This week I had to give my class a reading and spelling age test.
The reading test involves 86 sentences, each with a word missing and 5 possible alternatives.
Now this starts very easy and gets progressively more difficult.
For example:
Question 1: She could _______ him with the computer.
Make help jump water ship.
Question 85: Fortunately, her regular _________, which were an essential part of the covert operation, had not been detected.
assignations, adieus, infatuations, coagulations, mastications
N.B. This is a test for 9-10 year olds!!
Anyway, I decided to use the commute home to complete some marking, and one or two ‘wrong’ guesses from some of my pupils made me laugh out loud.
A few examples of the combination of childhood ignorance and innocence and slightly unfortunate guesswork: (I have included correct answers in brackets).
In a park, children play on sweets (swings)
When you stand in the sunshine, you can often see your oblong on the ground. (Shadow).
We sometimes dream when we are away. […with the fairies…???] (asleep)
They spilt the milk and had to wipe the roof. (floor)
The hottest season of the year is holiday! (Summer)
The drum is one of the oldest mathematical instruments. (musical)
The farmer destroyed her fields into 8 equal parts. (divided).
A clarinet is a musical experiment. (instrument)
Switzerland is a momentous country. (Mountainous).
The boy observed his opposition in the shop window. (Reflection).
Dolphins are said to be inescapable creatures. (intelligent).
There were plans for the assassination of the children of London at the outbreak of war. (evacuation)
The rebels wanted to overthrow the government by starting a redemption. (revolution).
The doctor made a correct ambulance. (diagnosis).
The elephants regularly renovated themselves with water (doused).
It was common before Victorian times for drinking water to be purified by domestic waste and industrial effluence. (contaminated).
Friday, 9 January 2009
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
Christmas Haikus and other nonsense.
In planning my new term, I have decided in the first week to get my class to write Haikus based on their Christmas holidays. A Haiku is a 3 line poem containing 17 syllables. The line/syllable distribution is a rather wonderfully palendromic 5/7/5. Here is an example I wrote exactly a week ago, on Christmas Eve:
Christmas Eve is here
Tomorrow we open gifts
I simply can't wait.
And here is a Haiku which explores more of the true meaning of this marvellous festival we have just enjoyed:
Jesus came to Earth
Laid in a humble manger
Died to save the world.
My blogging slow down has been due to two main factors:
1) Mountains of planning and preparation for the new term which is at present, 5 days away... yikes!
2) A Nintendo DS which Santa kindly left 'neath the tree for me. I have been training my brain, blowing up rival worms and playing lots of little card and board games against Mr 'CPU' whoever that is? Charles Patrick Utworthy? Cecil Peter Ullington?
Happy New Year to all, see you in 2009!
Christmas Eve is here
Tomorrow we open gifts
I simply can't wait.
And here is a Haiku which explores more of the true meaning of this marvellous festival we have just enjoyed:
Jesus came to Earth
Laid in a humble manger
Died to save the world.
My blogging slow down has been due to two main factors:
1) Mountains of planning and preparation for the new term which is at present, 5 days away... yikes!
2) A Nintendo DS which Santa kindly left 'neath the tree for me. I have been training my brain, blowing up rival worms and playing lots of little card and board games against Mr 'CPU' whoever that is? Charles Patrick Utworthy? Cecil Peter Ullington?
Happy New Year to all, see you in 2009!
Monday, 22 December 2008
Homeschooling - an interesting debate
Through aimlessly wandering on facebook as a way of avoiding the tedium of medium term lesson planning, I came across this link. I have transcribed it below.
I can't tell if it is serious or a joke, the reasons seem to be a mix.
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=23
It is an interesting debate, with many friends and families in my church opting to do this. I think my ultimate 'stand' on the subject is that if you choose to do it, that's ok, but don't preach it to others or put others under pressure to do the same.+ Ultimately, I think school is the better option (but as a teacher I recognise that impartiality is not something I can claim).
Anyway, enjoy...
(2002-08-26) — In an effort to increase the public drumbeat for criminalizing homeschooling, California Deputy Superintendent Joanne Mendoza has distributed a memo containing the top 10 reasons why public* schooling is better than homeschooling.
Here is an excerpt from that memo:Why Public* Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling
Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children.
Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic.
How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?
Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process.
Children in public* schools can get more practice “Just Saying No” to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.
Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits.
Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society.
The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate.
Public* schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of “Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg…”
Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills, like how to sit still for six hours straight.
* For English readers: This article is American. Public School means the same as 'state' school in England. For once, the American definition makes more sense. In England 'Public School' is the same as 'Private School'. What is that about?
+ For those who feel this blog post promotes school education in a way in which I previously said that homeschoolers shouldn't, I apologise.
I can't tell if it is serious or a joke, the reasons seem to be a mix.
http://www.scrappleface.com/?p=23
It is an interesting debate, with many friends and families in my church opting to do this. I think my ultimate 'stand' on the subject is that if you choose to do it, that's ok, but don't preach it to others or put others under pressure to do the same.+ Ultimately, I think school is the better option (but as a teacher I recognise that impartiality is not something I can claim).
Anyway, enjoy...
(2002-08-26) — In an effort to increase the public drumbeat for criminalizing homeschooling, California Deputy Superintendent Joanne Mendoza has distributed a memo containing the top 10 reasons why public* schooling is better than homeschooling.
Here is an excerpt from that memo:Why Public* Schooling Is Better Than Homeschooling
Most parents were educated in the underfunded public school system, and so are not smart enough to homeschool their own children.
Children who receive one-on-one homeschooling will learn more than others, giving them an unfair advantage in the marketplace. This is undemocratic.
How can children learn to defend themselves unless they have to fight off bullies on a daily basis?
Ridicule from other children is important to the socialization process.
Children in public* schools can get more practice “Just Saying No” to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.
Fluorescent lighting may have significant health benefits.
Publicly asking permission to go to the bathroom teaches young people their place in society.
The fashion industry depends upon the peer pressure that only public schools can generate.
Public* schools foster cultural literacy, passing on important traditions like the singing of “Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg…”
Homeschooled children may not learn important office career skills, like how to sit still for six hours straight.
* For English readers: This article is American. Public School means the same as 'state' school in England. For once, the American definition makes more sense. In England 'Public School' is the same as 'Private School'. What is that about?
+ For those who feel this blog post promotes school education in a way in which I previously said that homeschoolers shouldn't, I apologise.
Friday, 19 December 2008
..by the skin of my knuckles (aka yet another rant about public transport)
It was the duck's fault.
More specifically, a red duck made of thin bauble-like glass which had decided to break free from it's sellotape shackles below the picture frame.
In my actions of clearing up the broken glass to prevent unaware toes from unexpected pain, I made myself a little later for leaving than I would have liked, but still to stand across the road and see a 49 minutes past sail away at 47 minutes past was annoying.
More annoying, however, was the almost 25 minute wait at the nearby bus stop for a different bus, missing 2 buses out (and then of course 3 came at once oh yes). So it was 6.12. My train to Eastbourne (to get to a dinner with new employment on time) was at 6.32. How was I going to do this?
Much muttering and moaning under my breath later (at people's dithering when getting on and off), the bus did manage to get to st Peter's Church by 6.25 somehow.
I ran up Trafalgar Street, not caring what I looked like, and arrived at the station at 6.27 (either I ran darn quick or our timepieces are not entirely aligned).
For complicated and boring financial reasons, I could not pay by card. I only had a £20 note to buy a ticket with. Those waiting for an amusing description of a £20 note being inserted 48 different ways without success, will be disappointed as it accepted it first time, but it did have no excuse, however, for giving me £12.10 change in 12 x £1 and 1 x 10p coins. Still rushing madly, desperate to catch the train, while retrieving all of my change, I scraped my hand several times on the flappy thing on the change/ticket collection point. As I burst through the barrier and reached my train, I noticed a thin trickle of blood working its way down the back of my right hand.
Still puffing and panting, I fell onto the train, a mess of quite literally blood, sweat and tears.
More specifically, a red duck made of thin bauble-like glass which had decided to break free from it's sellotape shackles below the picture frame.
In my actions of clearing up the broken glass to prevent unaware toes from unexpected pain, I made myself a little later for leaving than I would have liked, but still to stand across the road and see a 49 minutes past sail away at 47 minutes past was annoying.
More annoying, however, was the almost 25 minute wait at the nearby bus stop for a different bus, missing 2 buses out (and then of course 3 came at once oh yes). So it was 6.12. My train to Eastbourne (to get to a dinner with new employment on time) was at 6.32. How was I going to do this?
Much muttering and moaning under my breath later (at people's dithering when getting on and off), the bus did manage to get to st Peter's Church by 6.25 somehow.
I ran up Trafalgar Street, not caring what I looked like, and arrived at the station at 6.27 (either I ran darn quick or our timepieces are not entirely aligned).
For complicated and boring financial reasons, I could not pay by card. I only had a £20 note to buy a ticket with. Those waiting for an amusing description of a £20 note being inserted 48 different ways without success, will be disappointed as it accepted it first time, but it did have no excuse, however, for giving me £12.10 change in 12 x £1 and 1 x 10p coins. Still rushing madly, desperate to catch the train, while retrieving all of my change, I scraped my hand several times on the flappy thing on the change/ticket collection point. As I burst through the barrier and reached my train, I noticed a thin trickle of blood working its way down the back of my right hand.
Still puffing and panting, I fell onto the train, a mess of quite literally blood, sweat and tears.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Scolar ha ha ha ri!
Metro's back page was simply hilarious today: Big Phil talking about suffering from Kidney Stones:
"I am in a lot of pain". Scolari said. "They say it is more pain than when you have a baby but I don't know as I have not had one. It is not possible."
Bet that was devastating news; finding out he couldn't have a baby...
"I am in a lot of pain". Scolari said. "They say it is more pain than when you have a baby but I don't know as I have not had one. It is not possible."
Bet that was devastating news; finding out he couldn't have a baby...
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Perspective...
3 status updates that greeted me on Facebook this morning. Made me think about the different ways people approach Saturday mornings. I have starred out the first two names for privacy reasons.
***** ****** not sure 3 days is long enough to get over a hangover1.5 seconds ago
- Comment
***** ******** is feeling sick, has a horrible headache and is meh.about a minute ago
- Comment
Write a comment...
Tom Blanckensee has been made righteous by the Holy God who alone is righteous.4 minutes ago
***** ****** not sure 3 days is long enough to get over a hangover1.5 seconds ago
- Comment
***** ******** is feeling sick, has a horrible headache and is meh.about a minute ago
- Comment
Write a comment...
Tom Blanckensee has been made righteous by the Holy God who alone is righteous.4 minutes ago
Friday, 12 December 2008
Yet another farewell...
I finished work at Olivet today, and it was very emotional as I said goodbye to students, some of whom I have been teaching for the past 11 weeks. Although I have an exciting (and scary) new job, I will miss this time. This Autumn has been a brilliant time.
As part of the afternoon Christmas Party, students of different nationalities shared with everyone how to say 'Merry Christmas' in their language.
German - Frohe Weihnachten!
French - Joyeux Noel!
Italian - Natale allegro!
and my personal favourite...
Japanese - Melly Chlistmas!
As part of the afternoon Christmas Party, students of different nationalities shared with everyone how to say 'Merry Christmas' in their language.
German - Frohe Weihnachten!
French - Joyeux Noel!
Italian - Natale allegro!
and my personal favourite...
Japanese - Melly Chlistmas!
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