Stranger Danger

The first time my supervisor came to observe, I warned the class so they knew who he was when he walked in. One student asked if it was ok to yell "Stranger danger!" when my supervisor came in. I told him no of course. Now every time my supervisor comes to observe (he sits in the back of the room), that student looks at me and mouths the words "Stranger danger!". It's really hard not to laugh.

Student: "Where do you live?"
Me: "Around the area."
Student: "So you don't live at your school?"
Me: "No, my school is in Wisconsin."
Student: "Ok, so you don't live there?"

During one class we talked all about money and budgeting. For one activity, I had the students write down what they would do if they won $20,000.
Student: "I would by a dog with a mohawk."
Me: "I didn't know you could buy those. What else would you get? You have a whole $20,000!"
Student: "Well those kind of dogs are really expensive, but I guess I would get more mowhawks?"

I have some students that can write...like really write. Some of the assignments they turn in are at a 9th grade level, at least. Sometimes they complete the assignment better than I would have. I don't feel worthy to grade their work!

We've been talking a lot about the history of China. The history nerd in me is coming out. China has such a rich history filled with so much good stuff. What continues to blow my mind is how advanced and ahead of their time they were. But what happened? The Renaissance hit Europe and the Chinese secluded themselves. They didn't want to use ideas from other countries. I keep thinking about what the world would be like if the Renaissance never happened or if China continued to be a leader in advancements and inventions.

An interesting character from China's history is Emperor Qin Shi Huang. This guy is so fascinating. He did so much for China as a whole, but when it came to the people he was crazy. In one class we ended up having an unplanned debate about whether or not he was a good guy or a bad guy. Which turned into a debate on whether or not you can move your country forward if you are harming its people along the way. My students can't remember to bring a pencil to class, but dang they sure are insightful. Anyways, if you are in the mood to Google something, check out good ol' Qin.

On the board, I have some magnets of Avalanche players. One of the magnets is of Anderson, the goalie that was having a terrible season and recently got traded. There is one student that loves hockey and was upset about the recent trades. The student drew a "Circle of Shame" on the board and put Anderson in it.