Check-Ins

My kids don't always get the fact that things happen that make us feel a certain way.  Mr. Duyan and I went to a training that told us to do check-ins in the morning to help the kids make this connection.  As stated by the facilitator (and restated by me a number of times), the whole point of the activity is to grasp and articulate the cause/effect relationship between events that happen in our lives, and the way they make us feel.  To help the kids, I printed out little cards with pictures of different emoticons.  We all choose a card and then explain why we chose the card:

12/16 - Check-ins

-Marvin:  "I picked this card" (holding card so only he can see it) "because I don't want Ms. C to go to Italy.  The plane is going to crash."

-Ms. C:  "I am pretty afraid of flying, Marvin, but most planes don't crash.  And what about YOU?  What's happening in YOUR life?  How are YOU feeling today?"

-Marvin:  "Oh.  Good."  (Shrugs shoulders and nods head)

-Colin:  "This one time, I went on a plane, and I was scared it was going to crash, but then it didn't, and I faced my fears, and that's what you should do Marvin, you should go on an airplane and face your fears, so then you won't be scared about Ms. C crashing anymore."

-Rick:  "Can I go next?  I picked the joyful card because I'm excited to be here with all of you, my friends, and all of my great teachers before the break."

-Ms. C:  "Rick, it's okay to say you're excited to have two weeks off school."

-Marvin:  "Really?!  Isn't that, just like, just like, jerk?"

-Ms. C:  "Nope. Most people feel excited to have time off work."

-Rick:  "Feew.  Yeah.  I can't wait to get the heck out of here today.  Sorry to say the 'h' word."

-Dash:  "Me too.  I can't wait to not have to see you guys for two weeks."

-Ms. C:  "Too far, Dash, too far.  It's okay to say you're excited for time off of an activity - activities don't have feelings.  We do."

-Dash:  "I was kidding!"

-Colin:  "Mr. Duyan... you go next."

-Mr. Duyan:  "I feel cathy today" (shows card) "and I don't have to say why."

-Al:  (raises hand) "What does cathy mean?"

-Mr. Duyan:  "You know... cathy."

-Ms. C:  "Mr. Duyan, can you explain what that word means."

-Mr. Duyan:  (sigh) "Cathy is a comic strip character.  She is a young woman who encounters many obstacles as she's trying to make her way through the business world.  She often feels discombobulated, but she is able to push on... and I'm not going to explain why I feel that way."

...I think we're canceling check-ins.

Napoleon Dynamite

Last week I was reminded that the movie Napoleon Dynamite is a GOLD MINE for social awkwardness (thanks Ms. Glee!)  Being the week before Christmas vacation, I've decided to take a break from the strenuous social skills practice that I force my kids to endure and, instead, we are writing letters to Napoleon to help him be less of a target*.

Today, as we're sitting in class watching a clip from the movie, Dash's eyes get really big.  Slowly, he looks from the movie screen, to Mr. Duyan, back to the movie screen, and his little jaw drops in disbelief.

Mr. Duyan IS Napoleon Dynamite.

*Target:  "Someone that gives people a lot of weird thoughts, so people are mean to him and sometimes we throw things at him.  Target."  -Jon

T-Shirt Tissues and Other Issues

Other Issues:

My students came in today, took their seats, and began silently working on their Do Nows like they have every morning since August.  Usually, at this point in the morning, Mr. Black is helping make copies, I am checking student progress, and Mr. Duyan is awkwardly pacing in the back of the room, often facing the corner (no joke.)  Today, however, Mr. Duyan decided to put himself to use... straightening the desks... while the kids were in them... trying to do their work... (Take a second to picture it.  You won't be sorry.)

This is when I began to notice that every single one of my students is sick right now.

T-Shirt Tissues:

When my students sneeze, they blow snot EVERYWHERE.  It is absolutely incredible.  It's not just a little snot bubble.  We're talking full snot fountains.  I've never seen anything like it...

...So, after watching my kids sneeze all morning and imagining the snot slip-and-slide that would be my room by the end of the day, I decided to address the issue.  Now, I have yet to figure out what they're doing differently that causes them to blow their snot all over the place rather than keep it in their heads like "normal" people do, so I decided to approach the matter from the "how to deal with it" angle:
1)  If you feel a sneeze coming, get a tissue and sneeze into the tissue
2)  If you can't get a tissue fast enough, sneeze into your hands, but then don't touch anything or show anyone until you get a tissue and wash your hands

Here's where Mr. Duyan decided he had some authority on the matter:

-Mr. Duyan:  "No no.  They need to be sneezing into their shoulders." (*GOD!  DUH!*)

-Ms. Cole (thinking - *Have you seen them sneeze?!?!  They blow snot EVERYWHERE! You're going to tell them to sneeze into their CLOTHING?!  Are you freaking JOKING?!*):  "I'm gonna go ahead and nix that strategy.  Let's stick with tissue or hands."

-Mr. Duyan:  "I really have to insist.  Sneezing into your shoulder is the more anatomically correct methodology."

(*Really... there's an anatomically correct way to sneeze?!  Really?!*)

-Ms. Cole (Calling Mr. Duyan over to the side of the classroom and whispering):  "So, if they sneeze into their hands, they can wash them.  If they sneeze into their sleeves, they are going to have snot all over their sleeves all day." (*And P.S. If you EVER use valuable class time in order to argue with me again, I swear to god I will tell Jon to hide your friggin car keys!*)

By the way, if anyone has suggestions on how to teach sneezing without projectile snotting, I would really appreciate it!