frustrations

Today's frustrating teaching moments (I couldn't pick just one!):

1. While reviewing our 8th grade commonly confused words, one student claimed to have never, ever heard about a state capital, as in "What's the capital of Utah?" I explained that each state has a capital city. Still the student was stumped. An 8th grader. Seriously.

2. One of the science or math teachers has students working on some project that involves teeny-tiny colored plastic cubes (thing sugar cubes miniaturized). Of course junior high students can't be trusted to only use the cubes for the project--they bring them to my class and throw them when they think I'm not looking (and most of the time I catch them anyway). And I can hear when they drop on the floor so by the end of school today, I had about 15 of these cubes in my pocket (that I will add to my collection of 12 cubes I took away last week). I'm trying to think of a creative project of my own to utilize the cubes. Perhaps a baby mobile of some sort?

3. Three students in 6th period took turns hijacking my big, comfortable, blue desk chair and wheeling around my room. What's a pregnant teacher to do but waddle as fast as she can to catch them, kick them out of my chair, and demand they return to their seat. I've not had a problem with students sitting in my chair ALL year but apparently today was the day.

4. Probably as a consequence of the previously mentioned chair-hijacking students being around my desk when they weren't supposed to be, my room key got stolen off my key chain. I usually hide my key chain, which has four very important keys, under a book on my desk so that they aren't seen. Sometime between the beginning of 6th period and the end of 7th period, some punk student took the time to take off one of the keys. Which key, you ask? Oh, only the most important one: my room key!!!

5. We're in the last two weeks of 3rd quarter, which means I started announcing LAST WEEK that the deadline for turning in any missing work will be next Monday so I have time to update grades and post final grades before next Friday. My rule has always been that students have to come see me before or after school with a list of their missing assignments--to help them practice some responsibility instead of having me look it up for them. So, I give my little announcement and, as expected, a few students approach me during class demanding ALL their missing work. (Mind you: the majority of students who have lots of missing work are the students who are here every day but are too lazy to actually do the work, complaining that the assignments are either "gay" or "boring."). Even still, I will certainly have students who come see me about making up missing work next Thursday, days after the deadline, and who will complain that they never heard the announcement.

6. In other teaching related news, I'm really not sure how I'll get through the next 4 weeks as a pregnant teacher. This is tough work! No, I'm not complaining and yes, I know I got myself into this situation (and really, I couldn't be happier), but pregnancy and teaching just really do not mix.

I think that's all I'll post for tonight. Why dwell on the negative, right?