Friday, April 21, 2023
I was back to the social studies hall at high school today, this time in the AP World History classroom. My sub note said, “They know what to do. Review for ch 7 and 8 in AP classroom.” Not a lot to go on, but generally AP students are pretty motivated. First hour, no one made a sound. They looked at their computers for most of the hour, a few switched to reading books toward the end of the hour. I tried not to stare at them too awkwardly. Second hour, it was phones and chatting. I asked them if they had heard me – that there were reviews to do. Yep, they heard, they’d do it. I thought about whether I should rein in the chatter, but realized a bunch of people were actually talking about review questions amidst the talking, so I just let it go. Third and fourth hour were back to silent do-ers. Fifth hour was a World Wars class. We watched a gruesome movie. I asked that other screens be put away – and they were…for a while. Little by little phones peeked out, but not for too long.
And that was it. Last hour was prep so I got to go home early. A somewhat boring, but beyond easy, day. As I drove away from the school, I realized I hadn’t had a single thing to take a picture of. No POTD. I might have to go out in the gloom and take a walk or something to find something to photograph. As I walked in the house, I saw a text. The message said, “A kid brought a rotisserie chicken to my class as a snack today.”
Picture found.
Apparently yesterday in 7th grade book club (small groups of kids read the same book and the teacher tries to facilitate a book club feel while they share thoughts about the chapters – and learn stuff) there was a discussion about how adults actually willingly join book clubs – that there is food and conversation and it is fun. Of course, what the 7th graders heard was that there was food. They asked if they could bring food and my friend said they could. Someone said they could bring an entire turkey dinner. My friend said definitely no.
And yet a rotisserie chicken arrived today. And 1,000,000 Skittles and some donut holes. And I thought I was having a good day. Apparently I need different standards.
From kindergarten one day to high school AP (even a study hall) the next must be the education version of whiplash. I’ll bet those 7th graders would eat the chicken and Skittles and donut holes all at the same time without batting an eye. (I remember 7th grade.)
I chatted with the social studies teachers and everyone asked what I had been doing lately. I said kindergarten yesterday and they ALL expressed their horror. It was pretty funny.