...and Big

My urban school is, sadly, no stranger to budget cuts.  Recently, funding for my after school Rock Band (similar to School of Rock, except  slightly less inspiring and much less productive) dissolved completely.  Breaking the bad news to my future rock stars was, in all seriousness, one of the worst experiences I have had as an educator.  Offering a poignant and succinct criticism of the situation was M, one of my most inspiring students:

Mr. F:  "I'm really sorry guys, I wish something could be done, but the school just can't afford it."

(pensive pause)

M:  "Well now what are we going to do, go rob people?"

Sinophilia

While covering another class, I saw examples of student work on the wall.  One assignment was to design a restaurant and menu, but I was only enticed by one establishment:

      C's Thai Restaurant:

Come try our RARE Chinese delicacies

Messing with the bull

Recently, to help provide my students with a better understanding of the development of their modern band instruments (and to relieve myself of teaching duties on a Friday), our ninth grade band took a field trip to a museum that features an entire wing dedicated to musical instruments.   To maximize student engagement and to minimize the chances of something very expensive getting broken, I prepared a fact scavenger hunt for my students.   While nothing blogworthy happened at the museum or even on the trip (which I can only assume is for the better),  I couldn't help but to laugh during the review session.

In response to the question, "What was the original purpose of the French Horn?", one student was not quite on the scent:

Y:  "Yeah, so the Horn was used for hunting right?  That's what it said, it said 'Used in the hunt'.  My only question is, how did they kill the animal with the horn?  Did they put it's head in the thingy and blow really hard or something?"

Social Mobility

This conversation is without question the funniest part of my year so far:

R: "But you don't even watch TV!"
Mr. F: "Well, that's really because I can't afford cable."
R: "Na, but people be livin' in the hood and still get cable."
Mr. F: "I live in the hood!"
R (laughing): "What hood you live in?"
Mr. F: "I live in neighborhood X"
R: "For real? That is the hood! Do you get scared walking home late at night, mista?"
Mr. F: "Not at all. I mean come on, look at me."
R: (laughing again) "Exactly. Look at you..."

Mr. F:  "Ha, ha. I actually feel pretty safe.  I just don't have cable."
R: (still laughing) "So wait. You did well in school, got a college scholarship, got a degree and then moved INTO the hood? Your life sucks!"

La Belle au Bois Dormant

In another teacher's (coincidentally, Mr. F's) ninth grade advisory class, the day's topic was "trust". I overheard the following:

Mr. F: "So, who else has a story about trust?"
A: "I do. One time, my mom was like, 'Do you trust me?', and I said, 'Okay'. Then she gave me this pill, and I woke up fourteen hours later."