"Mr. Caruthers you're a NERD!"

Ninth day of student teaching? Busy and Fun. I taught my 8th graders about the American Revolution. Remember I already talked about the causes in my last lesson. Well the first period was extra sleepy. I had to really energize the lesson in an effort to put some energy into the kids. Unfortunately I received many blank stares. When I asked them did they want today (Friday) to be a snow day they all erupted with comments like, “Of Course!” “It’s so dumb to come to class before the weekend!” The students were out Wednesday and Thursday due to the snow. I worked hard trying to keep the kids engaged that hour. I cracked jokes, did voice impressions, and made stupid facial expressions. When I showed the students a picture of the money that the Continental Congress printed during the war. I said, “Look Young Moolah baby!” This was an effort to connect by referencing Lil Wayne and Drake. They laughed at me. I laughed at me. I’m guessing it was one of those funny moments that you just can’t avoid. One kid was like, “Mr. Caruthers you need to work on your jokes”. Honestly, if I were their age my joke would have been “cooler” but I can see being a teacher dates you. Little do they know that I listen to the same music they do give or take a few whack music artists.
The next period that came in was pretty energized. They were awake. During my lesson they laughed at my jokes. If you would of walked in you would of thought that I was Richard Pryor or Kevin Hart. I will admit that some classes are more fun than others. In that class there are a lot of students that do what they are told. I find myself liking these students because they aren’t disruptive and they quietly took notes like I asked them to and then they did the activity at the end of my lecture. The first hour class made me kind of nervous because I had them pick out a grievance (complaint) from the Declaration of Independence and make a cartoon or comic. I showed them my example. The grievance I picked out was “He has plundered our seas ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people”. I drew King George III as a dragon wearing a robe and a crown. This dragon hovered over a burning city. They liked it. The first hour struggled to pick a grievance and draw it. They talked and seemed uninterested. I had to walk around the class spurring them on. Finally they all drew something and they shared what they drew. After the class was over, I walked over to my cooperating teacher and told her that I’m changing my lesson for the next classes because I thought the activity was to hard for the kids.
As we were talking as the first hour filed out. One of the kids told some kids in next class, “We get to draw it was fun!”. Shock! I didn’t think any of them liked the activity. So I knew that I couldn’t just change it because they were expecting to do the same thing. I decided to leave the lesson as it was written. The next hour like I said was more alive/awake than the first so we had fun and they drew their cartoon and each group/student shared what they drew.
My favorite class that I have on “A” days has to be A3. They are very talkative but for some reason we get mad work done. Well at least today (Friday). The bellwork was the same for all three classes. When the students came in I had a picture of Nelson Mandela. I had the students write whatever words or phrases they thought of when they looked at the photo. In A3 several of the students wrote that it was Morgan Freeman. Three knew that the picture was of Nelson Mandela. After I let the students share what they thought about the photo. I told them that it was Nelson Mandela, then I gave them some information on Mr. Mandela.
Getting into my lecture about the Revolutionary War was really fun. These kids already know that I’m going to relate everything either to a T.V show, LeBron, Movie, or Book. When I was describing the Battle of Bunker Hill I told the students that whenever a fight is going on who(m)ever has the high ground has the advantage. I explained how the British were stupid marching up the hill and getting mowed down by the Patriot’s bullets. I referenced Star Wars Episode III and I told them that towards the end of the movie, Obi-Wann and Anakin are fighting and Obi Wann gets the high ground and tells Anakin to stop fighting because he has the high ground. Anakin doesn’t listen and flips into the air getting his legs cut off. Stupid! After I finished that example, one girl said: “Mr. Caruthers you’re a nerd!” I was like, “THANK YOU”. We all laughed. I also drew my own rendition of the battle and the class laughed when I drew the British getting “shot up.”
In that same period I was “Shocked and Awed” when one student was like, “Can we call Thomas Paine, T-Pain?!”. I swear I was hype! I was like, “That’s tight! I’m a use that from now on!” I then wrote on the board, “T-Pain wrote the love song “Common Sense” to get the American’s to break up with their mean boyfriend King George III/ Britain.” I also explained that “Common Sense” was really a 50 page pamphlet that urged the colonists to break away from Britain. I’m sure my students will remember the T-Pain analogy! So legit I can’t quit! (Sorry I had to)
As you can see I’m enjoying my student teaching! I’m getting nervous about going to the high school next month. We will have to see if it will be just as good or worse than what I’m enjoying now. Let’s keep our fingers crossed in prayer! I also apologize for not posting this blog until today. I have taken up another writing project. I’m trying to divide my time planning lessons, working, student teaching, blogging, writing on this project, and just being my awesome self. One of my writing comrades told me that if I don’t make time to write now, I won’t write when I do have the time. So, I’m placing both of my feet into the inviting “pool” of writing. Here goes, wish me luck.
As always, I must end with a quote from our many historical icons. Today’s quote comes from T-Pain better known as THOMAS PAINE, here goes: “An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.” That is deep and I like, I like. Haha.
It is easy for me to climb upon the same soapbox about how we all need something to stand for, but I honestly need to make sure I’m taking a hard look at myself. Being a man of principles is going to be important for me, a black man, stepping out into the real world this summer. I refuse to waste my life being “wishy washy.” Time to stop going with the wind, you know! Time to be a mountain of a man so to speak. So I encourage you, the reader to take up the same challenge. Figure out what you believe, and live by it. I will be 23 next month (That’s March 29th!). I’m a preacher’s kid so I have been in the church all my life. The things I have learned in my short life will become increasingly important as I work with young people. I’m (If I’m not already there) getting to the point where I can say to a teenager that I have been there before. Being a man is challenging enough because so many before me have made being a man or just manhood in general something in the liking of a myth. We as a people have work to do. Look at yourself before you look at other people! Join me, As I remove the “planks” from my eyes. Be warned that once my eyes are clear, I will take the responsibility for the people with “specks of dust” in their eyes. I’ll do it with the pen. What is your plan? Have a good night reader, keep on keeping on.