"Miss G, you got a boyfriend?"

Yesterday, during 7th period, one of my boys thought it'd be a good idea to get in my personal business.
Kid: "Miss G, you gotta boyfriend?"
Me: "What?"
Kid: "You gotta boyfriend?"
Me: *blank stare*
Kid: "No, I'm serious. Cuz I'm about to start driving.  You gon' let me pick you up and bring you to work when I start driving?"
Me: "You do realize that what you're saying could be considered as sexual harassment and you could be expelled from school?"
Kid: "What?! I could be expelled? Just forget everything I just said."
Me: "I will."

Usually I get that from the my little black boys.  This was one of my white boys.  This is the same kid who told me that he just wanted to do enough in school so he could work at Bass Pro Shop.  Meaning, he wants to get his GED and work there for the rest of his life.  Right...

This week was exam week and my poor 9th graders got some rude awakenings.  Before I gave the exam I asked them if they had any questions or if there was anything I needed to go over.  Most of them said no but I had a few in 3rd period that needed some extra help.  I reviewed for about 30 minutes.  I pass out the tests and sit at my desk to start grading papers.  Shortly after I sat down, a hand went up.  I get up and walk over to the student.  His question? "What's a pronoun?"  My response? "You didn't study, did you?"  A few minutes later another hand went up.  "What's a conjunction?"  A few more minutes later another hand went up.  "How do you find the predicate nominative again?"  Finally I told them to stop asking me questions about things that they had in their notes and should have studied.  I reviewed them for 30 minutes and none of those questions came up.  In  another class a kid asked when were they going to be able to retake their exam.  Uuuuhhhh... never.  Unless of course you fail my class, then you can take it again next year.  7th period wrote me notes on their papers saying they don't remember me teaching any of this.  Uh, what have you been doing all 9 weeks???  These kids are silly.

I discovered that one of my kids is blue/green colorblind.  The way I found out is sad yet funny.  I was grading my 5th period's exams while they were working on something else.  I was calling them up 1 at a time to see their grades when I got to my colorblind kid's paper.  I had graded their papers with a blue marker.  I showed him his paper and he asked me what it said.  I pointed to the grade and expressed my disappointment in it.  He made a 27.  He put the paper right up to his face.  Then he covered it with his hand as if he was blocking it from the light and was like that's good!  I was very confused.  A 27 is an F.  It's a bad F.  I asked him if he saw what he made and he said, "Yeah, I made a 96."  I gently told him that he did not make a 96.  I had to whisper what he made in his ear his grade before he got it.  That boy couldn't see!  It would explain why he doesn't do the work on the board if it's written in blue.  He can't see it!  I just hope I remember that in the future.

My repeaters were really excited today.  They came in the room crunk this morning.  Usually they're pretty mellow when they come in.  They were all at each other's throats.  I don't know what happened prior to my class but I sure as heck didn't like it.  They FINALLY calmed down when it was time to take their exam.  During the exam someone's phone vibrated.  I wasn't about to make a big deal about it during exam week since that's more important so I told them to just turn it off.  Why did the whole class pull out their phones to turn them off?  I just shook my head.  If I were a mean teacher I would have called a search.  But I'm not.  That would have been an unnecessary battle.  I think that's where a lot of teachers mess up.  They don't know how to pick their battles.  Yes, rules are rules. I get that.  However, I also get that exam week is not the week to be suspended from school because a child wouldn't give up his/her phone. 

My school is having a book drive fundraiser.  We're collecting books, cds, and DVDs to help raise money for the football and basketball facilities.  If you have any books, cds, and DVDs you want to get rid of please contact me.  You can leave a comment here, call me, text me, Facebook me, tweet me, email me, whatever.  I'll come pick up the stuff or I can meet you somewhere.  Since I coach volleyball and we play in the gym I want to help as much as possible.  It costs you nothing but maybe a little gas.  You'll be getting rid of some clutter!  Thanks!