Swine, Surprises, and Seventh graders

Wednesday at TCIS Middle School: Principal and Vice Principal tag team
a demonstration to talk to kids about how to slow the spread of the flu!


So I must have completely forgotten how INSANELY SLOW middle schoolers walk. I took 3 students back to my apartment with me right after school today. I gave them a project that turned out to be impossible so I had to help them out with it a little. My writing classes had to create a specific, detailed rubric for the perfect cookie or brownie and then bring in a sample of the cookie or brownie and have the rest of the class try it and rate it on the rubric. While this is not an issue for most people, I happened to have a group of 3 - 2 of whom claimed that they had no oven in their house, and the 3rd said his mom said he couldn't have people over. So they had no way of "collaborating" on this cookie making. Because I decided I didn't want to deal with it any longer than I had to, especially when it wasn't that big of a project, I told them they could come mix the brownies and bake them in my oven.
1. The 3 of them - 2 boys, 1 girl - went to the store to get their supplies right after school. They came back to meet me with no supplies. "Ms. Gangel, there were people fighting in the store, we couldn't buy anything." Ok, we'll stop somewhere on the way to my place.
2. The 7 minute walk turned into 15 minutes. It seems they are not CAPABLE of moving at a faster speed, no matter how much goading I do! They weren't being ornery, that was just their walking speed! And then they started complaining how far it was....arg. :P
3. Once we got to my place, I remembered they hadn't gotten their supplies so I sent them back out to the store 20 steps from the apartment while I quickly set some things out and made the place 7th grade friendly. When they weren't back after 10 minutes, I started getting worried. So I go to see what's taking them so long. They weren't in the store!!! I immediately started beating myself - NEWSFLASH! 2nd year teacher loses 3 7th graders!* - Of course, their parents knew they were with me, they had signed out at the school so they knew too, and somehow, 20 steps from my house, I lose them! So I start running around my neighborhood calling their names. Nothing. After checking back home once and running out again, I come back and....they're sitting in my apartment. "Where were you, Ms. Gangel?" Completely innocent. They had just gone to a different store, the opposite direction than I ran. *frustrated little sigh*
3. So we get started, after having to change the recipe. Now, I know with 3RD GRADERS, you have to make sure that everyone has an equal share and an equal share and if HE gets to crack, then I get to crack one too and....etc. But I sure didn't expect it to the degree I found it with 7TH graders!!! Wow.
4. Let me just say that this was a very simple recipe with few ingrediants. But I don't think I've seen my little kitchen get that messy in a long time. Even with me monitoring, there was an entire broken egg on the table, flour and cocoa scattered on the chairs and floor - and by the end, even a splatter of brownie batter on the WALL. All you can do is laugh, you know?
5. So Alfred held the pan steady, while Albert held the batter bowl, while Grace scraped. They all got 2 licks from the bowl and then we put the pan in the oven. But during all this, I realized that I don't think any of these kids have used a microwave or oven very much, if at ALL. After helping Grace with my 1-dial, 1-button microwave to melt the butter, I asked Albert to open the oven. Microwaves might all be different but all ovens open the same way. Well, let's just say that I ended up having to open it. :P Where have these kids been?
6. Time to clean up. Gotta get them back to catch the late bus. So I stand at the sink and assign clean up jobs. Alfred and Albert, use paper towels to wipe off the sugar and flour containers and bring them to me; Grace, you bring the dishes to me and wet wipe the table. The poor boys thought I meant them to wipe EVERYTHING with the paper towels, so they proceed to pick up the measuring cups we used and wipe the flour off them. They were going to wipe out the batter bowl too - and probably put it back in the cupboard. No, dears, the dishes we can wash. Just wipe up your mess. :)
7. Don't forget your backpacks there by the chair. No, seriously, Albert, your backpack is by the chair, don't walk out. "Oh I have a backpack? Oh." The walk home takes nearly as long and by the end I have to say, "Boys, RUN. and I mean RUN to catch your bus." Whew. Disaster BARELY avoided. :)

Ok, so that was my Friday. TGIF night.
We've been back at school since Wednesday. And through this quarantine, I've learned that I have serious trouble doing online work, especially from home. I really do not work well at home and storing, doing, grading, planning, everything digitally just confuses me. So I'm glad to be able to be back at my school desk with all my hands on books and planners and sticky notes. Mac Stickies are cool but they just don't compare to the real thing!