Teachable Moments

**Ima Teacher** · 10-12-2005, 11:07 PM

I just love having those "teachable moments" spring up in my class, even when they aren't actually on topic.

I got two new girls in my fourth period class on Monday, and one section of the boys have turned into complete morons. Yesterday I was about ready to toss them out the window after an hour of poking, kicking, talking loudly, giggling, passing gas, and prancing around the room.

So, today we were reading "The Cat & the Pain Killer". Eventually we got to the discussion about how Tom Sawyer was just missing Becky, not being really sick. I found my way in, so I started them in on discussing how they act around each other, and ESPECIALLY how the boys act. Immediately the girls start smiling and rolling eyes in understanding. Then one of the non-involved boys points right at the culprits and says, "Yeah, they've acted stupid since they girls got here." Actually, he didn't say "stupid", he said, "plumb ignert". . . which translates to "stupid" for those who don't speak rural Kentuckian.

At first they look almost embarrassed, but try to blow it off and act cool. I decided to take that moment to ask them to please TONE IT DOWN because three days of it was about all I can take. Then one says, "Hey, I wasn't here Monday, so I've only acted this way for two days." :roll:

We ended our discussion with more appropriate ways to get the attention of the girls, and I told the girls not to give up hope on the guys just yet because they do eventually grow out of it. Then one VERY quiet little girl said, "My mom says that most of them never grow up." :lol: :lol:

**Bitsy Griffin** · 10-13-2005, 12:16 AM

great day girl! This would be one of the reasons we keep doing what we do

**Bananas** · 10-13-2005, 12:17 AM

Gotta love those teachable moments. I am teaching my 7th graders the lovely art of working quieter. That Language class is about learning about language and spelling, not the ability to talk non-stop. With this group, there is the need to look into that bag of tricks and dig way, way, way down deep. What is working with them sometimes is rather unorthodox.

When one talks out of turn and says something, I burst out in song if I can think of a song lyric that matches with their sentence. Three or four times in a class period has gotten them working quieter. They say I have such a bad voice, but what do they know? We have a jazz theme in our school this week, and there is different music playing during their lunch hour in the cafeteria. Each food item is named especially to go along with the theme. I even had the thought of dropping by at lunch time to sing along with the music if something were playing that I knew. They said I wouldn't dare, but do they really know? Our principal mentioned bringing her guitar for accompaniment when she heard of my efforts.

One gal will be sure to learn how to spell two of her words correctly. Whereas instead of wherea s s and another not being w h o r e (can't remember the specific spelling word). She was so embarrassed as I checked her words after the pretest and she realized what she had spelled. She is such a sweetie and would not think of it on her own.

Sure hope that your guys get their act together. I have some of their cousins, I think.

Thread: Teachable Moments

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Teachable Moments

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions