You've been waiting, haven't you?

So.. it's the end of February!

Where has the time gone?

Remember how the BYU Winter Semester rolls by SOOOO slowly?

I thought that it'd be like that here whilst teaching...

but not so!

(Which is a good thing- Spring Break is RIGHT around the corner!)

I digress...

THUS it's time for another "10 Ghetto Silly Teaching Moments"-

here we go.

10. 
I have some trouble makers in my class.
Everyone does.
One of them was recently switched out, and the other has been suspended for the last two months...
and I have praised the heavens.
Does that make me a bad person?
I'm not good at math but I do know this...
Suspended students = Happy Teacher

9.
We had three weeks of Tap.
Which was three weeks from Hades.
Imagine the sound that a tap shoe makes...
now imagine 30 students in said tap shoes...
none of whom know how to tap,
for 7 hours, everyday, for three weeks.
It was racket all day long.
I had so many headaches.
8.
On top of "Tap" headaches-
inevitably 20 pair of shoes would break... everyday.
I had gluing parties in my room on a daily basis.
Pretty sure the glue instructions were "not to use indoors due to toxic smells"...
but we did anyway.
And I can guarantee that I lost a few brain cells.
Which may or may not have helped the headaches.

7.
In life, it's about the little things that get you through the day.
Do you know what I look forward to everyday after 7th period?
Crossing another day off on my calendar-
signifying that I made it.
It's quite literally the highlight of my day.

6.
I think I had forgotten what Valentines Day was like in high school...
because I was in shock!
I've never seen so many monster-sized teddy bears in all my life!
And it didn't stop there-
there were flowers, chocolates, cupcakes, love notes, perfume and roses galore.
Insane.

5.
Talking with one of my students about "Chipotle" burritos...
Me: "I usually get the steak burrito..."
Student: "Well I usually get the beef burrito kuz I don't like steak."
Me: "Steak is beef."
Student: "Steak isn't beef! Steak is steak!"
Me: "It's beef.... like... it comes from a cow."
Student: "No way!"
Me: "And did you know that ham is pork?"
Student: "What?! Stop lying to me!"
This is the same student who didn't know that carrots and celery were a vegetable.
What are we teaching these kids in school?

4.
There is this girl in my 2nd period class who just cracks me up.
Everything she says is beyond ridiculous.
She came in late one day...
Me: "Where were you?"
Student: "Ah, Ms. B... they done had me up in the Principal's office because of something I said. I dunno why they hafta let up like that and make me tardy for class. You done know that I'm gonn be suspended now?"
Me: "Well what'd you say to the principal to make him mad?"
Student: "Just that I was gonn shoot his head off."
Yep... that would do it. I'd suspend you, too.
3.
My pen gets stolen EVERY day during 2nd period.
I take roll and set my pen down, next thing I know- it's gone.
There is one student who always sits on my table right next to my pen, and she always denies she takes it.
I'm going to set up cameras :)

2.
Sometimes I eat a snack between 3rd and 4th period because eating breakfast at 5:00 am will make you hungry by 10:00.
So I'm eating my string cheese and a student walks in early, looks at me and quickly turns away in disgust at the string cheese in my hand.
"You be eatin' that nasty string cheese?"
"Yep."
"Well don't talk to me kuz your breath gonn be stanky."
Thanks.
1.
You sick of me talking about Tap, yet?
Oh good... because this was one of my favorite moments.
"Today we are going to be learning how to do a cramp roll."
"A what? A TRAMP roll? Kuz I be good at those."
*sigh*
"CRAMP roll. With a 'C'!"
Really?

The Irony of Life

Today I felt like a counselor...

they don't pay me enough.

What do you say to someone who thinks she is pregnant, her boyfriend abuses her, she won't take a test in fear of her mom disowning her, her boyfriend wants her to abort the baby and she's only 16?

*Sigh*

I'm starting to realize more and more that I have NO idea what my students are going through.

AND

I'm starting to realize that my life has been pretty wonderful thus far.

I don't think it's any secret that Jon and I have been wanting to start a family for two years now-

but haven't been able to.

Sometimes I just have to laugh at the irony...

We can't have our own kids,

but yet I counsel young girls about their babies everyday.

A little too ironic.

Some Things I've Learned...

I've learned a lot so far in my long two month stint as a high school dance teacher...

1- I've learned that "mums" aren't an English lady's term for "mom"... But a gob of ribbons and bells worn for Homecoming. Weird.

2- I've learned that to "shuffle" is neither a tap nor a clogging step... But a dance craze brought upon by the song "Party Rock". Mrs. Brame is no good at said "shuffling".

3- I've learned that girls fight. I'm talking full on punching each other. This was a bit of a shocker.

4- I've learned that there's a big "Mexican vs. Black" fight at the end of every year. Can't wait.

5- I've learned some ebonics- like the words "trippin" and "sugar boo".

6- I've learned that we pledge allegiance everyday not only to the flag of the United States of America- but also the Texas flag. Well... I don't but the students do. 

7- I've learned that BYU taught me REALLY WELL how to teach white, Mormon kids.... 

But not other populations :)

8- I've learned to pick my own battles. In all my dance Ed classes they told me to use music they've never heard before so you wouldn't have the problem of them singing along or getting distracted, etc. ...Yeah right. My students wouldn't do anything if they didn't know the music. That's just how it is.

9- I've learned that students have no qualms about dropping the "f" bomb.

They get in trouble for it- don't worry.

10- I've learned that my first period class is awesome!

But unfortunately I think I owe it to the fact that it's 7:00 am and their bad attitudes haven't woken up yet :)

A Week of Shocks...

We made it.

We made it through our first week of school.

Normally this wouldn't merit such accomplishment- but this year it definitely does.

We both have new roles this year.... roles that require us to wake up at 5 in the a.m.

Jon is the early morning seminary teacher and I have a job teaching high school dance... 

and school starts at 7:00!

It's been quite the adjustment.

I've been kind of jealous that Jon gets to teach from the scriptures everyday... because my first week has been a little less than spiritual ;)

I thought I was used to Houston and it's diversity, but everything came as one big culture shock this week.

My school is 60% Hispanic, 30% African American and 10% white.

My kids speak in Ebonics or Spanish... and half the time I can't understand them.

I say "What?" a LOT.

If there is a white kid in my class- they're Emo and hate life.

Some of my kids are homeless...

A lot of my students already have kids... and if they don't have kids- they're pregnant.

I found a condom on the floor during one of my classes...

"What is this?!"

"Mrs. Brame, Mrs. Brame- it's for science class!"

"Riiiiiiight..."

"Well at least we're being safe!"

I never knew that Sex Education fell under my position as Dance Teacher.

Go figure.

But besides the shock- I couldn't be happier. 

We went to our high school football game on Friday...

and were in shock again.

Texas football is KIND of a big deal.

We loaded up on the bus with the Drill Team...

(P.S. the bus had no AC... but don't worry- it was only 107 degrees)

We had always heard that there is nothing like football in Texas-
and we are slowly learning why.
These people LIVE and BREATHE football.
This was an away game.
But no matter- we still brought the band, the cheerleaders and the drill team.
12 buses in all.
And we had our own police escort.

I helped with the drill team off and on throughout the night and the biggest shock of all came as I rounded the corner to bring the team over to the field...
They were praying.
It's good to know that the world isn't completely terrible.

And although we didn't win-
we sure enjoyed being among the great hordes of Texas football lovin' fans.