I'm always looking for ways to make the mundane exciting. Example: practicing signing money numbers. There are a few subtleties when signing money numbers that students don't always pick up right away. I've found through experience that unless they really understand how to sign $1-$9 before you add on money numbers for higher denominations, they end up signing things that could roughly be interpreted as: $3 dollars.I found a set of colored Jenga blocks in my closet at school. I decided to give my students fake money, and have them "buy" the color they wanted. (The different colors cost different amounts of money.) They all got a chance to come up and tell me what color and how much, which was exactly what I wanted. What I didn't expect was how much they got into the game. I have never seen all of my students on the edge of their seats like that! I heard one girl comment on her way out the door to her friend: "I was starting to get dizzy from holding my breath." Transformers, step aside. All you really need for a night of nail-biting excitement is a set of Jenga blocks.
On a different note, we had the World Language Fair on Wednesday. Many thanks to Dixon and Linda for being willing to help out! It was a long night of noise and chaos. I required my students to go (naturally!), and I've been collecting their "passports" today in class--their proof of attendance and a big hunk of their grade. Most of my students went. I have been thoroughly impressed by the creativity of the students who didn't go. Forget "the dog ate my homework" line. Here's a sampling of what I've heard:
- I was driving to the Fair. Honest. And then I got in a car accident and couldn't come.
- My grandmother died. (There were a few grandmothers who died this week.)
- I had an allergic reaction to a cavity being filled, and my face got all swollen up.
- I got lost on the way there.
- Crap! That was last night?!?
- I was on my way there. For reals. And then my work called. This guy didn't show up for his shift, and I was the ONLY person who could fill his shift.
I'm not saying I'm doubting any of these reasons. It's just been interesting to hear the parade of excuses as they come in. My response: "Wow. Here's your alternate assignment. Have fun with the research project. I'll be anxiously awaiting your presentation in class next week."
3 comments:
A professor once told me a story about a class he taught as a graduate student. When a student claimed to have missed an exam due to a dead grandparent, he asked someone higher up what to do and was told that the university had a database to track such claims so that no undergraduate could exceed his or her allotment of 4 dead grandparents.
I like the allergic reaction excuse the best...
Quentin, you're discounting the modern family that could have any number of step-grandparents ;).
Amy, I think you're a dreamy teacher. You sound like the perfect mix of reality, smarts, and fun that I'm always hoping for my kids. Sign language has to be a hard subject--you're just the right teacher for it.
P.S. I miss you.
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