Benign!

My doctor's appointment went well today... the mole is not cancerous... at least according to the doctor... she did not hack it off as I had hoped.. I wanted that instant fix.. but she did 'freeze' it... and it will...fall off...

Now that I have grossed you out... I can say that I am very relieved... VERY relieved... and am thankful for the people who 'get it'... who understand why I was worried... Thank you.

One of those people is my friend Debbie... who is fighting cancer, currently kicking its ass, as she would tell you.  I was very touched that she reached out to me.  I am lucky.

On another note... the full moon is making its presence known... via crazy kid behaviors... oh my!  One of my students... is one of my favorite kind of kids... one with Aspergers... Love that kind of kid... He hates homework.  No matter how easy or how few problems.  He hates it.  I don't assign a lot of homework... the kids I work with struggle and often when left to their own devices do the math differently than I have shown them  and end up making errors ... and in that process learn some bad habits that are later hard to break... so... I only assign homework that I know the kids can do and that they can do in a short amount of time.  In my last period class today... this group of kids  have never learned to do long division.  So... we are working on it.  I circulated as kids were working on one problem at a time and even though I had given them many warnings, kids who I had already chatted with became obnoxious.  I had no intention of giving them homework tonight.. none.. but... I told them that their behavior kept us from getting further in our lesson and that they needed to do some homework... practicing math facts.. which they do need to do to be better at division... well.. my student in that group who hates homework so badly... was upset, begging for another chance.  He said he only participated in the misbehavior for a few moments and that he needed another chance... I told him that as a whole, the class needed to respond to my prompts and that they had run out of chances.  He tried to interrupt me and I told him that if he began to complain about the homework, that he would get double. (I have told him on several occasions that negotiating with me does not work... that I am fair when it comes to homework and that kids who argue with me or negotiate with me get more work instead of less.)  He was upset ... and after I had given directions for the homework... the easy homework... I asked if anyone had any questions and he raised his hand.  I said, as I called on him. "I will answer you if you have a question about the homework directions, but if you are going to complain or try to negotiate you will have double the work. So, if you still want to ask your question, you may."  He looked at me and paused... and asked... "But... but don't you think we could just do half of the homework?"  So... I told him instead of doing half, he would now be doing double.

Well... That set him off... tears, begging... etc... I told him that he could absolutely be upset and frustrated, but that he needs to be able to realize that I mean what I say, I do not negotiate when it comes to homework.  I know it sounds harsh, but it isn't.  The work is something he will fly through... the lesson for him tonight is not multiplication, but respect, boundaries, and rules.  I love that he is, as typical kids his age do, wanting to rebel and stand up for himself... and I know that this will help him in the long run.  But... it is grueling... tomorrow I will process it with him... perhaps using a comic strip... I have found that kids with his profile do better if they can see a situation and figure out where things went wrong....

I also... am on a bit of a kick about hating laptops... for kids... in school... In Maine every kid in grades 6-12 have laptops... the laptops go home with them and they carry them throughout their day... there are huge advantages... and is a great way to help kids with disabilities access education in various ways... But... at what expense?  Kids are losing social skills...kids are addicted to the computer... I had a kid today threaten to hit me because I threatened to take his laptop away for the night... it was not a direct threat or else I would have acted upon it.. but he was feeling out what the ramifications would be.  He questioned my authority in having the right to take his laptop away and I told him that it was not his laptop, that it is the state's laptop, and if it is preventing him from learning instead of helping him access his education, I could and will take it away.

Crazy day.. crazy crazy day!

I blame the almost full moon.