Quite Satisfied

Today was another good day. More people I talked to and more students who for some reason, are all wanting to express their gratitude/respect. Weird, not that I'm not thankful (but, how come they've been so grumpy for so long and now they can't stop saying how much they like me?). I sortof think some of it has to do with the sub. Maybe they realized how much they appreciated me. I dunno, but whatever it is, something's in the water.

Today we did the simulation again. Basically, it was awesome. They got so into it and even though each class did it differently, they all came to the same conclusion. I was nervous at some points because I wasn't sure it was going to turn out alright in the end, or that the kids would understand their roles, but it always turned out. It made me wonder if it really was just the situation that was bound to turn out badly. I guess that was the point of the lesson and I learned it too! The Simulation was about Russian Privitization. Basically it was how Russia tried to go from a communist, centrally-controlled economy to a private, market-based one in like...a month. Difficult, especially with all the different interests in the deal. The kids were different groups of people, all wanting a say in this company that was being privatized, but only the workers owning shares in the company (but without the $ or expertise to keep it going or make it profitable).

My 3rd period got so into the simulation that they were all mobbed in one corner of the room, arguing and negotiating and even yelling. One kid got frustrated, sold his shares under the table and was then arrested by the local government. One snuck shares into the negotiation from another period. Both those things were funny and made the kids get more into the simulation, but oddly enough, were totally things that happened in Russia at that time! I loved it! When I was monitoring it made me very happy to see that my entire 3rd period was about ready to come to blows over this simulation (not one kid was outside the group, they were all in one big mob). Man, the whole day was like that. Some other periods made it more difficult but in the end, it was great. Third period was definitely the best. I feel like we bonded more today. We had some extra time so I finally played the Putin song for them. They were stunned. This class was the one I knew would appreciate it the most and, sure enough, they pumped up the stereo, and turned my room into a dance club for 3 minutes, while Paul was at the back of the room flickering the lights. Haha!

Anyway, great day again. I better not get too used to this though. I'm getting spoiled and soon tests are coming up so they're going to get stressed and grumpy. They're already getting lazy.

Oh! And one last thing...which is sortof odd and yet...unnerving. So, the counselors came in again today to talk to the kids and one noted that I was getting quite famous, that I was everywhere! She wasn't kidding either. This afternoon (she didn't know this, but still) my 7th period had a packet of papers that were creating quite the distraction. They were all crowded in the corner around this packet of paper, obviously something that I would need to investigate (although, to tell you the truth...I wasn't sure I wanted to know...). One of my students had been looking up information on our school at the wikipedia site. Someone had edited the site. They had added all sorts of awful information about our school: that the reason we're so high-achieving is because of all the asians, that there was "yellow-takeover," mean statements about the administration, awful innuendos about the VPs and Officer and...lo and behold...I was there. When I went over to investigate the kids told me what it was and said, "You're in there!" I didn't want to know so I just gave them the "get to your seats, don't mess around anymore" look. Cameron said, "Ms. B, it says...there is a teacher of note, government teacher Virginia Burdick is a stone cold fox." I didn't get it, although I could guess, so I just took the packet and that was the end of it. Thankfully it had been edited by our superintendant by the end of the period (he seriously knows all...I don't know how he does it...). Out of curiosity I looked up what a stone cold fox was and then I was embarassed. However, I did find it funny that Ms. Stanton was right, I was getting quite famous. So...I've been in a wikipedia article for about 25 minutes....

Goodness. I always write too much in these things. I don't tell a story quickly...someday I will learn to condense. Until then, such is life.

Reflection: Good. Great. Embarassing...

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