I don't have anything interesting to say.

But I still feel like I need to blog. So be warned, if anyone even reads this thing: everything you are about to read is very uninteresting!
Six more days with the students left to go. They are becoming so difficult to deal with. Hyper and out of control... ugh! It takes a supreme act of patience to get through each period. Sometimes when I get really upset and I have to work extra hard not to lose my temper and just start screaming at them, it feels like my heart is palpitating or skipping beats or something. It's scary.
I have this elective class where I am teaching them how to solve linear equations using the graphing calculator. They have learned a ton, and the class always goes by fast, but they are still in shock every single day when they have an assignment to do. They think since it's an elective, they shouldn't have to actually do anything. So every day is a huge struggle. Well yesterday they wouldn't even line up right. I made them line up three times. They just didn't give a crap. So I said, "Give me a thumbs up when you are ready to come in quietly. If you want to act like 3rd graders, then that is how you'll be treated." I pointed at the first student and he gave me a thumbs down. I said, "Go to the office." I pointed at the next one, and he pointed his thumb to the side. I said, "Go to the office." The third student did the same thing. Well I can't very well send all of them to the office, and they know it. So I called the other two back, and we went inside. They thought they won... until I passed out the decimal worksheets. They sat and did worksheet after worksheet for 40 minutes. No talking, no calculator, no way to make the time go faster. The little shits. So I hope today goes better.
The 8th graders, on the other hand, even though their behavior leaves much to be desired - are factoring quadratic equations using an area model and a graphical representation. These are skills most college algebra students don't have. So I am really proud of them, because they learned it.