School today (Thursday), more Roman Numerals though it pains me. Made it to (but didn't complete) Quiz 4 out of 9 (which numeral is bigger - IV or VI?). The curriculum says they need to know numbers 1 through 500, but this seems insurmountable with little real world application, so I've moved on. Strange though, I brought in Happy Families and put it on the shelf. I turn around after reading a story at lunchtime and a bunch of kids were playing - no instructions or anything.
Played a multiplication game using number cards and nearly fainted it was that hot. Kids went crazy, they LOVE getting the answers right! Every time I think I have a solid lesson plan it descends into madness - but I figure having fun and learning very little is better than being bored and learning very little. I brought some posters in for them to hand up using string and binder clips. I thought this would be a ten minute exercise but it turned into an hour's worth of bedlam. There were fewer hooks than needed to hang the posters on, so Miss Jones dug up some rusty nails, the students procured big rocks from outside the school grounds, and they began pounding them into the walls. Ingenuity!
Miss Jones is great (although she did fall asleep today). She doesn't seem to mind the madness that follows me around, nor me taking over half the day (I think I could teach Disney tunes and she'd be happy). She's even cancelled Religious Education for the time being (the fact that it's on the midterm doesn't seem to make a difference). She did wonder how I was going to get married if I wasn't Christian or Muslim. Note: Ishmael has told me not to talk about this or people will think that I'm an evil person.
As I left class four little munchkins ran up and gave me a big hug. One tiny girl with huge eyes, waggly eyebrows, and corn rows laced with colored beads has decided holding my hand on the way home is her special right, but all the other try as well, so I usually end up with three kids hanging on to six fingers. Makes the walk home (in the blazing sun) really, really long.
Spot the guest in Ide's classroom:
