One great thing about teaching this age is that the kids are hil-ar-i-ous.
1. I was teaching about the migration of the first humans to my 6th graders. I was talking about how humans migrated from Africa to Europe, Asia, and even to the Americas because there was a bridge of ice that connected what is now Russia to what is now Alaska. A darling girl raises her hand and asks, "Is this the same time that Christopher Columbus discovered America?" Oh, dear. I'm so glad she comes to school.
2. I was teaching about the formation of empires in southwest Asia (Mesopotamia area). I kept using the phrase "built an empire," assuming that the kids knew I meant that these people gradually formed a governmental system in which one government was over many groups of people. One child unwittingly pointed out that I was not being very clear by raising her hand and saying, "I don't get it. Is an empire a statue or something? What were the building?" Oops. I need to remember that these kids are 11, not the 16 year olds I'm more used to!
3. I was teaching about the Code of Hammurabi, which is one of the earliest known law codes in history written by a Babylonian king named Hammurabi. I explained how it was a very harsh law code in that you could get in big trouble -- like, death -- for doing something against the law. This one boy was aghast at this information and blurts out, "What?! You mean you could die for breaking the speed limit?!" The other kids had no problem telling him that he's an idiot; cars didn't exist back then.
Awwww, cute kids.
These pictures were taken 2 months ago before school started. This is my classroom. I teach in the portion of the building that dates back to the 1870s. My classroom is HUGE, but I'm too short to get to most of the wall space! Now that school has been going for awhile, the room has student work everywhere and is generally in (neat) disarray. It's a happy place!
4 comments:
holy hannah, that classroom IS huge! oh to be in 6th grade again!
I love that you teach! I would like to just sit in the back of the class and watch you! I think that would be great. Your classroom looks wonderful. I would be lost trying to decorate a classroom (or my house for that matter). You sound so smart rattling off all this history. I totally don't remember most of that stuff. But, it's a good thing someone does. Derek does I guess (history major and history channel watcher that he is).
How fun! I love looking at others' classrooms.
As I read abt the stuff you teach and the hilarious comments made by your students I wondered if i had ever learned any of that when I was in 6th or 7th grade. I really don't think so, or maybe I was just thinking about the really cute boy sitting next to me.
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