Day 164: Transition Day

I have no problem admitting that my picture today scared me slightly and I avoided looking at it.  It did, however, get a chance to read them "The Beast In The Cave" from the unabridged anthology of H.P. Lovecraft.  I keep being told by literature teachers that to become proficient readers, student need to not only read, but also head what proficient reading sounds like.

Well, now they know what proficient reading and unspeakable horror sound like...

Every year, the 8th graders get on busses and go to the high school for an orientation.  When we get there, they are sat in the auditorium where the guidance counselor gives them hope, the principal gives them guidelines and the school resource officer gives them fear.

They are then broken into groups with a student escort and are given tours of the building, observing classes, seeing the facilities and meeting various teachers and administrators.

I LOVE transition day.  Once we get to the high school, I take a back seat and let them take over.  They are VERY good at this and, so far, every transition day that I have attended has gone off without a hitch.  The seniors that the high school chooses as guides are fantastic kids and keep ours from getting lost.  The schedule for the day is set and there is no downtime for our kids to go crazy.

This transition day, I am taking a half day, which means I won't be riding on the bus with my geometry students.  I have made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that should I hear ANY negative reports from the teachers who ARE on the bus, they will have to answer to me.

I trust them.  Over this year, I have made my expectations of their behavior quite clear and they have met and exceeded them beautifully.

I've also been fighting a sinus infection and a hacking cough since Sunday night, so my activities in class have been subdued.  Many of my students are perceiving this as anger and lack of patience.  I am not dissuading them from this thought because it seems to be keeping many of them in line without me having to yell or scold.