say, made it into musical notation.
I wish this post had been written before that experience. Of course, to make it work effectively I still would have needed a megaphone. And probably a few chalkboard erasers to throw...
(When we were debriefing, and I told Deb that I'd told my class to "shut up" on my very first day, she laughed at me. "You just went to the wall with the strongest thing you can say in a classroom. What would you have done next?" I felt a little chagrined by that, but that was superceded by much strong feeling: relief. I had survived!)
haha, I'm writing this in my "learning log" for this week!
Haha!! You're awesome.
That's so funny!! Cheryl, I can just seeing you doing that...with a glimmer in your eyes that says, "that's right--I'm the teacher!" Way to go...can't wait more to hear more of the rules that you make up! :)
oh, btw: that was me, Corrina!
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