Mr. Ed told me the children had been in "kneecaps" all day. Putting two and two together, I figured out this was the standardized testing required by the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Ed looked like he was bracing himself. Spock told me to wait and see what happens.
The 6th grade students began to enter the classroom at 1:00. They were rambunctious, and there was a brief confrontation between Mr. Ed and Alan, who nearly pushed Bob over a chair. Mr. Ed took attendance, and there was a brief discussion about bathroom usage. The children eat their lunch and drink their juice around 12:00, and are ready to use the bathroom around a half hour to an hour later. Mrs. Poppins, the teacher from the period before, does not allow the children to use the bathroom. Mr. Ed only allows them out one or two at a time, and it disrupts the activities he is trying to start the class with. He said he would have a conversation with Mrs. Poppins about the issue.
Mr. Ed tried to start his activities, but the children kept shouting out at him and asking to go to the bathroom. Cathy was standing at the edge of one of the tables, drawing. It took a while, but eventually the students were paying attention and focused on the activities. When Mr. Ed asked them to stand on the risers so they could practice music for an upcoming concert, all hell broke loose. The students were in constant motion, up and down on the risers, talking, pushing, and hitting each other. Some of the students would not sing. Cathy wandered off the riser and started drawing again. In the center of the group, Alan, Bob, Doug and Eddie were particularly badly behaved, creating an almost constant disturbance. Towards the end of the class, Spock went up onto the risers and stood in the middle of the boys while they were singing the National Anthem. The effect was remarkable. The boys started paying attention and behaving themselves.
Note to self.
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