a Day of Chaos.... could have been prevented

I think I am the only person in the school that did not receive the "Memo" that there was Science state testing happening today and that it would displace me for my first 3 periods.

As I went to my classroom to start first period, my students were telling me that we were relocated to another room due to testing of 8th graders in our classroom. This was NEWS to me. We had two periods of material to cover and now I am in a foreign classroom with the class that doesn't adjust well to change. (I told them over and over that I don't adjust well to change and that they needed to help me through this. It worked like a charm. wink wink)

We did one period in Mr. DeWolf's room and then we relocated to Ms. Bachman's room for the 2nd period of instruction. That was kind of fun, because my friend Ms. Bachman was able to see me teach the class that she and I live with for the majority of our school days. They were great. They learned a lot (I think) and they handled the change brilliantly.

So now I go to 3rd period and thought it was in my room, only to find out that I would be on the 8th floor and I needed to get my teaching supplies. Oy Vey! We rearranged the room we were placed in and used the space wisely. We did 3rd period on one room and then... Finallyyyyyyy we got to go back to my classroom for the 4th period of my 4 period marathon. The sixth grade class also handled the disruption wonderfully and when we went from the 8th floor to our classroom, they did so quickly and smoothly and we just continued the lesson as though we had never moved.

Then.... Then.... my 6th and 7th period class got the giggles and I wasn't in any mood to join in. I had a really important lesson to teach them. I had to teach them how to subtract negative numbers for the first time they have seen it. This is a skill they need to have through all of the rest of mathematics into college. Here I was truly introducing something they had not ever done, and they were snickering and giggling. I asked what was so funny, and none of them knew... they obviously just got the giggles. Darn it. Wrong day. I like it when people get giggly, but this was a hard lesson to teach, and I wasn't able to find a "funny" spin to put on it.

Oh well, another day down.

Swine flu is the only thing the news is reporting these last few days in NYCity. I attend Pace University in Lower Manhattan and I have received notice that a student there may have swine flu. I wash my hands a lot. Masks aren't worth getting unless I am the one sneezing. The subway has been free of sneezing and coughing people as far as I can tell. I do wash my hands after every ride.