Saturday, April 7, 2007

What the Holy Hell?

Via NYC Educator, I find this story here.

AMANDA, Ohio (AP) — A substitute teacher used clothespins to silence four chatty kindergartners and will not work again in the school district, the superintendent said.

The four boys said spring-type clothespins were placed over their upper or lower lips for talking too much in class, Amanda-Clearcreek Primary School principal Mike Johnsen wrote in a letter to parents this week.


Hey, I work with kinder kids, and the sheer volume of noise/constant chatter drives me up a wall some days. But it had honestly never occurred to me to stick things to their faces. Just ... good God.

Monday, April 2, 2007

Care.org and Sonic Screwdrivers and OMG (not in that order)

I just got a letter in mail today for Care.org. I can't send a lot, but I figured some of you might be interested. My contribution is going towards girls' education in Afghanistan!

Also, OMG I am so swamped. The quiz on Friday (Spanish Civ.) did not go well, but the one this morning (Latin/Greek Roots) did. I'm freaking out about the Latin exam tomorrow at 8am, and mostly prepared for the US Hist. one Wednesday between my classes and work.

Shipped the bag for the Easter thing to Hawaii this morning, and today in my kinder class we go 12 cards made for a Hospice, whoo!

Oh, and I girl I tutored in Latin decided she no longer needs Latin help (that's what I get for being too good, I guess :-P), but her mom wants to meet at 7:30 tonight so I can start tutoring the girl in Algebra.

I got a torrent from one of the brits on my message board, so I-iiiii got to see the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who last night. It's great and awesome and really really good. The new companion is six kinds of cool (and smarter and less ... girly... than the last one, thankfully) AND there are rhinos AND blood being sucked through straws. The only points of contention were a) the stupid radioactive shoes dance (seriously, what was that?) and b) whether CPR will revive someone who has had their blood sucked out. The argument hinges on whether two hearts = shared circulatory system or separate circulatory systems... and I'll just shut up now because I sound like a dork.

ETA:
*siiigh* So, someone (not a student) shot himself in the parking lot of the middle school.All the teens are fine, they have a note for their parents, and everyone seems to be ok. I asked the teens not to be spreading this around to the little kids, and the boss came in and asked the teens not to be spreading this around so rumors don't start.

So what happens? The front office woman waltzes in a minute ago while there are 2 teens and 3 smaller kids in the computer lab, and starts a loud convo. with the teens about it. One of the little kids asks what's up, and she loudly says, "Someone shot himself in the school parking lot!"

Yeah, way not to scare the little kids and start rumors, lady. Get out of my lab.

I made a point of asking the kid to "keep things to himself" as she was walking out.