Don't mind me...
These are just the ramblings and editorials of an exhausted teacher hopped-up on coffee so she can grade that last stack of papers. Perhaps, I could use a nap...but not until the job is done! Get a load of this:
HAPPY NEW YEAR
The new semester isn't really progressing as well as it should. Anyway, the only one telling you what you aren't capable of doing is yourself. We have so much to accomplish and so many new faces. Help me help you help them...yeah...what I said. I'm looking forward to hearing from the Battle of the Books teams. If you'd like extra credit on your research paper, present it like you did the country speech. Wow! This is random. Someone needs to go to sleep.
--Ms. Kharif 1/8/12
SO FAR SO GOOD
Well, First Quarter is officially over. I'm tired. No, really. I think my brain evaporated, or turned to mush and leaked out onto my pillow, or was accidentally left at the last football game, or is somewhere on my desk under the excess piles of ummm...I dunno what's up there *shrug*. I'm tired. Still, I hope you all enjoyed the past few weeks. We have tons of stuff to accomplish in the 2nd Quarter (hint hint hint...you already have the assignments...hint), and less time to do it in. We'll get through it. I'm especially looking forward to International Week! Later. Someone still has to go to school tomorrow (me), still has a pile of paperwork to go through (me), and needs to go to sleep (me).
--10.13.11
UMMMM...
Soooo...okay. Let me get this straight. These "not for kids" chocolate brownies ( right here) have a cartoon on the wrapper, and are sold next to the other snacks. Okay...but THIS snack has enough drugs in it to knock out an adult in 15 minutes. Okay...and NOBODY thought to put the thing in the medicine section or at least behind the register? Ugh. See? This is why. This, right here, is why.
--2/26/11
ANOTHER SNOW DAY
Well, once again, we're out of school. You have a little extra time to finish your work, and I have extra time to sleep. Yaaay! Anyway, NO I'm not going to excuse this week's assignments. You were in class to do them. I asked you to take them home to finish. See you Monday. Oh, next week, we're editing and reading...a lot.
---1/21/2011
Yes, I did. --12/6/10
Thanksgiving and Such
Hopefully everyone enjoyed their break. Happy Birthday to everyone who celebrated this week. We still have quite a few things to cram into your heads before Winter Break. 13 days to get it right. That said, I have to go back to grading papers. Oh, I'll have to "preview" your Monday Musing for the week of 12/6, since we'll be in the computer lab. Confused? Check the calendar here. See ya soon.
--11/27/10
Book Club Stuff
Alright, here we go. I know some of you are a bit stuck. Nakhonkham, here's a great video of the "Star Spangled Banner" being sung. A teacher made this second one for Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. I might regret this later, but Charley Skedaddle's battle between The Bowery Boys and The Dead Rabbits is immortalized in this last one, a clip from "Gangs of New York".
--10/30/10
Stuck in My Head...
That is all. --10/19/10
Soon
This Quarter is almost over, and I'm exhausted. Next Quarter, we'll have Book Club and specific weeks when each Written Piece is due. I should have done that this time, but wanted to run an experiment first. My hypothesis: "They'll be so glad they don't have deadlines that they'll turn their work in early!" My reality: Some people have turned in nothing. Nothing. Oh well...I really should finish grading these papers. Really, but these coconut tarts I made smell so good... Okay, okay, back to work I go. Thank goodness Fall Break is right around the corner. That is all.
--10/2/10
I mean, really? Do I have to? I missed the Celebration of Cultures AND the Aids Walk! Why? I was (say it with me) grading papers.
Okay! Okay!
What?
Oh...alright!
Just so you know, I don't want to...
I'm tired of fussing.
I know some of you think I'm being unfair. In your mind, you deserved 100% on your paper. There were only a few fragments, unfinished paragraphs, and misspelled words. I'm just being mean. In your mind, there's nothing at all wrong with hanging out in the hallway, playing in the bathroom, coming to class late, blowing gum bubbles, talking through instructions, not learning anything, and not turning anything in. In your mind, no one should correct you for talking crazy to your teachers, principals, librarians, campus security, counselors, etc. and then whining that it's because you "have problems".
SO WHAT?! EVERYONE HAS PROBLEMS! THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO BE A BRAT!!
Yes. I do realize someone's going to read this and say, "..but I'm not a brat. You just don't like me. I do all of my work. I come to class and usually have my folders. So what if I'm usually talking instead of listening, and haven't turned the work in?" Someone will run to a parent and lie. I had one child one year go home and claim I'd "forced him to write on the ceiling". What? That's dumb. I realize someone will lie. That's okay. It's happened before and will happen again. I'm tired of fussing about work not being turned in, work being turned in full of mistakes that could easily have been corrected (put your name on the paper), ripped up work, gum stuck to everything, people coming in late, people being rude and disruptive, disrespectful to their peers, people fighting in the bathrooms or threatening to fight in my room, destroying their surroundings, and making class time horrible for the ones who want to learn because all they learn is that class will suck if you are there. I'll have to stop every few minutes to correct your ridiculous behavior, remind you of how to act, where you are, and who you're talking to.
I'm tired of fussing. Grow up. This is 7th grade, not 1st. 7th grade, not a playground. 7th grade, not some dance club. Get your act together. I'm tired of fussing.
9/8/2010
To my students:
Things change. Constantly. I believe those whom I was lucky enough to teach last school year learned that lesson. It's one that is constantly re-learned. Last year, I tried to show you that you are capable of producing far more than you gave yourselves credit for. This upcoming school year I will do no different. I have every intention of challenging you to create works of art. You will become playwrites and poets. You will consider every word for its worth and intent. You will read and write and offer no excuses because you know what you can accomplish. You showed me what you can accomplish. You showed yourselves what you can accomplish. Now, accomplish more. This year, you will be responsible for so much more. Tell me what you're working on and I'll give you time to work on it. I'll help you, but the pacing will be up to you. I will teach you what I know, and explore with you the things that I don't. You will succeed. I'm looking forward to it.
---Ms. Kharif
7th Grade Reading & Language Arts
7/2/2010
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my thoughts
