Focusing on the good

Millikan Middle School
Ms. Poncin’s Class, Per. 3
03-01-07

Today was a very happy class.

The kids were still very rambunctious, but I’ve come to accept that part. Ms. Poncin says that this is her ‘hardest class,’ even though there are only ten students. Many of them are just incapable of focusing. For instance, Christina apparently had an IEP on file at the school and was taking some medication, but her mother decided it was ok to take her off of it and destroyed the IEP – or – something to that effect. No wonder she is always out of her seat. But overall, I had such a great time with the kids. I didn’t get to finish what I wanted to do (in fact, I’ve had to extend this particular activity for three sessions because there simply isn’t enough time to complete it); but, I had so much fun helping the kids get better at their color mixing and painting skills. They really really want to get it right, and a lot of them are showing improvement in technique as well as classroom behavior. Jasmine is being the prime student so far, and will frequently ask the rest of the kids to “stop being so rude” and “just be like me.” She is so focused, and won’t talk to anyone unless she has a question about what she’s doing.

Today I assigned them homework. It had to do with identifying the warm and cool colors and replacing the name of the color with an adjective that describes that color. They couldn’t name one single adjective. For instance, when I asked them if they could think of an adjective that could describe the word “red,” many of them replied things like “fire” or “love.” Ms. Poncin reminded me again after class that just naming parts of speech was something that they had to go over every single day. Knowing that was disheartening. However, it makes me happy to know that even though I only come in once a week, many of them can remember what the primary and secondary colors are.

Today the kids finished up their value scales. They look so great. I get so happy when I can show the kids individually how they can improve. I showed Ashley this picture in a book I brought in to show the importance of value in a painting. I could tell she thought it was really cool because of that look in her eye. It’s the same look I think I give off when I just realized I learned something really awesome. I think she is really liking the class. And some of the kids whom I got really annoyed with two weeks ago in our last class were actually really engaged today. I guess it’s just the nature of the class, and the fact that it IS art. It’s fun. So naturally, kids will be out of their seats, talking and helping one another, and having a good time. Just as long as they get their stuff done, I don’t think I mind so much. My only concern is when there’s so much fun that they can’t hear me when I’m explaining something to the entire class. But a lot of them get it, and they tell others to simply be quiet. I have a system now where I say “clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me.” I think it works out pretty well. I also have instated a new routine. Every morning I say “Good morning class” and they have to respond “Good morning Ms. Wennstrom.” It reminds me so much of elementary school, and I never thought of instating a routine like that in class. I told the kids that I’m so used to students being instantly quiet, because that’s what it’s like for me in college. It’s really good to weave in things about your life into the class because they always get really quiet and want to hear what you have to say. Anything that has to do with your life outside of being a teacher, especially if you are a younger teacher, always gets their attention.

After class is done Ms. Poncin usually has some little story to tell me about the kids. This time she told me about Brianna, the new girl in class. I was shocked at the stories that Ms. Poncin told me about her and other black girls in the class, who, according to Ms. Poncin, are the “most racist-sounding to their black peers” than any of the other students. Apparently, the new girl has been calling another girl who is darker than she is a “nigger” and refers to her as “Norbit” – a character in a movie about an obese black man. Unfortunately I can never stay and really talk to her about these kind of things that happen, because I have to scurry off to school and work. But after every class, there’s always something with these kids that makes me stop and think.

I have some more notes on the kids – Paul particularly. He is doing his work but always seems so bored. I know it’s not something that I’m doing, because Ms. Poncin says that that’s just the way his is. But I’m really hoping that on the inside, these art lessons are something he can enjoy. It seems that he really doesn’t like school, and not because he’s not smart (because I can tell he’s very bright) but because of some other external reason like his home life. But, I can’t really say much about that because I have no idea.