It is interesting the reaction that I get when I tell people what I do for a living. It usually goes something like this. . .
"So what do you do for a living?"
"I teach 8th grade science."
Awkward pause. . .
"Wow, (pause) and do you enjoy that?
"I do actually I love 8th graders they are so stupid that they will believe anything I tell them."
Usually this comment is followed by them just staring at me like they need a further explanation to understand why I have not been locked away in a loony bin. I also get the reaction where I think people would like to run screaming for fear that I may have something that they might catch.
When I speak to educators and they hear that I teach 8th grade all the time and that I plan on doing that for a while I get the response that they believe I am a saint. There is a saying that if you have taught 8th grade you have already gone through hell and when you die you will end up going straight to heaven.
Honestly it makes sense why there is a great fear of 8th graders. Teachers are terrified of them because they are completely unpredictable in the class room. There is no common sense to their thinking. Parents are terrified of them because it is as if their cute innocent child has suddenly had their brain stolen by the boogie man and they have become some type of monster. Honestly there is a reason for these students insanity and it involves the development of their brain. Students at this point in their development have an issue where their brains are trying to become adult brains. This involves the pathways in the frontal lobe of our 13 & 14 year old's brains are dissolving and reforming new pathways to create an adult brain. Because of the dissolving of the old pathways and the lack of new ones common sense is completely lacking. It is amazing the things that 8th graders will do without thinking.
This blog will be a place where I can record the amazing bits of wisdom that students bring as well as the things I learn from Parental interactions. I will also record the hilarious things that I observe in my wonderful line of work.
