Takin' Care of Business

So, my 7th graders are working with a partner to create a business. After Shermera and Montel had worked very hard on their business sign, they showed me....

The S&M Spot.

ummmm. So innocent! So cute!


P.S. This Shermera is not to be confused with Shamira, who is also in her class, or Shameera who is in my 4th period.

The Name Game

It was only a matter of time until I wrote this list.

Shabrivia
RonniAndre
Flavour
Kesia
deasia
Shavontae
Davontae
Damonte
Keonte
Deonte
Sagheerah (pronounced Sa-hara)
Nautica
Unique
Uneek
Uneeque
Breonna
Briana
Brionna
Bryona
Zie'Kia
Shacoreya
Karisma
Diva
Deeva
Queen
Queenette
Sumayyah
Sybrionna
Shamonique (I have two of them)

Oh, get excited. That's only a partial list.

If I'm Not Okay With It, Then You're Not Okay With It.

So, the vice principal that got beat up? Yeah, he definitely came to school today acting like it wasn't a big deal. The student got suspended for TWO DAYS. TWO. Apparently, "she has a lot going on at home." WHAT? So, when I smack a kid across the face, its okay as long as I have a lot going on at home? (This is a recurring theme, btw.)

When myself and other teachers called vice principal out about the fact that he is not doing more to follow up, he told us it was his decision and something that only affected him.

Um, I beg to differ.

This girl isn't even one of the "crazy" ones. Apparently, she just all of a sudden snapped. But what message does this send to the students who will be fully aware that they are attacking you, and are totally fine with it? "Oh, that's cool. Just go hang out at home (where something so bad is happening that you think its okay to hit grown men) for a few days. Happy Thanksgiving!"

The thing about it is though, is that this man is one of the few people in the building that these kids would even dare to touch. 90% of the teachers (including myself) approach it with this attitude: "Go ahead and try to touch me. I will lay your ass out." This is vice principal's approach: "Hey! wait! don't hit! ow! That is not something you should be doing! Think about your actions!" (Which is a good thing to say when they are calm enough to understand what you are saying, not when they are kicking you) And all the kids HATE him. And all the kids LOVE us. Hmmmm....

He also told us that she can't be expelled because of "No Child Left Behind." Apparently he thinks that we are not aware of ANY OTHER SCHOOLS IN AMERICA.

Fight.

Yep, there was a fight today.
How was this different than any other day, you say?
Oh, that's because it was a GIRL beating up the VICE PRINCIPAL.

That's right. According to the teachers that broke it up, VP was on the floor covering his face and this girl was kicking him and punching him.

What the hell?

There's so many negative things I could say about this situation, but most of them are about the vice principal himself and not the insane little girl. And, sorry for the pun, but I don't really think I should kick a man while he's down.

Anger (Mis)Management

Today during 2nd period, one of the vice principals stopped me in the hallway. We're having an assembly last period for the 7th graders about anger management. Take the girls to the 2nd floor and the boys to the 3rd. That's all he says.

Last period, I walk my girls to their place and walk the boys to theirs. I spend the next 30 minutes getting random boys out of the hallway and into the room they're supposed to be in. I finally get down to the girls session. The vice principal has handed out a "quiz" of 5 questions asking questions like, "what would you do if someone hit you?" The obvious response here is punch them in the mouth and insult their mother.

Oh, wait, no its not.

However, that is the obvious response of every single girl in the "assembly." Vice Principal tells them to complete the "quiz." About 10 minutes later (and three times of the principal standing at the doorway screaming, YOU ARE TOO LOUD! SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!") I look up to see the VP gone. We are left with these girls for about half an hour with no direction whatsoever.

I understand the purpose of these assemblies, but how about give me a few days notice? or how about have someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY"RE TALKING ABOUT! or how about not expecting 100+ girls to sit in a room and have an intimate discussion on their feelings.

This is one of the days when I'm not sure I can do this.

First, it was this:

http://wjz.com/local/antonio.brown.belinda.2.565934.html

This baby, little Tony, comes to visit me almost every single day. The 13 year old mentioned in the article is one of my students from last year. I would play with baby Tony every time his grandmother came up to the school. This year, she would always bring him by my room, even though I don't teach her son anymore. He always puts his head on my shoulder, pats my back and tells me everything will be okay. I have no idea what is going to happen to him.

Then, Joe was transferred out of our school. He's been acting weird for a few weeks but he wouldn't tell anybody what's going on. Well, the vice principal told me today that there was a "recurrence" of the molestation, and his mother took him out of our school. I didn't get to say goodbye. I have no idea what is going to happen to him.

I saw a kid on the street today, a student that I taught my first year. He dropped out of high school a few weeks ago. This is the school that he went to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9Yx7HDXCxM

It breaks my heart, but I can't say that I blame him.

Tavon. I know that 3 years ago, his older brother was shot in the head and dumped in the chesapeake bay. His mother is a crack addict and his father just got out of jail (and is trying to get himself together.) I asked him today if anybody had ever told him that he's wonderful and he shrugged his shoulders and started to cry.

THEY DON'T DESERVE THIS LIFE.

Nightmare

Well. Friday morning during announcements, principal said that all teachers needed to come to a "quick 10-minute informational meeting" after school. I had no idea what it was about, so I didn't think anything of it.
After school we all crowded in to basically get our heads blown off. She spent 20 minutes yelling at us and saying that she has been a principal for 9 years and never had a school this bad, and she's not going to start now. She screamed and blamed us for the horrible state that is our school.
I don't know if I've mentioned before, but on the first floor of the building (where I teach) its like a normal school. Every now and then something crazy, but mostly pretty calm. The 2nd and 3rd floors get progressively worse, with the third floor being total chaos. Basically there is a bunch of new teachers, a bunch of foreign teachers that aren't loud and have no classroom management, and a few veteran teachers that just don't give a shit.
So, here's the new plan. Instead of helping the new/struggling teachers, they are just taking away their classes. The 2nd floor teachers and the other side of my floor are doubling their class sizes. In November. These classes now have upwards of 40! kids in a class. We literally do not have that many desks or enough room. We have to spend Monday morning procuring desks and chairs. These children that are coming from upstairs have been running up and down the building for 3 months screaming and setting fire alarms. We're supposedly giving them a sheet of paper with their new schedule and trusting them to find their way to the new class and wait patiently while someone finds a desk for them? Give me a break.
How this affects me is this: As the IB teacher, my 7th grade classes already had 35 students (but they are well-behaved) so we aren't getting any more of them. However, my 6th grade classes are very small (and wonderful). But so everyone doesn't murder us, we are combining our two sixth grade classes and taking on some kids from the other side.
This situation pisses me off for a number of reasons:
1. These good kids downstairs are going to get SCREWED. they did nothing to deserve having to sit in a classroom with somebody who throws books at the teacher. They will learn nothing.
2. Any teacher who is any good at their job is getting SCREWED. These teachers that couldn't control the 3rd floor are now being regulated to assistants and hall monitors, but they still get paid the same as I do. I'm not saying that as you get better you should get easier students. I'm saying fine, send me upstairs to where the insanity is, and I'll fix it. Don't put them down here with the students who actually care.
3. The administration KNEW this was a time bomb. But they scheduled the "quick" meeting on a Friday after school. This is supposed to go into effect on MONDAY.
4. Whenever someone in the meeting brought up something negative about this idea (there is absolutely not enough room for 40 students in ANYBODY'S classroom.) The administration turned into defensive children and said that if we didn't like it, then we should come up with a better solution. No, that's YOUR job.
5. It's frigging November. I get screamed at all the time about student achievement and lesson plans and planning ahead and blah blah blah. I'm getting an entire new CLASS. They will no longer have any of the teachers they've had since the beginning of the year. I have no idea what they've been learning, where their skills are.

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Trippin'

I had to call a PARENT today to inform them that when we go on our trip to the Japanese Embassy in DC next week, WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO JAPAN. (She doesn't want her daughter out of the country!)

You Know You Teach In BCPSS When....

1. You refer to your school by number, not name
2 A teacher quits every month, like clockwork
3. You get a snow day because there is a chance it may snow
4. Other teachers steal supplies from your room
5. You (or another teacher at your schools has) had your tires slashed while at work...probably by an angry student
6. You've passed a student just because he/she showed up to school everyday
7. None of the copiers in the whole school work (except the one in the principal’s office-which no one else can use.)
8. You and your students have to step over food and condiments when leaving the cafeteria.
9. Most of your children are more educated than their parents
10. Your kids still use their fingers to add
11. Your kids don’t know their multiplication tables (even in their teens).
12. You only have air conditioning when its below 50 outside
13. The heat in your classroom only works when outdoor temperatures exceed 75 degrees
14. You've had to break up a fight involving children that are twice your size
15. If half of your students show up for class - its a good day
16. Your school has never met benchmark on a state exam
17. A child cusses you out in class and it doesn’t even phase you (or warrant much of a punishment.)
18. Almost all of your students read well below their grade level.
19. Almost every student on roll has been in jail at some point
20. You have to give a kid a 60 on their report card even if they did nothing all quarter
21. The sound of a fire alarm means nothing to you.
22. The word "dog" rhymes with "mug"
23. A chicken box is an acceptable "bring-to-class" breakfast
24. Most of your students don't live with their parents.
25. When you go to call parents, none of the 10 or so numbers you have still work.
26. There are more long term substitutes in the school than certified teachers.

This isn't even my list, which I think makes it all the funnier.

Cursive Shmursive

For our economics unit, we're learning how to write checks and balance checkbooks. I found out that one of my SEVENTH GRADERS never learned how to write in cursive. He can't sign his name! Where were his teachers? WHERE ARE HIS PARENTS?

I'll Mace You Good, Boy!

At 2:20, principal came over the intercom, "Teachers assess the smell in the hallway and close your doors." (What the hell does that mean?!)
At 2:23, principal came over the intercom, "Officer Johnson, please report to the office. Teachers keep your doors closed."
At 2:26, principal came over the intercom, "Teachers act as though this is a fire drill. Escort your students out for the end of the day, students will not go to their lockers."
Students are yelling, "I have to get my stuff!" Principal is yelling, "GO OUTSIDE!"
All the students are outside, all the teachers are standing around because we have no idea what is going on.
The principal comes out of her office and starts yelling at us because we are "congregating" and not helping. Helping do what? We have absolutely no clue what is happening.

Finally I just got my stuff and left at 3pm. There was a line of about 50 kids to go back in and get backpacks. They were letting 3 kids in at a time. We had, by this time, found out the police officer maced somebody. Mace won't kill you. Why couldn't the kids just run in and get their stuff? LAST TIME there was mace, we didn't even get to go outside. Why was this time different?

I Hate The Educational System

Today I had to spend my planning period for "professional development."
We had to go into a room for the entire period and listen to someone talk to us about co-teaching with a special educator. (If you teach students with IEP's, there should be a special educator come into the room a few times a week to assist with their learning needs.)
1. We teach the advanced students. I have one IEP within all of m 95 kids, and his is a speech and learning problem, which means I don't do any modifications for his work.
2. Even if I did teach IEP kids, special educators only go into the math and language arts classroom, so it still would have been a waste of time.
3. They passed out 15-20 worthless sheets of paper to EVERY teacher in the building. Yet, our copiers don't work, and we don't have enough paper.

But you know, that's not even my point.
They informed us that the special educators should be co-teaching with the regular educator, so that all the students feel as though this special educator is part of the classroom. They don't think that this teacher coming in and just assisting the special ed kids is teaching, its "tutoring," which is not okay. So regular educators and special educators need to plan together to get it all worked out. Why?
If its your classroom, its YOUR classroom. ANYBODY who comes in once a week is not going to be "a part" of the classroom. And if they wanted to teach entire classes of regular ed kids, they wouldn't be special educators! And why should you alter the flow of your classroom?
They want you to plan with the other teachers on your team, plan with the other teachers in your subject area, plan with the special educator, but yet they don't respect you enough to let you create your own lessons, they basically tell you what you have to teach.