Since I am at a "turnaround" school and since no one cares about Social Studies, I have to spend the whole first quarter on what amounts to character lessons. I liked them at first, but now they are getting on my nerves. I want to teach social studies!
Anyway, yesterday the lesson was called, "What is Conflict?"
Me: How do you deal when you have a conflict?....Dayshea?
Dayshea: I usually try to ignore whoever is bothering me...
Kaliniya: No, you don't.
Dayshea: BITCH I DO TOO YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP BITCH. I SWEAR TO GOD
Kaliniya: Exactly.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Well, Yes. But I Assume You Frown On Beatings.
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Last Friday was a half day. The students were dismissed at 11:15. Another teacher and I went out to get some lunch. Apparently there was some confusion about dismissal and kids left at all different times. When we returned, we were walking up the stairs and 3 students of ours were walking down. "Somebody tore down everybody's bulletin boards! The whole floor is a mess!" The girls said. The other teacher tried to ask them who did it. "Some 7th grade boys..."
I was immediately suspicious, because the girls telling us this are no angels. So, while the other teacher was still trying to talk to them, I said, "it doesn't matter...we'll just watch it on the security cameras." Guess what happened? The girls immediately ran away.
We go and watch the security tapes. Yep, it was those girls. Not only did they rip down 8 bulletin boards, but the artwork of students was taken down INDIVIDUALLY and ripped in half.
After viewing the tapes, we go back upstairs. The assistant principal sees the mess and says, "Oh my gosh, you guys. This is so sad. Have you thought of any punishments for them?"
Nobody Was Apathetic About That
I teach Social Studies; everyday we watch CNN Student News, which is a ten minute news program that gives the big headlines around the world. Student News has been talking about the Chilean miners for over a month.
Dashaun is an okay kid. He's polite and calm. I think he wears the exact same clothes everyday, but they aren't terribly disgusting, so maybe he washes them every night, I don't know. He sometimes does his work, he sometimes sleeps. Even when he does his work, it's kind of half-assed. I didn't really think he was paying attention to anything that was going on. He's kindof off in his little world.
On Monday before school started, he literally RAN up to me (I've never seen him be excited about anything.) "MISS VINSON THE MINERS ARE GETTING OUT ON WEDNESDAY!!!!" When Wednesday came around, he had me pull up cnn.com where they were keeping a running tally of the number of miners rescued and the number still remaining. He sat and did all his work, occasionally checking the screen for updates.
Dashaun is an okay kid. He's polite and calm. I think he wears the exact same clothes everyday, but they aren't terribly disgusting, so maybe he washes them every night, I don't know. He sometimes does his work, he sometimes sleeps. Even when he does his work, it's kind of half-assed. I didn't really think he was paying attention to anything that was going on. He's kindof off in his little world.
On Monday before school started, he literally RAN up to me (I've never seen him be excited about anything.) "MISS VINSON THE MINERS ARE GETTING OUT ON WEDNESDAY!!!!" When Wednesday came around, he had me pull up cnn.com where they were keeping a running tally of the number of miners rescued and the number still remaining. He sat and did all his work, occasionally checking the screen for updates.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Just Try Harder!
Today was INCREDIBLY frustrating. I have a student named Robert. He should NOT be in 6th grade. He cannot handle multiple teachers and classrooms and the overstimulation of a large group of students. I have to tell him EVERY DAY to stop laying on the floor. Anytime you say his name to get him to focus, he throws a tantrum. During his math test, he got so mad that he went and put himself INSIDE his own locker. His reading and writing scores are below a 3rd grade level. No teacher has been able to get him to do any work. I even had a special educator come into my room and work only with him for an entire period--still nothing.
We had an emergency IEP meeting called to address his placement. (All his teachers think he should be in a special education class.)
Well, during this meeting the IEP chairperson basically told me that I am a lazy teacher who just gives up on kids and is trying to get kids out of my classrooms and into someone else's. She gave Robert a stern talking-to and then decided to wash her hands of the whole business. I mean, since I'm his teacher, if I would just work a little harder to accomodate Robert's needs--that IS my job, after all. Forget that I have 31 other students in that class to teach, I need to make sure that I am keeping Robert off the floor and out of his locker and actually sitting down in a seat and not starting fights with anyone in his general proximity. Forget about the fact that we should be trying to do what's best for Robert, I mean, how bad would it look if we put another kid in special education?! We have to keep up appearances!! Forget about the fact that the other teachers and I see him every day and give him a stern talking-to every single day, clearly the 10 minutes you just spent with him overrule anything we could possibly say, right? I mean, you know best.
We had an emergency IEP meeting called to address his placement. (All his teachers think he should be in a special education class.)
Well, during this meeting the IEP chairperson basically told me that I am a lazy teacher who just gives up on kids and is trying to get kids out of my classrooms and into someone else's. She gave Robert a stern talking-to and then decided to wash her hands of the whole business. I mean, since I'm his teacher, if I would just work a little harder to accomodate Robert's needs--that IS my job, after all. Forget that I have 31 other students in that class to teach, I need to make sure that I am keeping Robert off the floor and out of his locker and actually sitting down in a seat and not starting fights with anyone in his general proximity. Forget about the fact that we should be trying to do what's best for Robert, I mean, how bad would it look if we put another kid in special education?! We have to keep up appearances!! Forget about the fact that the other teachers and I see him every day and give him a stern talking-to every single day, clearly the 10 minutes you just spent with him overrule anything we could possibly say, right? I mean, you know best.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Enabler
I usually don't confront parents. I mean, I'm not a parent; I have no idea what that job is like. I also just think that parents and teachers should have a cooperative relationship. I can't change their mind. However.
This girl, Mariah. She is on my roll for 1st period. I have NEVER EVER seen her in my class. EVER. Her mother brings her to school every day at 9:10 (first period is over at 9:05). And about 3 times a week, Mariah's mother will wander over and say, "Ms. Vinson, Mariah was late yesterday because..." blahblahblah some b.s. reason. What makes it worse is, Mariah's mother stays at the school ALL DAY LONG. She is quoteunquote a parent volunteer....but she really just walks around and hangs out in the teacher's lounge (by herself, btw...we don't have time for that place.) If you can BRING you daughter to school EVERY DAY and STAY at the school EVERY DAY you can make more of an effort to show up before 9am.
Also, Mariah has never said one word to me. Not a single freaking word. Her mother will come ask for make-up work (twice in 5 weeks...) Her mother will come list off the 501 reasons why Mariah has to stroll in an hour and a half late.
So, today when Mariah's mother came by...to tell me why Mariah missed all of last week (she was "actually sick"), I told her that I was sorry, but no amount of excuses will keep Mariah from failing my class. She has to actually show up. I'm sorry it's too early, but it's what time they tell me to teach. If I have to go by it, so does everybody else. She can't do "make-up work" for EVERY SINGLE DAY OF SCHOOL.
Her mother just nodded and wandered away.
Then she sent another student to ask me if Mariah could get a permission slip for the field trip I'm taking on Thursday.
No, lady. NO.
This girl, Mariah. She is on my roll for 1st period. I have NEVER EVER seen her in my class. EVER. Her mother brings her to school every day at 9:10 (first period is over at 9:05). And about 3 times a week, Mariah's mother will wander over and say, "Ms. Vinson, Mariah was late yesterday because..." blahblahblah some b.s. reason. What makes it worse is, Mariah's mother stays at the school ALL DAY LONG. She is quoteunquote a parent volunteer....but she really just walks around and hangs out in the teacher's lounge (by herself, btw...we don't have time for that place.) If you can BRING you daughter to school EVERY DAY and STAY at the school EVERY DAY you can make more of an effort to show up before 9am.
Also, Mariah has never said one word to me. Not a single freaking word. Her mother will come ask for make-up work (twice in 5 weeks...) Her mother will come list off the 501 reasons why Mariah has to stroll in an hour and a half late.
So, today when Mariah's mother came by...to tell me why Mariah missed all of last week (she was "actually sick"), I told her that I was sorry, but no amount of excuses will keep Mariah from failing my class. She has to actually show up. I'm sorry it's too early, but it's what time they tell me to teach. If I have to go by it, so does everybody else. She can't do "make-up work" for EVERY SINGLE DAY OF SCHOOL.
Her mother just nodded and wandered away.
Then she sent another student to ask me if Mariah could get a permission slip for the field trip I'm taking on Thursday.
No, lady. NO.
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