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Yo, Teach!

Math class. Order of Operations. I explain PEMDAS, we work several problems together on the white board as a class. I give the students an assignment to work on in small groups. Almost immediately I go to group 3 to help somebody with a problem.

From across the room, Rico leaps from his seat and yells, “Yo, Amsden!”

My head snaps up and I look at him. The whole room is silent. I tilt my head and raise my eyebrows. Rico slowly slips back into his seat. I stare. His smile wobbles. “Miss Amsden?” He queries.

“Yes, Rico?” I ask.

He says timidly, “Uhm, what do we do if the problem doesn’t have a parenthesis?”

I answer, “You raise your hand and I’ll get to your group when I’m finished here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says. Then adds, pointing toward the door, “Uhm, while I’m waiting, can I got to the restroom?”

Usually I call students on the appropriate use of the words can and may. In this case I believe the can may be imminent. I nod my head, he bolts from the room, and everybody cracks up laughing.

Quilly is the pseudonym of Charlene L. Amsden, who lives on The Big Island in Hawaii. When she is not hanging out with Amoeba, she is likely teaching or sewing. Or she could be cooking, taking photographs, or even writing. But if she's not doing any of that, she's probably on Facebook or tinkering with her blog.

13 Comments

  3. I’m so glad that I don’t have to study any more math. I don’t think I could pass.

    I have to wonder if Rico was dared. That’s the kind of thing that sounds good when someone is double dog daring you, but not as great when the words actually leave your mouth.

  5. I am sorry to say that I have been ill and not keeping up on any one’s blog, barely even keeping my own updated! We are getting more snow. I have got atleast a nasty cold, but atleast I my check came today so I was able to get out in this nasty weather and go grocery shopping and also get some more cold medicine…yeah for the more cold medicine! I am going to go take some of that cold medicine now and crawl my icky self back into my cave and try to sleep in spite of the fact my husband has his tv in the bedroom up way to loud to suit me…..oh, and I’ll try to stop whining so much.

  6. Melli — you’d best tell the school district you can’t sub in any more math classes,

    Dr. John — sigh See my comment to Melli above. You two are making teachers look bad.

    Brig — I don’t think so. The kids all call each other by their last names. I think it just slipped out.

    Mike — My goal is to entertain. I’m glad I succeeded.

    Jan — sorry to hear you’ve been sick. Hope you get well soon! (You do know that they sell duplicate remotes, right? 😉 )

  7. Go easy on your colleagues, Quilly. Teaching used to be about children learning stuff, not adults mastering acronym hell. That was supposed to be the domain of government bureaucracies. Quoth the former NSF program officer who spent time getting OPP buyins on proposals to DEB, and travelling on IPP budgets to EPSCoR meetings on behalf of OLPA.

    😛

    Sleep!!

  8. OC — you seem to have spilled alphabet soup all over my comments! Come back here and clean this up!

    Besides, I gave’em the link, didn’t I? And sleep? Me or you? I’ve had a pot of coffee and a can of Cola! Awake.

  9. My beautiful friend, how i miss you. How i love your new home, it is great to visit you here. I’m so happy you are happier with wordpress, that it gives you less headaches. You have done a great job of making your new home cozy and beautiful.

    It is countless how many times i am lifted and encouraged and feel the warmth of your love and caring thorugh your words and through the prayers you have offered for me. It seems to me that the words, ‘thank you’ come short, so let me add to them ‘i love you and yours’ and maybe now a more factual picture starts showing itself of how i feel and how much you all mean to me.

    You and Jackie, Brookie and Cindra are blessings in my life. Thank you for you all have taken me into your hearts. What beautiful hearts they are.

    I’m making my rounds ever so slowly but surely to all my friends. I want to thank you each and all for all that you all give me. And to tell you how missed you guys are and how happy i’m to be starting to come around again.

    God bless…

    Ps..
    I’m so sorry you were having issues with vertigo. vertigo sucks big time. i was reading the post but couldn’t comment but did pray for you. i kiss your head many times…kisses and hugs, cuddles and love are such a comfort to me, i suppose i’m still that little kid…so i send you all of that to you in hopes that you know i too care for how you are doing and pray for your health.

    about your sleep, i send you my guardian angel tonight. he is most wonderful and with yours, the two of them will guard you and comfort you and hopefully you can rest easy and safely. i do hope so anyways..

    until soon my dear girl.

  11. Chana — your angel worked. I slept like I’d been charmed.

    Nessa — yep, he loves me. That stare thing only works on people who 1.) know they made a mistake; and, 2.) care about your reaction to that mistake. Im my classroom the stare almost always works and it saves me a lot of screaming and explaining (from kid and teacher).

    It also saves me, because more often than not I’m more amused then irritated, and I find it easier to hide laughter behind a stare, then keep it from my voice.

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