restless little monkeys

Most of my students were restless little monkeys today. I asked a few of them what the deal was, but never got a straight answer. Some of them said it was because they just had a three-day weekend. Others said that it was because this was a short week. Others blamed the rainy weather. And one or two brave souls said that it probably had to do with the generally-low test grades.

Yup. I think that last one was the big problem.

I handed back tests today, and there were very few who were delighted by their results. And the fact that progress-report grades went into the computer this morning didn't help ease their anxieties.

Dude. Mr. Neff! My Mom's going to kill me.

So, yeah. A great, happy, fun day for Mr. Neff. (he said, the sarcasm dripping from his sharp fangs . . . )

Basically, this meant that the kids were incapable of focusing for any length of time whatsoever. And I, brilliant teacher that I am, decided to start them reading the Gospel of Mark today. By themselves. In silence.

[I think I heard a flock of pigs overhead. Did you hear them?]

Anyway, we struggled through in the first class, me shushing them occasionally and barking and snapping the rest of the time. And we made it through without anyone getting hurt.

I just didn't have the energy to do that in the second class, though. So instead we moved all the desks to the side of the room and played some group games in the middle. Not particularly educational, but at least we were all pointed in the same direction for a few minutes.

I have faith that things will be better on Thursday . . .

In other news,
Corey got us tickets for The Passion of the Christ on opening night. We both have strong feelings against Mel Gibson (he's well-known in the gay community for taking stabs at us whenever he can) but since I'm teaching a course on the gospels and already hearing questions about this movie in class, I really can't not see it. And opening nights are always the best.

(Maybe we'll wear rainbow tank tops and butt-less chaps to the theatre, just to have a little fun with the throng of right-wingers who are bound to be sharing the movie with us.)

Oh, I almost forgot . . .
One of the kids was reading aloud from the first chapter of Mark today, and he stopped in the middle to ask me why John the Baptist didn't feel worthy to bend down and untie Jesus' "thong".

Shortly thereafter, another young man in class commented to a neighbor (completely off the topic) that he liked it "sloppy". Okay, it was totally inappropriate of me to find that funny, and I really have no idea what he was referring to, but I just about lost it. Needed to take a moment. Ya had to be there . . .

Posted: Tue - February 17, 2004 at 11:08 PM

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restless little monkeys

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