Wu Tang bringing the ruckus to 6/7th period

One of the things in the new school year that is really leaving me bemused is the different personalities my 9th grade classes are taking on. I teach four of them, and 1st, 2nd, and 10th periods are all the same so far: quiet, to the point of nearly having to pull teeth to get them to raise their hands. However, period 6/7 is a completely different story: the kids are chatty and the class is loud. I even had to threaten detention on Friday, a day I really didn't want to host detention after school. I haven't treated this class any differently than the others. My standards are strict and consistent. Yet, this class has been pushing my limits all week. Strange.

It probably has a lot to do with the young man who said his name was "Wu Tang" during Summer Bridge. He's brimming with personality and humor and he's always talking (often to himself). I like him a lot, and I can tell that he's testing me every moment of every class period. He will do or say something and look to me for approval or disapproval. Unfortunately for me, he makes me laugh sometimes, so occasionally I fail the test. I think he wants to do well, though, and I'll use his earnestness to my advantage throughout the school year. He also wants to play baseball in the spring, so that should help as well.

Wu Tang is not the only reason the class' personality is totally different than the others. There's also the kid up front who alternates between sleeping and chatting incessantly with the girl next to him. And the bouncy little girl who asked to change seats on the first day because she couldn't see the board, but now I think it was so she could sit next to her friends. Lots of personalities. And just at the perfect time for the blood sugar from lunch to start kicking in. I'll either crash and burn with this class or be envigorated by their energy every day. Probably a little of both.