FREAKY FRIDAY

The Friday day of tests.  Once again, it was test time at Yvonne Learning Center as every week we test over the states and spelling words.  This always tends to be quite a task getting the boys to actually try on one of these, let alone, both of them.  However, when bribes are on the line, that is a different story.  This Friday, I told the class that if everyone studied quite a bit, and passed with A's, I would bring pizza in for lunch.  Never in a thousand years did I think that I would be out some money on pizza for lunch.  Come time for the tests, I always mess around a bit, giving the boys a bit more time to study.  I put the tests off more and more each time allowing them to try and pass, as I know they don't study at home.  However, during this time period this week, the boys came to me saying, "Please Mistah Isaac, let us take the test now!  Come give it to us, we want to get our A's on it."  I NEVER thought this would happen.  Come test time, I try to have fun with the test, being a bit funny in the way I answer questions.  Listening to the way they respond, and how fast they were putting answers down, I was getting worried that I was going to have to buy pizza, which I didn't come prepared to do, as my money was at home.  

The tests were taken and handed in.  After the first two A's, I was so happy with them that I was tempted to just go get pizza.  However, the next three turned into D's or F's, which cancelled out the factor of buying pizza.  Thoughts of doing this anyway ran through my head, however, I knew if I rewarded them for not accomplishing our goal, they would never strive to reach it, knowing they will get the prize anyways.  Therefore, I could not get myself to reward them.

Being movie Friday, there was nothing else going on, and no possible way I was going to get the boys to actually pay attention or learn anything, therefore, the rest of the day was spent trying to figure out what we were going to do with them next week.  I figured, why not do lesson plans while letting them give me their input with what they would like to learn.  As we do not really have a curriculum to follow, I can teach basically whatever comes to mind that I think they should know.  Basically, we all start on one lesson, and let whatever comes out.  The other day we started talking about how corn is grown, and ended up with light years.  How it happened, I am not sure, but the learning was amazing as they all were very involved as they led the discussion in this direction.  I feel this is almost the best option for teaching these boys, because they are not going to pay attention to the subjects picked if they have no interest in them at all.  Such as how corn grows!

After school is let out on Fridays, the rest of the day is like a sudden blur.  Why?  I am unsure, but I think it has something to do with the fact that it is part of the weekend, which always flies by altogether.  Why the days of the weekend aren't as long, or seem as long, as the weekdays, I will never know!  But that is how life is, and will always be, according to the drunk guy I talked to on the beach this afternoon.  He told me I will never catch up with life, so I just need to stop trying and enjoy the water!  Perfect advice for the weekends in Miami!