Testing, testing.

Today I'm subbing at the high school again, and I'm giving a test. An open-book, matching, vocabulary test. And yet, the groans of protest never cease. The whispering of answers and double-checking of neighbors persists despite my desperate pleas for silence and dangerous threats of zeroes: "If you're talking, you're cheating."

Just now, for instance, I had to look up from my blog respite to tell one of my iPod-clad students to stop talking. "Oh, I wasn't talking, I was singing something to him. You want me to sing it to you?"

Oh, just singing? Then, sure, go ahead. As long as you're not doing anything disruptive and totally opposite of what I've asked you to do multiple times. Sing away, my Grammy-bound friend.

No, dear, I do not want you to sing your song to me. I want you to be quiet. And do your work. And just nod in submissive acknowledgement when I reprimand you. Honestly, it's OPEN BOOK and it's MATCHING-- if this is hard for YOU then don't trust your classmates' answers either, for goodness sake. Really, the only way I could make this easier for you is to write the answers on the board.

And no, before you ask, I will not do that.

Ugh. Kids these days.