If my review of Don't Swear with Your Mouth Full! When Conventional Discipline Fails Unconventional Children and interview (parts one and two) with author Cary Chugh, Ph. D has piqued your interest, you'll definitely be interested in a contest to win a copy of the book!
The contest is simple: Share your most hilarious example of unsuccessful discipline in your classroom or at home. Leave it in the comments section for this post (this is the only way to enter). The funniest one (as judged by yours truly) will receive a free copy of Don't Swear With Your Mouth Full!.
There are no restrictions or requirements beyond what I said above.
Contest entries are due by Saturday, November 21st at 11:59 PM CST. Good luck!
5 comments:
This was my first year of teaching so be kind: While explaining to my 8th grade students tessellations a boy quickly yelled "You mean testicles!" I explained that it was inappropriate and to stop saying it. He kept up and when I threatened to throw him out. He replied "No I mean testicles like a squid has testicles" My GT student quickly turned to him and said "Those are tentacles." I laughed so hard I don't think he got any discipline for yelling testicles.
When my oldest son was around 2 years old, he was acquiring language skills at the speed of light. I was changing his diaper one day (a particularly messy one) and he was having a grand time singing and wiggling around, but he wiggled around so much that he knocked the diaper out of my hand and stepped in it, thus making a pretty substantial mess. Before I could catch myself, I let out a mumbled "God damn it" under my breath. My son, however, heard it, and was thrilled to have discovered this previously unknown phrase, and he began practicing it along with all his other words and phrases.
My wife and I obviously wanted him to stop saying it, but we were worried we'd make the phrase more attractive to him if we tried to forbid it. We finally settled on calmly telling him, "I don't want to hear that," any time we heard him say it.
He seemed to understand the new rule, and we were pretty pleased with ourselves for being so clever, when one day we noticed him interrupt whatever he was doing to go into the kitchen pantry and close the door. Curious to figure out what he was doing, we crept up to the pantry door, where we could clearly hear him inside saying calmly to himself, "God damn it, God damn it, God damn it." After a few moments of repeating the phrase where we presumably couldn't hear him, he came out of the pantry and resumed playing.
After a few days, he seemed to have lost interest in the new phrase, and we never heard it again.
In one of my many Algebra 1 classes, JR was had a "center of attention" junior taking the class (for the 3rd time)with mostly freshman.
Everyday was a challenge...he was a real performer. I knew I had to get him on the same side as me 'cause based on years of experience, I knew that detention wouldn't work with him.
I managed to have a quick conversation with him everyday and it seemed to be working.
Then, one day, the state accreditation team visited the school and as luck would have it, his Algebra 1 class. About halfway through the class period, he jumped up out of his seat, scaled the classroom wall by climbing on the edges of the cinderblocks, caught a mouse, ran to the window in the back of the room and calmly let it out. He sat back down and got right to work...he was so proud of himself and I was too. One of the craziest things he'd done in class, but it wasn't done for attention, it was done to help me.
I bet anything that this story became part of the accreditation report but I doubt the observer knew how happy I was to be part of the maturing of JR.
brilliant contest. kudos.
I was substituting in a 4th grade classroom. I had been in the class a few times before so the kids did know who I was. The school had home room time from 8-8:30. That morning was particularly hectic durign home base--it was Valentine's Day. Kids had been coming up and "Mister Smith this" and "Mister Smith that" from the moment I arrived. I was attempting to decipher some rather indecipherable substitute notes. A small crowd had gathered around the desk--Mr Smithing me about many things. I sent them all to their seats so that I could figure out what we were to accomplish that day. At that moment I heard another "Mr. Smith?" I spoke rather sharply . . . "DIDN'T I ASK YOU TO HAVE A SEAT?"
"yes, mr. smith . . . but . . ." She held out a Wal Mart bag to me.
I reached out to take it . . . "What I asked?"
"I threw up on the bus."
"Okay. Do you need to go the bathroom or nurse?"
"No, I'm okay now."
"Great!" It was at that time that I noticed the bag was full of warm vomit and ruined Valentines.
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