Period 2 straight from PE. The little urchins are ready and waiting. Tick tock tick tock. Why can't we get into our classroom? I attempt to amuse them while we wait. They seem amenable to banter.
Tick tock tick tock. Finally a rather desolate year 9 and his teacher emerge from M5. It appears that year 9 have not had a good maths lesson and it's all thanks to Saleem. Miss is having none of it; lunch time detention beckons for Saleem.
In we go then. "Have a seat, ladies and gentlemen." An interesting classroom. Alas, all the desks are facing the interactive whiteboard, but my laptop is on strike, so it's regular pen and board for me. Spend a jolly 5 mins rearranging the kids so that they're facing the right board. Write my name on the board and the date. "How'd you say that Miss?"; "Are you teaching us all year Miss?"; "Why aren't you wearing a suit Miss?"; "Do you have a boyfriend Miss?" The questions begin. They think they can distract me. Bless. It's almost as if they don't know I am ready for their tricks.
I ignore them and get a helpful looking girl to hand out the exercise books. then continue writing on the board. The probability starter, learning objective, key words. "First one to copy all this down gets a merit". The classroom quietens. Busy heads are bent over books. A humming sound comes from the far corner. It's Sonny. I've been warned about him. "What's the matter Sonny?" "Nothing Miss". The humming continues. I warn him if he doesn't stop he'll have to leave the classroom. He continues. I tell him to leave. He refuses. I tell him if he doesn't leave, I will get Mr Scary Maths to come and remove him. He leaves. I begin the lesson with some starter questions. While the kids are thinking about an answer, I go out and read Sonny the riot act. Suitably chastised, I ask Sonny if he's ready to come back into the classroom. He says he is, and is true to his word.
"Can I go to the toilet Miss?" "There are dead bodies in the building site Miss". Connor causes trouble too. I ask him to stop distracting the others. He continues misbehaving. I tell him that if he doesn't stop, I will move him. He continues. I tell him he has two minutes to come and sit at a desk right at the front of the class or I will have him removed from the lesson. He thinks about it. I continue with the lesson. Reluctantly he moves. Once sitting alone, he manages to behave for the rest of the lesson, and even starts answering questions.
The three quiet girls seem bemused by probability. I try and get them involved. It's a bit of a struggle, but eventually they come up with some answers. I lavish praise on them. A few questions later and they start putting their hands up voluntarily. Shouty girl stops shouting out the answers after I tell her if she shouts out again she will have to stand up for the rest of the lesson. I promise the singing girls a whole lesson of singing at the end of term, and even some dancing, if they stop singing now. I hope they forget this promise.
We have a break halfway through the lesson and play some "Simon Says" type action copying. They pretend they don't love it. I know they do.
We think of events and the probability of their occurrence. We make grids with different colours in and figure out what the chances are of getting each colour. I get to say "what are the chances?" twice a minute for 5 minutes. I hand out merits like water.
Towards the end I ask them to make a probability scale of words from "impossible" to "certain". I let them come up to write their words on the scale. I've said the magic words - it seems kids like writing on the board as much as I do. I have a captive audience.
We pack up 2 mins before break and I dismiss the class. "Why do you smile so much Miss?" Danish asks as he's leaving. "Because I'm happy. You guys make me happy." I reply. It's part banter, it's part truth.
Who'd have thought all that theory we learnt in the summer actually works in practice?
Five frees out of five tomorrow. Roll on Wednesday.
Tick tock tick tock. Finally a rather desolate year 9 and his teacher emerge from M5. It appears that year 9 have not had a good maths lesson and it's all thanks to Saleem. Miss is having none of it; lunch time detention beckons for Saleem.
In we go then. "Have a seat, ladies and gentlemen." An interesting classroom. Alas, all the desks are facing the interactive whiteboard, but my laptop is on strike, so it's regular pen and board for me. Spend a jolly 5 mins rearranging the kids so that they're facing the right board. Write my name on the board and the date. "How'd you say that Miss?"; "Are you teaching us all year Miss?"; "Why aren't you wearing a suit Miss?"; "Do you have a boyfriend Miss?" The questions begin. They think they can distract me. Bless. It's almost as if they don't know I am ready for their tricks.
I ignore them and get a helpful looking girl to hand out the exercise books. then continue writing on the board. The probability starter, learning objective, key words. "First one to copy all this down gets a merit". The classroom quietens. Busy heads are bent over books. A humming sound comes from the far corner. It's Sonny. I've been warned about him. "What's the matter Sonny?" "Nothing Miss". The humming continues. I warn him if he doesn't stop he'll have to leave the classroom. He continues. I tell him to leave. He refuses. I tell him if he doesn't leave, I will get Mr Scary Maths to come and remove him. He leaves. I begin the lesson with some starter questions. While the kids are thinking about an answer, I go out and read Sonny the riot act. Suitably chastised, I ask Sonny if he's ready to come back into the classroom. He says he is, and is true to his word.
"Can I go to the toilet Miss?" "There are dead bodies in the building site Miss". Connor causes trouble too. I ask him to stop distracting the others. He continues misbehaving. I tell him that if he doesn't stop, I will move him. He continues. I tell him he has two minutes to come and sit at a desk right at the front of the class or I will have him removed from the lesson. He thinks about it. I continue with the lesson. Reluctantly he moves. Once sitting alone, he manages to behave for the rest of the lesson, and even starts answering questions.
The three quiet girls seem bemused by probability. I try and get them involved. It's a bit of a struggle, but eventually they come up with some answers. I lavish praise on them. A few questions later and they start putting their hands up voluntarily. Shouty girl stops shouting out the answers after I tell her if she shouts out again she will have to stand up for the rest of the lesson. I promise the singing girls a whole lesson of singing at the end of term, and even some dancing, if they stop singing now. I hope they forget this promise.
We have a break halfway through the lesson and play some "Simon Says" type action copying. They pretend they don't love it. I know they do.
We think of events and the probability of their occurrence. We make grids with different colours in and figure out what the chances are of getting each colour. I get to say "what are the chances?" twice a minute for 5 minutes. I hand out merits like water.
Towards the end I ask them to make a probability scale of words from "impossible" to "certain". I let them come up to write their words on the scale. I've said the magic words - it seems kids like writing on the board as much as I do. I have a captive audience.
We pack up 2 mins before break and I dismiss the class. "Why do you smile so much Miss?" Danish asks as he's leaving. "Because I'm happy. You guys make me happy." I reply. It's part banter, it's part truth.
Who'd have thought all that theory we learnt in the summer actually works in practice?
Five frees out of five tomorrow. Roll on Wednesday.
