Promise or Threat?

Seventh grade, after a failed attempt at achieving 1 minute of silence:


Mr. F: "Guys, I just don't get it. Why can't we just be quiet, absolutely no noise, for just one minute? Why are you so scared of silence?"

(Brief pause)

O: "Son! You should be scared walkin' home tonight."

I did make it home safely that day.

Oh no, Bono!

A, an eighth grade student featured elsewhere on this blog, is part of a (in my opinion) well intentioned school ambassadors program. A curious and perhaps cynical colleague of mine wanted to further understand the educational validity of such a program:

Mr. J: "I'm just asking A, what's an ambassador?"
A: "It's when we get out of class to go to meetings and then we..."
Mr. J: "No, no...in real life. For example, what does a Goodwill Ambassador do?"
A (after a long and thoughtful pause): "They are like the substitute president. Of the world."

Do as I say, not as I...say

At a recent science and social studies department meeting, discussion was focused on methods of enriching vocabulary and modeling proper grammar usage in the speaking and writing of our students (with the ultimate goal of raising test scores). The school's PSAT prep class teacher, when speaking of a particular student's outstanding score from this year, said, without hesitation:

"Based on the work he did in class, I'm not surprised he did good."

Memory lane

Some readers may recall a former student of mine, M, from last April's "You blue it", and "BlueTube". I like to think that M and I have made peace since that rather turbulent time; we've even had many pleasant exchanges in the past few months. However, at no point during those exchanges have we discussed either of the incidents that I wrote about previously. M, apparently, has not forgotten:

M(earnestly): "Mr. F? Okay, okay. All jokes aside. You really do look like Steve from Blues Clues."