Friday was another "ups and downs" kinda day. On the plus side: AT, one of my 'difficult' students first period, was screwing around as usual during class. I had to take away his test because he was talking, and eventually I wrote him up for detention, but hadn't given him the note yet. We moved into groups to finish up the memorial flag project for Sept. 11th (a great, but ultimately doomed idea), and his group more or less alone among all of them, was accomplishign their project, and not only that, doing an amazing job of it. So I quietly spoke to him and told him he was doing a good job, and that I'd tear up the detention note if he kept working. His group finished up, with a great flag, and I ripped up the note and tossed it into the garbage as he left... he went from being confrontational all the time to swinging by to say good-bye to me at the end of the day.

Negatives... hah, too many to list, but I'll put the top one up- narrowly avoided a really ugly situation when one of my Latino students, LR, who is ALWAYS giving me problems (i've had to physically restrain the kid 3 times to keep him from hitting other students... fun fun fun!) started fighting with a black student, and both were shouting racial slurs at each other, and other students in the class were starting to take sides... fortunately things were de-escalated (at the expense of zero teaching done in the class) and I was really helped out by one of the more popular students in my class (who is black, but friends with LR) who helped calm him down and settle the whole mess.

Most entertaining moment of the week. Grading one student's map/travel exam, I got the most ridiculous answers I have ever seen.

Q: List and explain three methods of travel that were used in both 500ad and 2002ad
A: 1.) One like going in little space and in big spaceships.
2.) When you were going in boats and in Airplane.
3.) Like in cars and know in 2002 we go in Airplanes, in trucks, and helecopters.

Q: What were four reasons that people traveled in 500ad?
A: 1.) How we travel in 500ad it was in cars.
2.) Along time ago you went running to get here.
3.) In boats little boats and ugly ones.
4.) Sometimes they bring you and if you get resident they send you back.

This student also identified Europe on the map as South Dakota... I suppose I have my work cut out for me.