DAY 87

So, I was scheduled for the whole day at the Upper Montessori school 1.5 miles from here – across the street from where we used to live with my sister in law Danielle. Seemed especially convenient since we plan to get Fish Fry from there this evening and I could have gone from one to the other. But I arrived to find out that they were having a half day. I let them know that I had specifically been hired for a full day. I asked the principal to go in and change it to a half day and to please let me use the computer to find an afternoon assignment. She did, and there were quite a few opportunities available! Although my favorite would have been an elementary school Phys. Ed. class, I chose to do 2nd grade at Beech Elementary in Redford because it is across the street from OUR house. 🙂

I was assigned to assist in the 4th grade room where I subbed last Fall and the kids remembered me. I helped as much as possible. I spent some time helping a distraught boy with his long division and a girl with a crossword puzzle she was doing. I also helped a girl with division, and I asked her if she likes spending a long time doing math homework or a shorter time doing it. Of course, she said shorter. I did my best to persuade her to learn her times tables, and I  made a couple of small ones and demonstrated how to practice them three times and then she would know it – then review later. I told her that she would know them all within a couple of weeks and ALL her math would be so much easier to do and take a lot less time thereafter. She seemed convinced.   Honestly, how do you do division if you don’t know multiplication tables?

The afternoon was noisy, but okay. We got through as much work as possible and I didn’t worry about the rest. I enjoyed talking with a lot of the kids. There’s a new boy in the class who slept all day except for one hour, during which I tutored him in math while the other kids went to gym. The school is  not sure what to do with him – this was his first week. The mother had sent a note requesting an IEP and testing immediately because she has apparently been given a run-around about it. I hope the best for him.

Sometimes my heart breaks for the kids who have bigger problems to worry about and the ones who just don’t try – they guess, write down any old thing, or don’t even bother. I am not sure how to motivate these kids – if I was there regularly I would have to find a way.