A follow up to my last post.

I'm packing up to leave when I remembered something else that the student from the last post said. Not long after his first comment he wandered over to check out another group's dissection and made the comment.

"Man, your pig's heart is so gangsta'"

I couldn't help myself.

"First of all, that made absolutely no sense. Secondly, your comment earlier about the brain digesting knowledge was a great one, so great that I wrote it down. However, this comment pretty much negated the first one."

"You wrote it down? Wow, sir! Awesome!"

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to little puppies.

An uncharacteristic moment of intelligence.

This exchange took place between myself and one of my weaker students (who is currently failing but is loving the pig dissection).

"Sir, the brain looks like a bunch of intestines."

"Well, yeah I guess it does. There are a lot of folds in it which give the appearance of looped coils."


"Yeah! The brain totally digests knowledge."

"Uhhh...yeah. That's actually a good point. Well put!"

Oh and pig names! This time around I have a smaller class and there were only five pigs dissected (four of which were named): Freddie, Eddie, Sue Fetal and Jose.

Turn of phrase?

One of my fourth period students told another student that he had a "fresh dougie". I have never heard this phrase before. So I asked her. Answer? A nice haircut. What?! I thought it sounded more like something you said if you had to take a poop.

'Excuse me, I'm going to go take a fresh dougie.'

I told my class this and they agree.

Follow up: The next day one of my stronger students told me that he using the phrase the way I thought it should be used. This made my day. Is that sad??

Digestive Confusion?

Next week is fetal pig dissection week. Exciting! This is about the time when some of my regularly non-attending students begin showing up sporadically. They are putting in their time so they can do the pig dissection. Guess what kiddies? You’re getting the virtual dissection. I’m not wasting a pig on you. They are going to be so pissed off on Monday. I’m not going to lie; I’m looking forward to calling them on their laziness. (As I’m typing this one of them just waltzed in; 30 minutes late!)


Today I showed a video on the human digestive system to wrap up the unit before we begin the dissection. It is fairly graphic, showing all aspects of digestion (except egestion). One scene shows chime (partially digested food) flowing through the first section of the small intestine. One of my infrequent attenders took time out from texting her friends to remark:

“Ugh…that looks like puke.”

“Well that’s because it is. That’s partially digested food…that’s what you puke.”

“Oh…uh…yeah I guess so.”

Back!

If you haven't read this post and this post, you have been missing out! Read them now.

A couple of my grade 11s were talking about a kid in school who was trying to convince them that 2012 was going to happen. That we will be hit by meteors, etc. I asked them who the kid was and, lo and behold, it's my former student. Oh happy days! I asked them if they had any more tales from him. They repeated a few I already knew (and posted) but here are a couple more that they SWEAR he said. I totally believe them.

- Him and his dad lifted a car engine, by hand, and put it back into said car.

- His dad once benched 1 000 pounds.

I miss teaching this kid! What a weirdo.

An Honest Mistake

I asked one of my grade 10s to write on the big calendar that we have an optics test next Thursday.

She wrote: Optits Test.

The 13 year old boy within me laughed a bit.

Their purrs help with the fingerprintin'

From one of my colleagues:

Situation: A grade 12 Biology class

Scenario: A paper mock-up of the process of DNA fingerprinting (specifically, a paternity case). Students need to cut up DNA sequences at a restriction enzyme sequence and use a 'probe' to identify matching coding sequences.


The coding sequence: CAT

The probe: GTA (obviously ;) )

Overheard:

Partners at one desk:

"Got all the CATs highlighted?"
"yeah"
"ok, go through them now and add the GTAs"

kid at neighbouring desk:

"I really don't get what this has to do with cats"