Things you shouldn't have to tell yourself

[lavender blue]

Originally Posted by Alarm

So now it's a race?
I'll oversleep you, you'll see!

I woke up at 7:30a today, after sleeping through three (3!) alarms. I teach at 8:30a. This did not make me very happy. Of course, my hair would pick today to be totally recalcitrant.

Originally Posted by TurquoiseGirl

We are living parallel lives.

I thought we'd already settled our status as multiverse twins.

I have finished the bulk of what caused my week to be stressful and sleep deprived. I am now celebrating with chocolate cake before I try to finish up all the other things that got pushed to the side.

[Ramblin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Twankydillo

I have an entire, if only single, bed at my disposal, why do I always lie right at the edge of it?

Let me know when you figure it out. My wife was out of town on business last week, and only last night when she'd returned did it occur to me that I had stuck to my side of the bed all that time when I didn't have to.

[Twankydillo]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

Let me know when you figure it out. My wife was out of town on business last week, and only last night when she'd returned did it occur to me that I had stuck to my side of the bed all that time when I didn't have to.

No, no, if you'd done that you'd have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, and would have been grumpy all week. You made a wise decision devoid of unfortunate adages.

[Sylvanz]

We have a king size bed. I find myself quite near the edge all the time. We do have two dogs and occasionally a cat in there too. The dogs and the cat all together weigh only 20lbs max. DH wears C-pap and has issues so needs pillows here and there. Also, because it's a king it has a split foundation, so even when he's not in the bed I sleep on my side only because of the palpable though minimal ridge down the middle. It's much better than the queen was though, I often was on the very edge close to falling off.

[Lainie]

I have a queen size bed that has been mine alone since I bought it after my divorce 16 years ago. I have consistently slept on the same side of it all these years, except for a few months when that side was against the wall -- and that never felt right.

[Latiam]

When a student starts shrieking about about girls talking, saying "That's pretty rich considering the fact that you never shut up" is NOT acceptable.

Really, I have no idea where it came from.

There was the usual gasp, and then a discussion because I hadn't actually told anyone to shut up, and then the agreement that it wasn't a bad word, just on you shouldn't say, to which I voiced my agreement and apologized for using it.

There hasn't been any fallout so far, knock on wood. One of the kids did come in and say "Miss Latiam, I told my mom what you said."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She laughed."

I sleep on a twin just fine, but when I go on holiday and have a queen or king I end up sprawled across it every night.

[LyndaD]

I think a lot of it depends on your relationship with your students. I say things to my students and it's no big deal, whereas another teacher (whom the students don't like) will say something similar and the kids will make a big deal about it.

for instance, I've told students they shouldn't tip their chair because if they fall and hurt themselves it causes too much paperwork for me.

"You mean you don't care if I get hurt?"

"Of course I do. I just don't want you to put a dent in the floor."

[Zorro]

Lynda, I use the paperwork line with my students, too. They pretty much always just laugh. And, most of the time, they actually stop the behavior I had asked them to stop.

[LyndaD]

We also have a teacher (who's not well-liked) who joked about leaving a banana peel for a student to slip on. He got reported and written up. It all comes down to your relationship with your students and knowing your audience.

[Lainie]

When the paperwork line succeeds, it's funny precisely because they know you do care about whether they get hurt.

[Latiam]

Originally Posted by LyndaD

I think a lot of it depends on your relationship with your students. I say things to my students and it's no big deal, whereas another teacher (whom the students don't like) will say something similar and the kids will make a big deal about it.

I guess you have a point. The kid I said it to wasn't offended. She thought it was pretty funny, in fact, and I do say snarky things to my students that other teachers would probably get in trouble for. In fact, at the same carpet session, I said to another student who obviously wasn't listening "Well *I* think you should stop being such a little - " and then turned to the kid who gets all my jokes and said, "I probably shouldn't finish that, should I?" "No, no, I don't think so." And then the two of us cracked up and the rest of the class was upset that they had missed a joke, and I told them that they shouldn't have been talking anyway, so we weren't going to tell them.

I have a strict attitude with them about a lot of things - they're not allowed to be rude for example - but I do joke around with them at times. Then when they push it too far I tell them to quiet down or I'll put on my crankypants and we all get back to work.

And then I went to the staff room and told everyone and one of teachers said, "Well, I said crap two times today, so..."

One of the things I like about Grade 2 is you can push the envelope a little, depending on the class.

ETA: Yeah, I know what you mean about the chair thing. I say "four on the floor" which means all four if the chair legs on the floor,now. But I said both to my old class and my new one that the reason make them sit properly in their seats at lunch is that A fell out of her seat THREE TIMES! And then I had to make sure she was okay THREE TIMES! And then she had to go and clean up THREE TIMES! So sit properly, because that was way too much work!

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by Lainie

When the paperwork line succeeds, it's funny precisely because they know you do care about whether they get hurt.

I have also, at various times, said:

"Oh. My. GOD. You are KILLING me here." (When they say something dopey)

"Please stop that [so you don't fall] I don't want to have to explain to Mr Custodian why there's blood on the floor."

"YOU got your driver's license? Oh, man, I'm scared."

I am very choosy about which kids receive these lines, especially because some deaf kids don't have a lot of experience with sarcasm. So far, it's worked well as a motivational technique, based on the laughter and compliance I pretty much always get.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

When using pre-sliced cheese, remove the paper from between the slices.

[Hastings]

Never ever believe your family when they say that they'll turn up at a certain time.

[LyndaD]

Yesterday I zinged a student very nicely...
R is a know-it-all and likes to argue about everything. He pointed out that if we all died (the world ending on Dec. 21st is a big topic in middle school) we wouldn't have to go to school in January. I assured him the world was not going to end.

R: What if we're all on a bus and it wrecks?
Me: R, I will not get on a bus with you.

[Roadie]

Roadie, you know better than to barge into your almost-17 year old son's room without knocking. I'll bet you remember from now on

[TurquoiseGirl]

Oh my, Roadie. Dare I ask?

[Roadie]

Nothing out of the ordinary for a young man...but something his mother didn't need to see. I'm bleaching my eyeballs.

[compass]

You can't do one-arm pushups, especially not while drunk...

[Barbara]

Roadie, something akin to this, I presume?

Bird in the hand UL.