Once upon a time there was a momma eagle and a daddy eagle. One day they decided that it was time to start a family. The momma eagle laid an egg and daddy was proud. He went out everyday to hunt food to bring back to his honey bunch. He wanted her to be strong and healthy so she could hatch that egg. One day the daddy eagle went out as usual to bring back food and a bad storm came through the land. The daddy eagle didn't make it back to the momma eagle. The momma eagle had to make a decision. She knew she needed to sit on her egg but she also knew she needed food. She made the decision to leave her egg to go find food. While she was gone a strong gust of wind came through, WHOOSH!, and blew the nest from its perch. The little egg landed safely in a chicken yard. When it landed the chickens in the chicken yard gathered around it to see what it was.
"What is it?"
"It's an egg, stupid."
"But what kinda egg?"
"I don't know. It ain't a chicken egg. It's too big."
"Let's go ask the rooster. He'll know."
The chickens went to ask the rooster if he knew what kind of egg it was. He didn't know nor did he care to know. So the chickens decided to keep the egg warm until it hatched. The egg was so big that it took 2 chickens to sit on it. The day finally arrived when the little egg hatched. Everyone was so excited! First, his little beak poked through, next his head. After that his feet, then wings. Finally, his whole body was out! As the chickens watched, their excitement began to fade.
"What kinda chicken is that?"
"I don't think it's a chicken."
"Well what is it?"
"I don't know. I do know that it's big and ugly."
The chickens couldn't figure what to do with the little eaglet, so they raised him as a chicken. They taught him how to do chicken stuff like cluck, scratch at the ground, and eat worms. The eaglet went through his life thinking that he was a chicken. One day while the little eaglet was out doing chicken stuff, he noticed a shadow on the ground. He looked up and saw a beautiful eagle. He thought to himself, "Man, that's cool. I wish I could soar in the sky like that. I'm a chicken. I'll never be able to fly like that." Then, he continued to do chicken stuff. The eagle noticed the eaglet too. He thought to himself, "What's that eagle doing down there with those chickens? I better go down here and check the situation." The eagle swoops down to the little eaglet and starts a conversation.
"Hey, what are you doing down here with the chickens doing chicken stuff?"
"Well duh! I'm a chicken! Why else would I be down here?"
The eagle stared at the eaglet in disbelief.
"Dude! You are NOT a chicken. You're an eagle! Look at you and look at me. We're the same. Now look at you and look at them. Y'all are different!"
"Man, you're crazy! Clearly I'm a chicken. I've never done anything but been a chicken. They told me I was a chicken and taught me how to be a chicken, so I'm a chicken."
The eagle is flabbergasted. He doesn't understand. How could this eagle be ok with being a chicken?
"Look, flap your wings."
"I can't fly. I'm a chicken and chickens don't fly."
"Just flap them!"
So the eaglet flapped his wings. Nothing happened.
"See? I told you I was a chicken."
"Flap harder!"
The eaglet flaps harder and gets off the ground a little. The eagle was excited.
"See! I told you! You're an eagle! You can fly!"
"I didn't fly. I just got off the ground a little. Chickens can do that."
"You are not a chicken!!!"
"Yes I am."
The eagle was getting frustrated with the eaglet so he left. The next day the eagle came back to talk to the eaglet.
"Look man, this whole eagle/chicken thing is bothering me. Why do you think you're a chicken?"
"They told me I was a chicken."
"Well, you're not a chicken. Flap your wings."
"Didn't we do this yesterday?"
"Shut up and flap."
So the little eaglet flapped his wings and got off the ground a little. The eagle didn't give up.
"Now run and flap."
"I don't see the point but ok."
The little eaglet took off running and began to flap his wings. He took flight but soon crashed because he thought, "What am I doing? Chickens can't fly."
The eagle still didn't give up.
"Go to the top of the chicken coop, jump down, and flap your wings."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I can't fly. I'm a chicken!"
"Just do it!"
The little eaglet goes to the top of the chicken coop and jumps. When he jumped he started to flap his wings and soon he was soaring. He loved the way the wind felt in his wings. He loved the way the air smelled up there. He loved being able to look down and see everything. It was in that moment that he realized that maybe he was an eagle but because nobody ever unlocked his eagle potential he thought he was a chicken. All this time he was content with always looking down, being a follower, doing stuff because he was told to do it. He didn't know he was supposed to soar above the rest and be a leader. So, which one are you? A chicken or an eagle?
As you all know I've been having a few discipline problems in my 6th and 7th period classes. I was getting a little frustrated because nothing I was doing was working to correct the behavior. The other day when I was whining to my mom about my kids she reminded me of this story, well, a similar story, and told me to share it with my kids. I had nothing else to lose so I gave it a shot. My repeaters received it pretty well. They separated themselves from their chicken friends and worked on their behavior. Fourth period is a good class so they didn't see the point in my story. Fifth period adjusted their behavior as well. Sixth period... 6 of them had to go to the "chicken coop." The chicken coop is a corner in the back of my room where the chickens sit and do whatever they want. They won't get the work that the eagles get nor will they get to participate in class. The chickens can do whatever they want in the chicken coop. After I told the story one of my "chickens" told me that he was not a chicken and I told him to prove it to me. As class progressed 2 boys kept laughing, talking, and playing while I was teaching. I told them to go sit in the chicken coop. They were heartbroken. They got in the chicken coop and didn't say a word. They knew they didn't belong there so I let them come back to sit with the eagles. They didn't say another word. Next, my chicken that said he wasn't a chicken and one of his buddies decided they needed to discuss something. They got sent to the chicken coop. They talked the entire time they were there. Class went on and 2 more students went, a girl and a boy. The girl knew she wasn't a chicken. She took out some paper and took notes as I was teaching. She moved her desk away from the other chickens and wouldn't stay turned facing the wall. She got to to come back to the eagle section. The 3 boys remained in the chicken coop for the rest of class. They laughed, talked, played, told jokes, etc. My eagles were getting mad so we moved our desks in a circle and had class that way. At the end of class, I had a talk with the chickens. I explained to them that of the 6 that went to the chicken coop 3 realized that they didn't belong there. They did what it took to get out. The 3 that stayed were content with being there, content with failing, content with being a loser. Their excuse? "You told us we could talk over here!" They were right. I did say that. I said they could talk, not they should talk. They sat there in disbelief, like I had just tricked them or something. Hopefully they've learned their lessons. We'll see Wednesday.
My Asperger's child gave me a 2 word sentence last week! I asked him if he was having a good day and he said, "Yeah, sure." I was so excited. He never speaks more than 1 word to me. Woop! Woop!
We lost our volleyball game tonight. I don't think my girls want to win. They just get out there hit the ball around and hope that they can score some points. That's so irritating. Tomorrow will be a tough practice. I'm not having any mercy.
I got in trouble today for being too loud. They were doing the SATP re-test in my building today and I got to stay in my room. I don't know why they put those kids next door to me knowing I don't have an inside voice. One of the counselors came and told me to be quiet 1st. Then a principal came and said we had to go. We got kicked out of the classroom! That was their fault anyway. They know that wall between the classes isn't a real wall.
I have more to say but it's past my bedtime. I have to proctor the Algebra I SATP tomorrow and I need to be alert. Hopefully the kids in my room will finish pretty quickly so I won't be in there all day. I know it's selfish of me but they're taking my planning period and I had stuff to do in the morning. I love starting late but it really cuts back on getting stuff done in the afternoons after school. I'm trying to graduate! I'll just go Thursday. *end gripe*
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