Jan Term Journal – Day 6

Today was my only real day in Mrs. Sheffie’s sixth grade science class. Last week, she wasn’t aware that I was coming and didn’t have anything prepared for me, and next week we have Monday off for Martin Luther King Day. We did a lab – finding items outside that we can use to make “fossils” with plaster of Paris. Between the members of the class, they made fossils of sticks, leaves, bark, feathers, and even a slug. Science was never really my strong suit, and I found myself having issues even making the right consistency of plaster! However, I think all of the “fossils” set up, and Mrs. Sheffie was so happy to have my help. I wasn’t so sure that I had helped that much, but I guess just having another set of eyes and hands in the classroom is always helpful.

I was asked once again to watch the sixth graders at recess. I’m not sure who was more exhausting today, the sixth graders or the third graders! Third graders run around like crazy, ask tons of questions, and are generally exhausting. But because I’m in their class most of the time, they are at least used to the idea of seeing me as an authority figure. I don’t have that luxury with the sixth graders, however. The Monday mornings in Mrs. Sheffie’s science class are good, but they aren’t enough to give me much real pull with the students.

Also, the questions that the sixth graders ask are a little more difficult than the ones the third graders ask. “Do you have a girlfriend?” “What’s Mr. Knox’s dad’s name?” “Have you ever heard of the rapper Easy-E?” and on and on. I can’t discipline them for being curious; it’s actually fun to have some real conversation with students (well, about half the time). But sometimes I wonder if their line of questioning goes a little too far.