a day in the life

Me: "Carlos, where have you been? You've already missed three days and the term just started!" [Students do not get credit after 7 absences.]

Carlos: "I know, I know. I'll be here, don't worry."

Me: "But, I do worry when you're not here."

Carlos: "Yeah, I know. Why do you think I'm here today?"
[That's it? All I have to do is let kids know I worry and then they show up??]

*************
Me: "Eduardo, do #1."

Eduardo: Lions are carnivores because they eat meat.

Me: "Raquel, #2."

Raquel: Omnivores eat both animals and plants.

Me: [seeing Octavio's hand raised] "Yes, Octavio? Do you have a question?"

Octavio: I want to do #3. [Octavio barely speaks any English. For him to volunteer an answer is a HUGE step. Especially because it's not a real volunteering class. It's more of a zoo class - a new student moved in from another class said today to me as she left, "They're like kindergartners!"]

Me: Great. It's yours. [This is after I scolded Karen, at his table, for speaking Spanish with him and not making him practice English - but she was speaking English and I just didn't understand because of her thick accent. Oy vey.]

**************

Me: Class, what year did the Civil War start?

Class [after a pause that was too long for my comfort]: 1861

Me: And the Emancipation Proclamation? Look at the text.

Class: 1863.

Me: That's right. It was no longer legal to own humans then. The slaves were freed. Emancipation means freedom.

David [with a regular pattern of racist remarks]: That was a big mistake.

Me: This racism is unappreciated and unacceptable here.

David: What?! I'm just saying what I think!

Me: Think what you want, but cut out the offensive speech.
[A couple hours later I got a call from the kid's biology teacher who's having major problems with him and he solicited input - same issue everywhere; actually he's best for me. But he's on notice - I'll have a referral all written for him tomorrow, and after his once daily warning, he's out.]