This is a teacher who is leaving us and I'm going to miss A LOT.

[charisstoma]

Months of reading Dickens had made my second period start to sound like tiny Edwardian curmudgeons. I played a movie version of Oliver Twist, and these are the kinds of things they shouted when the movie started to veer from the text:

Students(7th grade is 12 to 13 years old):
This is an outrage!!!!!
This movie is a disgrace!
Charles Dickens would be *ashamed*, I tell you!
Wha?! Where is Rose Maylie? Where is Harry Maylie?! Have you no regard for plot, sir? Have you no respect for LOVE?

Teacher: Soooo....I brought popcorn......

Comments

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

wait, the KIDS yelled "have you no regard for plot, sir"? traditionalist students! i love it.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Yep, the kids.

She's taken her classes through; The Morte d'Arthur, Julius Caesar, the Scottish Play; just to name a few over the years.

Absolutely terrific person. Wish I were young enough to have been in one of her classes but she's going to study in the U.K. this summer and then one of those Ivy League schools in the fall.

Here's another one of hers:

Teacher: So guys, what do you think Langston Hughes is getting at here?

Student: I dunno, I guess it's like, you can hold on to your crushed dream and let it drag you down, or you can, you know, let it go.

(Pause)

Class: Let it go, let it go....

Student: I walked right into that, didn't I? Sigh.

More from this Teacher

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

First period will start shortly. Things have been slightly awkward ever since I clarified that Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, rather than a fictional character based on a real person named Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most devastated reaction: "My whole life is a lie!!!!" followed by a gusty sigh. Almost as bad as the time I had to explain that while Narwhals, the "unicorn of the sea" are in fact real animals, unicorns themselves are not. It's a hard knock life, y'all.

Re: More from this Teacher

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

You killer of fairytales you!

Re: More from this Teacher

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I didn't do it!
*points finger* She did it.
Now if they'd asked, I would have told them, sure, but it wasn't me.

And just for that, I have corrupted the telling of the 3 Little Pigs.

Re: More from this Teacher

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

hmmmmmm *looks at you*

Oh my, should I go look?

Re: More from this Teacher

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Should you go look at my perverting of the 3 Little Pigs... hmmm.
There are no pigs or wolf involved. Does that help?
Do I need to do research into the origins of the tale of the 3 Little Pigs to determine if a Welsh person would have read it/had it read to them, so you'd know why I mentioned this? hmmm
It's a very shallow drabble. Full of air. UNLESS you bring deeper thinking from your own experience to it.

Re: More from this Teacher

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

um deeper thinking?.....I'm not capable of that at right now. Maybe after sleep?

The Students strike back

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

A couple years ago, this teacher would show Dr. Who to any of her students who wanted to eat in her classroom. First time she saw "Blink" with the Angels she was at home alone and it scared the crap out of her. So she showed it to her class.

During passing period between classes teachers are supposed to monitor the hall. She came into her classroom and ever student was neatly seated at their desk with their hands up over their faces in the manner of the Angels.

She made a fast exit from the room. *giggling, I am giggling*

[meridae.livejournal.com]

Hey, never decry evidence you're having an impact on young minds! Highlight of my day was talking to one of my guys about something his cousin had said to him that his cousin had been talking to HIS probation officer about. And I'm like yup, we're sneaking in there somehow.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Do probation officers share confidential things said in interviews between themselves? You're not like a priest??
It's not admissible in court, hear say, well at least here in the U.S.

I watched this teacher in action today in my Library. The kids are aware that school is out in 14 days and are squirrelly as heck. Even when she's mad at them for being late she makes it cute so they don't get offended but they know she's not pleased with them. Shut one kid down by repeatedly making a cutting motion across her throat with her hand because he would not stop trying to justify being late. She had them working on selecting and copying out poems that they will have learned and be able to dramatically perform at a 50s style hip pseudo cafe in her classroom this Friday. They'll do it too.
I disappointed that no one chose the Spider and the Fly.
"http://holyjoe.org/poetry/howitt.htm"

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

I feel very ignorant, I own a set of Dickens but have never read any.

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

I've watched the Christmas Carol and was forced in school to watch Great Expectations.
Might read in the future A Tale of Two Cities.... maybe.

I want happiness and light, dagnabbit. *sighs*

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

ME TOO - give me the fluffy!

I think we've all been shown The Christmas Carol. Nothing beyond that though. Only got the books because they were my g.aunts and she'd written her name inside them. ....Yes, I'm a sentimental hoarder. What's news?

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

We hoarders are prone to hoarding each other. *grins* Have you noticed?

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

ooooo is that you moving about behind the boxes? o.O

*NINJA HUG*

....talking of ninja hugging - where's Saskia, she's been too quiet of late :(

[charisstoma.livejournal.com]

Saskia... I knoooow. I miss her too.
You don't suppose she grew up into an adult, do you?

[mee-eep.livejournal.com]

I hope not, where is the fun in that?!