Mrvaudrey

Category: Classroom Management

  • The Bottom Ten and Learning

    Today is the first day of school for Bonita Unified School District. Last week, I puttered around classrooms and chatted up new and returning teachers, aligned SmartBoards, planned out musical cues, and suggested desk placement.

    All of which is great, most of which was helpful, and none of which was stressful.

    rest-52495_1920

    This is year two inB my role as Educational Technology Coach, and it’s the first first-day-of-school in my career where I’ve slept soundly last night and not had an anxious, runny poop this morning.

    In the classroom, the first week before students arrive is my favorite week of the year. The desks are clean, the rows are straight, nothing smells like sweat or feet or Flamin’ Hot Chee-tohs. Nobody’s gotten detention or dumped or an A-minus when they really wanted an A.

    In a classroom without students, only potential exists.

    Every teacher–the weekend before school begins–is an idealist. The class, before filling with bodies, is full of hope.

    For seven years, I preppedB my room in a frenzy, often putting in 10 or 12-hour days to get it just right.

    Unpaid, by the way.

    Without fail, some student with no respect for my hard work would tag “Kiki flexxxxin” on one of my posters.B My carefully-constructed classroomB crumbled to dust within weeks.

    But that first week? No tears; only dreams.

    Dreams that every student will learn. Dreams that no students will exclaim they hate me as they flip overB chairs. Dreams that none will scrawl “asshole” in pencil on my door.

    Anyway, that’s not even what I wanted to write about.

    The Bottom Ten

    During my first year as tech coach, I sought to make disciples at each of my 13 school sites. By building into the Top Ten Percent of tech-hero teachers–those who would still innovate without me–I’d pump motivation through the “sprinklers” at each site who would spread the word about how helpful and approachable I am.

    That kind of happened. Many teachers I never met know who I am.

    This year, as my office is full of dreams and potential, I’m shooting for the Bottom Ten Percent.

    At our kick-off event, the Bonita Educational Technology Adventure (BETA), I gave a workshop for the Tech-Hesitant. It went pretty well, answering questions, tackling real-classroom situations, and addressing the things that are scary.

    One of these teachers chatted with me later that week to ask about how to use Google Classroom, but then lock student work after it’s done until the test.

    After attempting to dissuade her, I promised to ask Twitter about it. As I expected, none were interested in even trying to find an old-school solution.

    Which brings me to why and how I’m shooting for the Bottom Ten this year.

    Learning

    This article came across my desk today, and I wasted no time in sending it out:

    While my business card says, “EdTech Coach,” I’m actually more interested in learning. And not just for students.

    During my workshop, I pushed back when I heard Tech-hesitant teachers use phrases like these:

    “It’s probably easy for you, you’re so young.”
    “Well, I’m not a digital native, so…”
    “There’s just not enough time to learn ______.”

    When someone drops one ofB theseB dismissive excuses to continue hiding from challenge, I have a dozen responses, but the one I chose for the BETA event was this:

    bodybuilder2

    “When I go to the weight room, I see people in there that are enormous. They have shoulder muscles and neck muscles and … theirB muscles have muscles. They’re huge.

    I can tell that they’ve been to the gym before. They didn’t get those muscles without spending time specifically working on them.

    Bodybuilder4

    Technology is no different. Years ago, I was clumsy with technology, didn’t type well, and had difficulty navigating the internet. But I kept spending time in the gym, and my tech muscles grew.

    You–the tech-hesitant teachers–you can also grow your tech muscle. Just keep putting in the time, even when you’re feeling weak.”

    ~Matt “Finger-Muscles” Vaudrey

    bodybuilder3

    P.S. I’m content to refer to this group as “The Bottom Ten” for several reasons:

    1.) They’ve admitted their low status to me, “I’m probably the least techy person at my school.”
    2.) Those that cling tightly to what’s comfortable are those who can transform their classroom the most with fresh ideas.
    3.) SeventyB of them attended my workshop, that’s the bottom fifteen percent of our district, and they were willingB to self-identify.
    4.) Growth can happen anywhere. If they believe that they were in the Bottom Ten and could become the Top Fifty, they’ll be interested in improving.

  • Samantha

    Samantha (not Sam; do not call her Sam) joined our 5th/6th period a couple weeks into the school year.

    Fifth period was math, sixth period was bInterventionb: a full hour where students with learning challenges had iPads, me, and no curriculum.

    It was an absolute dream.

    I was quite pleased that my principal trusted me enough to give me a full period to do whatever the hell I wanted to help students learn. Had I known it was my last year in the classroom… I probably would’ve done the same stuff.

    Some days, webd edit photos for our 20% Projects.

    Some days, webd finish up a math activity from 5th period.

    Some days, webd stare at Donte, then estimate how many Donte will fit across the width of the classroom.

    A la Oliver Smoot.
    A la Oliver Smoot.

    Samantha didnbt quite know what to do with my class. It became immediately clear that shebd gotten here (an 8th grader with low basic skills stuck into a double-math period) by using the tried-and-true phrase of the struggling student:

    bI donbt know.b

    Or "IDK" to the middle-school teacher.
    IDK.

    In Teacher Chemistry, IDK + Teacher Redirection = Student Excused.

    Without the reagent of Teacher Redirection, the formula falls apart.

    In Vaudreybs class, bI donbt knowb doesnbt excuse you from responding:

    Vaudrey: Where did this 3x come from? Samantha?
    Samantha: I donbt know.
    Vaudrey: Ibll come back to you. Victor?
    Victor: Ummb& we subtracted 7x and 4x?
    Vaudrey: Lorraine?
    Lorraine: We subtracted 7x and 4x.
    Vaudrey: Samantha?
    Samantha: … um b& we subtractedb& 7x and 4x.

    I wasnbt surprised to note that she didnbt actually look at the board until she responded.

    A few days later, the bDiscuss with your tableb song was playing, and I swung by Samanthabs desk, knelt down, and whispered,

    bIbm going to call on you, and you say, bparallelb, got it?b
    Her eyebrows shot up and she pleaded, bNo!b
    I gave a comforting smile, bThatbs it. Just say, bparallelb. You can do it.b

    The song ended and 28 students returned their focus toward the screen at the front.

    bBefore we talk about slope, Samantha. Are these lines perpendicular or parallel?b

    All 28 students turned toward the new girl. She stared blankly at the board. Come on, Samantha. You gotB this, I thought, my marker in the air. Like my instructions, the marker did not waver, but pointedB straight at her.

    Samantha took a breath.

    bParallel,b she said.

    No question, no raised tone at the end. She was confident. Those two lines are parallel.

    I smiled. bGood. Now if these two lines are parallel, then that tells us something about their slope, and I heard some groups talking about it. Ramiro, tell us what your group noticed.b

    After a few dozen of those discussions, Samantha began to blossomB into a confident young mathematician. She persevered, she took risks, B she responded well to the guidance of her classmates to fine-tune her ideas, andB she volunteered answers that were way off (a sure sign of trust).

    She also gave a fantastic 20% time projectB and even came to me early on to ask about changing her group. bI donbt think [other student] willB work as hard as me. Shebll just slow me down.b

    Alright, Samantha. You can work alone.

    ~Matt “Small Successes” Vaudrey

  • On AppleTV in the Classroom

    This tweet tagged me (in the responses) this week, and myB response is more than 140 characters long.

    One of many things I like about the #mtbos is the math conversations that happen one line at a time.

    It just so happens, I have a lot of thoughtsB on this particular topic, more than I could share on a tweet.

    On SmartBoards

    While it’s not the focus of this post, I had one of these. As with most technology, it’s tempting to drop it in someone’s lap with little to no preparation, and be disappointed when the individual doesn’t produce Nobel-Prize winning lessons after a week. Every classroom at my school had a SmartBoard, and I never saw a lesson that did anything more innovative than I did.

    And I wasn’t doing much.

    Tina, if you can afford both, great. ButB if you’re between the two, spend the money on tech that promotesB student creativity, insteadB teacher creativity. I loved my SmartBoard, but the stuff that my students created in an hour was much more satisfying than anyB cool lesson design.

    And speaking of that…

    On AppleTV in the Classroom

    I had one in my 8th grade Math class for two years. Here’s the quick version:

    Loved:

    • Students (on the same network as the Apple TV) can quickly and easily share their work with the whole class. My struggling students suddenly became the star as they showcased their problem-solving on the wall and walked the class through their reasoning. Below, you can see two students teaching the class from their iPads duringB Teacher 4 a Day.

    Photo Apr 18, 8 20 32 AM

    • Students who found new apps or iPad tricks can teach the class about it on the big screen wirelessly (from their seat if they’re shy).
    Name with code
    Andrew, a timidB 8th grader, wrote his name using computer commands during theB Week of Code and taught his classmates his tricks.

    Didn’t Love:

    • I had my AppleTV with open access, no password, no confirmation; anybody could just hop on. The first week of school, Adrian (from his desk) bumped my iPad off the projector during a demo and showed the class a picture of a bunny from his iPad.
    Take a moment to think of what he could have shown. I'm glad it was JUST a bunny.
    Take a moment to think of what he could have shown. I’m glad it was JUST a bunny.

    Immediately, I knew it was him (the usual signs of middle-school mischief, furtive glances to classmates, frantic motions to hide what he was doing, chortling, etc.) and pounced on him.

    “Adrian. That’sB not okay. If we’re going to work well with iPads in class this year, we have to be respectful of each other, and it’s not your turn right now. You’ll get your turn later. Ask me first.”

    He was surprised. I was going forB firm and kind, but he was also surprised about my declaration for the year. I was laying the groundwork for our class and what we would do with these new fancy tools, and he–and, more importantly, the entire class–heard me say, “You will all have a chance to share.”

    Finger face with a question by Tsahi Levent-Levi
    “But, why not just protect the AppleTV with a password?”

    Yup. That would solve the problem, but it would also show students that I am the Chieftain of Class Culture instead of the Guide.

    I was confident in theB class culture that wouldn’t need a password, and the openness–I feel–gave the students some autonomy and respect. They would casually ask, “Can I show this to the class?” and my answer was always “Yes” or “In a minute”.

    I never had that issue of AppleTV control again, with Adrian1 or anybody else.

    In the Math Classroom

    • My class had an unusual situation; the iPads were used as an intervention tool in conjunction with a bonus hour of time with me andB no curriculum.

     

    That's right. An unsupervised hour with low-performing students and iPads.
    That’s right. An unsupervised hour with low-performing students and iPads.

    That free hour allowed us to explore other pseudo-core-curriculum exploits, such as the 20 Time project, Estimation 180, Visual Patterns, and Would You Rather?. Also, training the students in how to best use web-based tools like Google Drive (with whom, I have an inappropriate infatuation) and introducing them to computer programming with HourB of Code.

    In short, the AppleTV provided opportunities for my students to get excited about Mathematics, art integration, and a collaborative learning environment. Yeah, I did those things before, but that little black box provided access and confidence for students who were usually silent, lost, and confused.

     

    Worth it.

    ~Matt “Not sponsored by Apple, just satisfied” Vaudrey

    1. Adrian eventually flunked out of 3rd period and joined my 1st period, which did not have iPads. He was surprised by this, after three parent phone calls, two conferences, and three failing report cards.b)

  • A Great Day

    Today was a great day.

    Linear and Non-linear Functions

    Today, the lesson was on linear and non-linear functions. After plotting points and noticing that a ruler can’t go through all five, we stood up, hands at our sides.

    I stood on a desk. Because it’s my class and I can do what I want to.

    “Elbows out.” [I show them.]
    “Arms out.” [All students are making a T.]
    “Arms down.” [Everyone is giggling, but obeying.]
    “When I say go, show me a linear function with your arms… go!”

    The class snaps into a variety of positions, all with straight arms.

    Kinda like this, but all at the same time.
    Kinda like this, but all at the same time.

    “Awesome. Arms down. Now show me a non-linear function…go!”

    Kinda like this, but all at the same time.
    Kinda like this, but all at the same time.

    When 5th period arrived, the day went from good to great. First, they barely made it to one linear function before they were karate-kicking chairs and each other.

    “Huh… Okay, siddown.” I said, hopping off the desk.
    They froze. “What?”
    “Yeah, I’m not gonna fight you so we can do fun things in class. Siddown.”

    We do some more practice and agree to try again. We make it through a couple successful commands before Lorraine takes it up a notch:

    “Can we play Simon Says?”

    Hell yes, we can!

    (This isn't actually 5th period, but it's the best shot I got today.)

    Simon says ‘show me a non-linear function’.
    Simon says ‘show me a function that makes a vertical line’.
    Arms down. Ah! I didn’t say ‘Simon Says’. You’re out, you’re out, you’re out. Sit.
    Simon says ‘show me the YMCA’.

    Estimations

    The 6th period iPad Intervention class has been taking on Estimations, Visual Patterns, Would You Rather, and Daily Desmos.

    Today, we tackled the Red Vines task, and it was friggin’ awesome.

    Previously, we established that one of Mr. Stadel’s hands holds 18 Red Vines, so our guesses hovered around 100-120 (5-7 handfuls).

    redvines1

    Halfway through the video answer, we’re at 150 and I hear Frank.

    “Goddammit! I only put 130!”

    When’s the last time you found an activity for math class that got kids amped enough to curse about it?

    For the record, Frank thought he was mumbling to his neighbor, and I didn’t discipline him. Judge if you must, but I’d much rather have excitement and foul language than boredom and silence.

    The real highlight of today, however, came when the video slowed down.

    redvines2

     

    …and Donte is out of his seat, pumping both arms in the air, chanting, “Two hundred! Two hundred! Come ooooon, baby! Two hundred!” He’s dancing back and forth as only an amateur pro athlete can.

    Then, Mr. Stadel pulls out the 201st Red Vine, just to taunt Donte.

    redvines3

    ..and Donte’s arms fall to his sides, his jaw drops, and his eyes deaden. He stands transfixed, staring at the wall, crestfallen that he was so close to a perfect guess.

    And I laughed my ass off.

    Months later, I realized what a bummer it was that Donte was so crushed by guessing 201. His previous 7 years of math education had taught him he was wrong, even though he was 0.5% off of the correct answer.

    Thankfully, after a few more months of these, Donte grew confident enough in his process to be content with having hisB product be different from the answer key.

    ~Matt “Hasn’t Eaten Red Vines Since Middle School” Vaudrey

     

  • The First Question

    #CaEdChat is going on right now. I’m no doubt missing dozens of witty, hastily-typed tweets to type this, but I think it’s important.

    Tonight, #CaEdChat is discussing questions, and I heard this one kicked around a lot, and I want to share my response to it.

    This isn’t about the question that gets teachers the most excited.B It’s also not the boringest question we get all year.

    It’s not the easiest question to answer, nor is it the hardest (though many teachers seem to think it is).

    It’s the question that new teachers fear, but veteran teachers still wince when we hear it.

    This question is one that drove us to become teachers in the first place, and it’s still being asked now, decades after we asked it toB our teachers, and our children and grandchildren will ask their teachers:

    Why do we need to know this?

    I usually get this question about 3 weeks into the year. If not, I pull it out with the first really abstract Math topic that we get. This year it was Classifying Real Numbers.

    I got through the meat of the lesson and said,

    Okay, put down your pencils, fold your hands and look at me. You’re probably wondering by now when you will use this in real life, yes? I’m going to tell you.

    You won’t.

    Odds are that most of you will go to jobs where you don’t need to do this [point to the board] in your career. However, it’s still important. Here’s why:

    When I was in college, I used the same workout room as the football players. One day, I was lifting weights across from thisB huge guy. He picked up these massive weights and did this:

    I was surprised, so I asked him, “Bro. Why are you doing that? Shouldn’t you practice sprints or throwing a football or something you’ll actually use?”

    He responded, “Dude-ski, I may not use this motion in the game, but I use this muscle in the game, fo shizzle*.”

    “I’m so glad I did those calf raises!”

    Students, the math you learn in this class will work out your brain in ways that you will use. You will likelyB neverB need to classify real numbers in your profession, but because you worked out your brain, you’ll be smarter. You’ll be a better boyfriend, girlfriend, boss, employee, and friend.

    Is that a fair answer?

    So far, that answer has satisfied every class in my teaching career.

    ~Matt “Honest Abe” Vaudrey

    *If the slang terms wasn’t clue enough on the decade when I was in college, here’s a picture of me and my roommates.

  • Teacher Report Card – Google Form

    UPDATE 2018 March 7: There are now copy-able Google forms for Teachers, Coaches, and Administrators.

    I went big this year.

    My usual “Teacher Report Card” has been put to Google for quick data analysis.B

    Here’s a copy that you are free to save to your own Google Drive, if you so desire.

    Stay tuned for the data analysis. I’ll be posting the spreadsheet hereB unedited, because too many people are thinking I’ve got my act together, and it’s time to set the record straight. Here’s a paraphrased quote1 from Dave Burgess:

    Looking at my classroom, some think that creativity just comes easy to me. This isn’tB easy for me. There were dozens of times I’ve brought new ideas to the class and they’ve bombed terribly. No, the reason teachers succeed is because they failB so often, and it’s usually messy.

    In truth, good teaching is making lots of grand mistakes2, then fixing them. (Michael is a fine role model in this regard.)

    In teaching, you rarely notice you’ve made a mistake until it’s too late.

    More on mistakes with the follow-up to this post next week.

    ~Mr. V

    Also, here is a hard copy for download, in case a digital survey isn’t plausible in your class:B Teacher Report Card – Hard Copy

    1. English teachers, I know those two terms are contradictory.b)
    2. See Daniel Dennett for more on this.b)

  • April Auction

    Let’s be brief.

    The Auction takes place about every 6 weeks this year. (Not sure about next year.)

    As the weeks have passed, I’ve found ways to quantify what the kids like.

    March 2013 Auction Data Dispersion

    And, due largely to my wife’s enforcement of a budget on my awesome ideas (I love you), I added a column to quantify my own investment.

    Updated Table

    The “Bang Per Buck” column divides the student cost (Poker Chips) over my cost (dollars). A low ratio means “not worth Mr. Vaudrey’s money”.

    And I played the Price Is Right theme, which you can download here for free, along with tens of thousands of other themes.

    Here’s this month’s cost breakdown, including currency conversions for my least viewed countries:

  • the rupee from Mauritius (an island by Madagascar, about 10 times the size of Washington, D.C.)
  • and Azerbaijan (Maine-sized central European country).

    • Because… why not?

    April Auction Costs

    My wife was thrilled to hear that this auction only cost $11.52 out of pocket.

    Many cost boxes are blank because they were stuff I had around the house. The reason that stuff still sold is this: Hype.

    Middle schoolers are the puppies of the consumer world; if you get them excited about something, they will pee money all over the carpet.

    "Are those Hot Chee-tos!?! OMGOMGOMG!"
    “Are those Hot Chee-tos!?! OMGOMGOMG!”

    “Grandma’s Specialty Items” were just crap from the Goodwill box at my in-law’s house.

    But, with added hype, it was one of the most anticipated items each period. Just put on a dramatic song, reach into the bag and slowly… ever so slowly pull out…

    …another bag. (Each class burst out laughing at this point). Straight face again… open the bag… slowly reach in… and pull out…

    …another bag. Then peek the corner of the item out of the bag. At this point, they just have to know. What’s in the bag?*

    See the look on his face? He just HAS to know!
    See the look on his face? He just HAS to know!

    Another sweet hype-builder (or cost-inflator) was adding buzzwords to the description of the items. I learned that from McDonald’s and the home shopping network. “Deluxe”   “featuring”   “…but that’s not all”   “you also get…”

    Finally, the Box of Anything But Booze was just a bunch of Goodwill stuff in an old Bacardi box. The hype went like this:

    “Students, there could be anything in there! It could be… a pony? A dictionary? Stickers? It could be anything … anything but booze.”

    I put on the dramatic song and dramatically pulled a dollar from my wallet and put that in the box right before bidding.

    …oh… shoot, I didn’t include that in my spreadsheet. I gotta go.

    *Credit where credit is due: I learned hype from the master, Dave Burgess. Follow him on Twitter and buy his book, Teach Like A Pirate

  • An Ugly Ex-Boyfriend

    My wife has been watching the Bachelor, and occasionally, they will do a flashback to a part of the contestant’s past that is embarrassing.

    This post is about my ugly ex-boyfriend, Standards.

    In college, I majored in Youth Ministry and Adolescent Studies. I came into my first classroombseventh grade at Edgewood Middle Schoolbas a youth pastor; ready to make friends with my students and receive their respect in return.

    You can probably guess how that panned out.

    That year was the hardest year of my life. I wept during planning period, sometimes at lunch, and even after school. In an attempt to fight back, I yelled, spewing venomous things at my teenagers, who sneered at my inconsistent discipline and became even more defiant and rude. Several times I called my wife or family and was talked off the ledge from quitting.

    When I look back, there is one thing in particular thing that makes me wince.

    Ohhhh!

    Writing Standards

    As a young teacher, I was terrified of calling parents for negative reasons. On the surface, I was uncomfortable calling someone older than me and speaking to them as an authority figure. Deep down dwelled a fear that they would turn the blame back on me, and I’d have no good response. Occasionally, that happened.

    First-Year Vaudrey: Hello… uh… this is Mr. Vaudrey, I’m calling to discuss… um… David’s inappropriate jokes in class.
    Parent    : Well, David is standing right here, and he says that you laughed when he made that inappropriate joke, so why are you calling me?

    Uh… yeah… but…

    To avoid parent phone calls, I relied heavily on Standards.

    BartSimpsonOpeningScene

    In the opening scene of the Simpsons, Bart is “writing standards”. It’s an old practice, but a great way to keep kids busy.

    Here are four reasons why it’s a terrible idea:

    Number 1: Creates distaste of a Good Thing

    It uses writingbsomething that should be enjoyableband turns it into punishment. Some teachers (many years ago… hopefully) had students copy the dictionary when they were in trouble.

    One wonders how those students feel about reading, writing, and big words after that experience.

    Number 2: It’s Not Not the Worst emphasis on Negative

    Standardsbby designbfeature lots of “I will not…” The copious use of negatives is just ineffective. If I want a student to stop getting out of their seat, the prompt isn’t “Don’t get out of your seat!”, it’s “Stay in your seat.” Many of the standards I assigned began with “I will not…” which populated my class rules with a list ofB “nots”.

    My psychologist sister recommended that my wife and I use “the positive opposite” when talking to our then-2-year-old daughter. The prompt “use gentle touches” is much more effective than “don’t hit.”

    Number 3. It’s a Waste of Time

    Writing standards doesn’t matter. It’s a hamster wheel. It’s a thing to keep student is diligently doing something besides bothering the teacher. Invariably, the students that acted out the most were the ones that needed my attention the most. Standards was a cop-out, a way to say “I don’t give a shitB what you do, as long as it doesn’t bother me.”

    It’s a treadmill, in a class where they should be lifting weights.

    This student was Special Ed, but not yet diagnosed. “Mike” spent about 90 minutes over three lunch periods writing this. Those 90 minutes could have been better spent in tutoring, perhaps learning his multiplication tables.B I took time that could have been used on academics and made his hand cramp.

    Number 4:B The Bravado with Which I Assigned Them

    Oh, how proud I was with my Standards! With increasing regularity, I sent students out of class to do them, pulled them in at lunch, even sent them home as a homework assignment. I bragged to colleagues that “corporal punishment is not dead!” I had a file folder bulging with them by Christmas, when I used them as gift-wrap for my family’s presents. I was so proud of that stack of student discomfortB because it appeared that I was managing my class.

    I was not.

    Instead, I was telling dozens of students, “This is a better use of your time than math.”

     

    Now, several years later, IB never assign standards. When a student needs some time out, I give them a tangle tableB or an assignment that they haven’t finished yet.

    Now, I’m telling them, “You need a break from the class. Use the time productively.”

    Which is what IB want to communicate to them.
    ~Mr. Vaudrey

  • Class Auction, Take 2

    Regular readers will note that it’s been a week for second tries. Both of these items had solid first tries, so the second was bound to be good also.

    About six weeks have passed since the last Auction in my class, and today was a minimum day for the end of the Trimester, so it was about time.

    I began the day with hype. I teach in the portables, so if I make noise, 200 students can wonder, “What’s going on in Vaudrey’s class?” Dragging a 10-watt guitar amp outside, I plugged in my iPod and danced to some upbeat songs (mostly from Five Iron Frenzy, a late-90’s ska band). Also, I was wearing the cowboy hat, which signifies auction day.

    You should probably have this music video playing while you read the rest of the post, if you really want to get the idea.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqqHo8to-6A]

    Here’s some data:

    March 2013 Auction Data Dispersion

    Column A, you can see the items up for bid.
    Column E is what each of the items cost me out of pocket.
    My second and third-biggest readers are Canada and the Phillipines, respectively. Canucks and Pinoys, I included a column for the cost in your local currency, color-coded by your country flag.
    Row 16 shows totals. I was floored to see that my fourth period spent 1,000 chips in 40 minutes.

    Here are a couple of highlights:

    • For the Potty Passes, bidding started at 2. Brian, still hyped from the Subway bidding war, immediately blurted out “58! … no, wait!”
    • Bidding for Nerds (Medium candy) started at 5. The next three bids were 91, 100, and 120. The hot ticket items are never what I expect.
    • I spent $30 and bought good behavior for 8 weeks. That works out to about $150 for a year. Not so bad. Read the previous post for why I am okay with doing that.
      • Also, the RSP teacher pitched in (because she’s great, not because her students contribute to a lot of the distractions), so it only cost $10 this time.

    What I Changed For This Auction

    Items that didn’t draw any bids last time were removed. The big ticket items returned, and I took a page from Dave Burgess‘ playbook on suspense and mystery with the Box of Mystery and Diapers.

    What did you THINK I meant? What did you THINK I meant?

    Students all received a small slip of paper with a list of auction items on it. On that list, if I had included “Box of a bunch of junk from my Aunt-in-law’s basement that we acquired when she moved”, that might not have been a big seller.

    But oh, how mystery tickles the mind and arouses the senses! Suddenly, the kids just had to know…

    … what’s in the Mystery Box?

    Any of those items individually would have drawn no bids at all. Put them in an old cardboard box, and suddenly it’s gold.

    And oh, did I ham it up. “You too, students, can tempt fate with a peek inside the Box of Mystery and Diapers! Could it be… a dictionary? Could it be… an inflatable fish? Could it be… a diaper? Only you, the adventurer of secrecy will peek inside the mouth of the lion, tempt fate, and emerge victorious!”

    This morning, I re-read the previous post about the auction, so I was picky about noise they made between each item. I wrote up a List of Today’s Auction Items with Descriptions, and announced them while the showcase song from Price is Right was playing. It was magical.

    The chatter between items was helped by my descriptions; students wanted to hear them, so all I had to do was start speaking, stop, and look at the offender. The rest of the class jumped on the chatterbox like he was an autographed OneDirection poster.

    20130302-064747.jpg

    And, in case you’re curious, here are the downloads for the coupons I used:
    Potty Passes
    Coupon – Leave 2 minutes early
    Coupon – Positive Phone Call
    Coupon – Share Subway with a friend
    List of Today’s Auction Items

    As with many class activities, the hard work before kickoff made the classtime itself really stinkin fun. I love my job. I get to listen to music from High School and lecture students (with a smile) about the evils of caffeine and processed sugar, all while wearing a cowboy hat.

  • Math Valentines, 2013

    Substitute days are tricky for a teacher.B A successful lesson for the sub is one where these things happen:

    • B Students are productive (Read: BUSY) the whole period doing something mathematical
    • …yet are happy to see me when I return.
    • The sub is happy that the class worked hard.
    • And my classroom is intact, nothing stolen, punched, or burned down.

    To that end, this was a successful lesson, just like last year. I left a sample list of some words they could use and they got to work.

    Here are some of my favorites:

    And, as usual, a Valentine for my wife using stolen lines from the student work:

    Dear Andrea,

    The formula of love is Me + You.B You are theB solution to all my problems. Your expressions are the cutest ever. You addB happiness to my soul, youB intersect my heart. You give me theB power to do anything I desire.

    You’re the numerator to my fraction. You and I equal a perfect square. You’re so radical; I want us to be binomials.

    Roses are red, Violets are blue,
    But the only flower I choose…

    …is you.

    Love,

    Hunter Hayes

    Thisguycouldbehunterhayes