Filing Cabinet Friday - Falling

We've got some GREAT artists at school. The following is just another example of their desk-drawing skills! Check it out, and then go conquer the day!! Happy Friday, and have a GREAT weekend!!

File Cabinet Friday

So, when you teach high school, you never know what you will find lying around. Last week, my friend Heather, who is the Media Specialist, found this week's File Cabinet Friday in the garbage can. It's a Barbie-sized GIJoe that's missing it's head...and stabbing itself in the neck. Pretty disturbing for most people, but just another normalcy for an educator. Here he is:

File Cabinet Friday

Happy Friday!!!

I found this little beauty in a math classroom at school, and although I don't know much about math, I do know that kids will do anything to get out of doing work.

File Cabinet Friday

Kids Say The Darndest Things

Have you ever stopped and listened to kids?  They really are funny - regardless of age.  As you all know, I teach 9th grade High School Students who are in need of Intensive Reading (Well, some are in need of Intensive Everything).  For this File Cabinet Friday, I thought I would share funny things I've heard in my classroom.  Any student names have been changed, and yes, these are real.  I know, I know....I wouldn't have believed it myself if I wasn't there.  Enjoy!!

Funny #1

Student:  Miss, Miss!! 
Me:  Yes?
Student:  Did JFK die???  I mean, I know he was assassinated....but is he dead?!?!?!?
Me:  Uh....Well...


Funny #2

Me:  Recently, there was an incident at Sea World where a trainer was killed by a whale.  Now, many people are saying that the whale should be killed because of the event.
(STUDENT RAISES HAND ENTHUSIASTICALLY)
Me:  Sally Jo....You have something you'd like to add?
Student:  Yeah Miss!!  They can't kill that whale!  That whale was just doin' it's job!!  I mean, it's called a "Killer Whale!!"
Me:  **Sigh**


Funny #3

Me:  Choose a quote from the book that you are reading that is important to you, and tell me why it means something to you.
Student:  I chose "He committed adultery."
Me:  *Pause*  Umm...Ok.  Why did you choose this quote?  Why is that quote important to you?
Student:  'Cause Miss....I think it's good to try to act like an adult.
Me:  *Remind myself silently to close my mouth so I don't catch any flies*  Uh....Ok...Umm....Billy Bob...is that what you think "adultery" means???
Student:  Yeah.
Me:  *Sigh*  Ok.  See me after class please.

File Cabinet Friday

The other day, I was in the Math TPA (The teacher prep area), and came across this little beauty:

GOOF OFF:  THE ULTIMATE REMOVER

So, my question is this:  If my students are "goofing off" and need to be removed, can I spray this on them to make them disappear??  I mean, it does say "Professional Strength."  :-)

Enjoy your Friday!!

File Cabinet Friday

Have you ever heard the phrase "Children should be seen and not heard"??

I do not agree with this statement, but I do have to say, there are days when a teacher needs a little peace and quiet.  However, when you are surrounded by teenagers, the chances of getting that are slim to none.  Enter what I have named, "THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER":

One of my creative, and VERY TALKATIVE students gave me this for Christmas.  (Please note that it says it can only be used my "Mih G" - as he has a little bit of an accent, and that is how he says my name, and that it can only be used 1 time - he was very specific in his disclaimer).  I honestly have to say, it was the best present I received from my students, only going to prove that the best things in life don't always cost money.

Happy Friday!



File Cabinet Friday - Teacher of the Year

As a teacher, you are constantly bombarded with children who think they know EVERYTHING. 

Those darling children turn into adults who think they know EVERYTHING.

The following is one of those children, turned adult......who officially got SCHOOLED by his teacher. 

ENJOY!

File Cabinet Friday - Bubble Carefully

Some File Cabinet Fridays need an explanation.....This one, speaks for itself:

(Actual Test by Actual Student)

File Cabinet Friday - Skip to my lou, my darling....

Did you every skip class?

Did you ever get caught?

Did you ever get caught by your teacher when you were walking from McDonald's with a soda on the side of the road?

Well, today, kids from my school can say they have had this honor.  I suspect, over the next couple of weeks, the conversations will go something like this:

Mrs. Shaw's student:  Dude I have a crazy day! I didn't feel like going back to class after lunch, so I left campus.
Friend:  Where did ya go?
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Well, it was HOT, so my buddies and I walked to the McDonald's about 2 miles away.
Friend:  Sodas?  That's cool....
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Yeah, it was real cool....until we started walking back toward the mall....
Friend:  What happened then?
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Well, I see the car go by real slow.  Then, suddenly, the car did a U-turn, came back around and pulled up to us.
Friend:  Was it one of your "homeboys"???
Mrs. Shaw's student:  No.  Actually, it was my teacher, Mrs. Shaw.  I had skipped her class, and she caught me.
Friend:  WHAT!?!?!?
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Yeah.  Normally, she is teaching then, so I don't have to worry about her catching me.  But, apparently she left school early to go pick up some stuff for some stupid club she sponsors.
Friend:  Dude....clubs are dumb.  What did she say!?!?!
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Well, I'm not really sure, because I blacked out when she pulled up and rolled down the window....but, I believe she yelled something at me like, " WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!  WHY AREN'T YOU IN SCHOOL!!!"
Friend:  Aww man...
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Yeah.  It was bad.  I didn't know what to say, so I just stood there.  I mean, she was supposed to be teaching!!!
Friend:  Dude....
Mrs. Shaw's student:   It was pretty bad.  Once I could talk again, I asked her if she had to write me up.  She told me I was lucky that she wasn't on the phone with the school deputy to come get me.
Friend:  You are lucky!!
Mrs. Shaw's student:  Nah man....actually I'm not, cause she did call school and tell them.  They called my mom, and now I'm in some deep @#$@.
Friend:  Oh no!  That sucks.

So yes, after I caught them, I called the school, and reported my "skippers."  I can't wait to see their happy smiling faces on Monday, after they sweat it out all weekend.  Maybe they will think twice about skipping next time....or, at least, they will be a little more discreet about it!!!

File Cabinet Friday

As a teacher, you never know what will show up on your desk at the end of the day.  Wednesday, I got an interesting surprise from one of my students.

BEST COMPLIMENT EVER:

Better RECOGNIZE.

File Cabinet Friday

What an exciting week I have had!  This past Tuesday, it was announced that I was named "Hillsborough County High School Reading Teacher of the Year."  I have to say, I'm quite honored, and think I'm pretty deserving if I do say so myself!  Today's File Cabinet Friday, only serves to support my latest claim to fame. 

Recently, my students read a non-fiction book called,  Getting Away with Murder:  The True Story of Emmett Till, by Chris Crowe.

My students really enjoy reading this true story about a 14 year old African American boy who travels from Chicago to Mississippi to visit family, only to be kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by two white men because he broke a Jim Crow Law in August of 1955.  For the most part, my students are shocked and angered by the events that occurred, and the sham trial that was held, resulting in the two men walking away free, only serves to further there disgust of the ideals of segregation.

After reading this book, I gave my students a quiz that consisted of 10 multiple choice questions, and 9 sentence completions.  Several of the sentence completions asked for students to describe certain characters, or give me their opinions of them, with support from their readings.  For the most part, the students did very well, giving me well thought out, concise answers.  And then I came to the following paper:

Look closely at number 14.  It reads:  "Roy Bryant and J. W. Milam can be described as ___________."  My student filled the blank with:  "buttnugest becuse they are stupid."  Now, spelling aside, the use of the term "buttnuggets" was enough to make me stop for a double take.  Then, I noticed 2 questions down, on number 16, the student decided to use the word again:

The question says, "I think Sheriff Strider ________ because _________."  This student responded "is a buttnugnet to because he locked away whintess." 

Many things went through my head at first, here's just a few:

1. I can't believe he/she wrote "buttnugget" on their paper.
2. I can't believe he/she wrote it TWICE.
3. If you're going to use the word "buttnugget" then you should figure out how to spell it right!
4. Well, he/she kinda makes a point.....they were buttnuggets.
5. Should I mark this right because I'm starting to convince myself he/she has a point?
6. I can't believe he/she wrote "buttnuggets."  TWICE.

Before deciding how to handle the situation, I looked up the "official" definition for "buttnugget."  According to http://www.urbandictionary.com/, buttnugget means: 

1. A piece of poop
2. Someone really mean or stupid
3. A word to replace a noun when no other word is suitable.

After looking up the definition, and carefully weighing my options, I marked both the answers wrong.  My reasoning was, that even though this student had a point, and I agree that all three of these men are "buttnuggets," stating so on a quiz was not appropriate and therefore, they were wrong.  As a courtesy, I did pull aside the student to let him/her know why I marked both of the answers as incorrect.  Surprisingly enough, the student completely understood, but made sure that I understood that they really were "buttnuggets." 

High School.....what fun!

File Cabinet Friday

Wednesday of this week, I was walking down the hallway and noticed something on the floor up ahead:

As I got closer, I realized that it was another wonderful art demonstration from our extremely talented kids!

I particularly LOVE his joyful expression...

...and the amazing detail of the pick in his afro.



Just another shining example of the future of America!  I wonder if behind the desks of great men, afro-men are drawn all over the floor....

File Cabinet Fridays

As a teacher, it's amazing the things you find when you clean out your desk and file cabinets.  The other day, I was doing some "classroom cleaning" and came across some funny items.  These funny items inspired me to create "File Cabinet Fridays."  Every Friday, I will be posting some funny things that teachers see on a regular basis.  If you have anything you'd like to see posted, just email it to me, and it will be spotlighted on a Friday!

Today's File Cabinet Friday is something that we found while walking around school.  One of our teachers recently gave birth, and her entire class made her cards.  Her husband was scheduled to pick them up for her, so they were stacked at the front office desk.  While walking by, one in particular caught my eye:

Apart from the misspelling, the picture is quite interesting.  The detail that this child went into is pretty amazing.  I particularly like the pee stain and mom tattoo on the arm.  The bloody sword is a little disturbing, but even Picasso created some unsettling images in his day.  All in all, it leaves me breathless....move over Hallmark, this kid may put you out of business.