Thread: From Gross to Giggles to Tails

I am instructing my 7 special ed 7th graders again. I say a simple sentence out loud, and one girl in the back says, "Eewwww, gross! Don't say that. That's gross!" I'm thinking, now what in the world did I say that was so gross? My offending, distasteful word was girlfriend. Evidently, to her, girlfriend means lesbian. 8O I am to say friend of a girl.

This did not bring a smile to the face of the girl who had the attitude of attitudes. I would not let her sit in the back with two other girls, so, okay, she won't work and she will have an attitude.

I am at my desk getting something when one boy asks another, "How do you like those apples?" This was in response to something that happened in another class. I answered, with my typical humor, "I actually prefer bananas." Goodness, they all laughed at that. Even Miss Attitude. She lost her veneer with that.

With this group, after instruction, I allow them to talk quietly as long as they are working on their spelling and helping each other or asking for help. I bring up things about my son or daughter, little incidents, etc. as it gets their attention, gets them talking and sharing with me, and had really been building a better rapport in recent months. It is as if these girls have allowed their harsh, tough facade to slip away more, and their softer sides are out. It is so good to see, and be able to share this with the parents at the annual IEP meetings.


Told Miss Attitude how she reminded me of the days of daughter having to have me do her hair before school each morning. Either pulled back tight (like Miss Attitude) or in a French braid. Can't have any slackness in it or it is poofy. Poofy is a disaster. I would spend 15-20 minutes working on DD hair, and hearing how terrible I was doing it. Woud try again and again, and it still wasn't right. Finally I told dear daughter I had had enough, and I would no longer do it when she would pull it out within 3 minutes. The next morning, I heard her tell Daddy that Mommy was so mean and was not going to take the time to do her hair any more. She got him to try his hand at French braiding, and her routine lasted only 5 minutes before Daddy understood why Mom was so mean. Miss Attitude enjoyed that and actually worked up a storm. She had some absences and needed to catch up on a few assignments.

After that class, I walked down the hallway at the 6th grade lockers. So many of them had the black straps from book bags hanging out of the door. Is that the latest craze? Black tails all hanging out?