Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Random Conversations RE: My Face
"Ms. Vinson I'm really glad that zit on your chin finally cleared up. It was really bothering me." -Desmond
Monday, March 14, 2011
Something Else That Makes No Damn Sense
There's a student named Asia.
She's super smart and has a severe emotional disorder. Before this school year, nothing was done to address her emotional problems. Her brother is in the Emotional Disorders program at our school. (Those classrooms have like 8-10 kids, they have one-on-one aides, and the teachers and staff have permission to physically restrain students who are a danger to themselves or others. They also have a "time-out" room.)
Our team referred Asia for this program earlier in the school year. She was able to maintain in the classroom about 60% of the time, but that other 40% she was running around tearing down bulletin boards or stealing people's work and ripping it up. Apparently she ran outside one day and tried to get into someone's car (someone who was sitting outside waiting to pick up a child.)
In November, she had an altercation with Ms. P (the one who's out on administrative leave...because of this incident.) After that, she started spiraling downhill. She stopped doing work, she was skipping class and getting in fights with other students. At one point, I saw her running down the hallway and banging her own head against the wall.
At the meeting we had to begin the process of getting her the help she needs, I turned in 20 pages of notes on her behavior. Two days before the meeting, she--completely unprovoked--attacked a teacher (who she didn't even know) in the hallway and followed that teacher down the hall and into the office and attacked her again in the office, hitting her with the notebook the teacher had been carrying earlier.
Asia was given a 45 day suspension for that incident. During her suspension, she has attempted suicide, she has run away from home more than once, she has broken her leg trying to jump out of her bedroom window to run away and she has been institutionalized for about 10 days. Her father has basically given up on her to the point that when she runs away he waits a few days to start looking for her. (She's 11 years old, by the way.)
Asia's 45 day suspension is over this Friday. She is expected to return to our school on Monday March 21.
Here's where the no sense making part starts. Asia will not be placed into the E.D. program yet. She has to be placed into the Special Education classes first. (Special Education is for those who have disabilities keeping them from working on the grade level of their peers; Asia's abilities are far above her peers.) She has to be observed by teachers, staff members and someone from Central Office in the Special Education classroom before she will be allowed to move to E.D.
At her meeting today (which she and her father were invited to, but did not attend) we pleaded with the Special Ed Office to immediately place her in the E.D. program. The Special Education classes are only TWO DOORS away from all of her former classmates and friends. She will see them in the hallway, and she will be embarrassed. I think Asia knows that she needs help, but let's face it, no one wants their friends to think badly of them and I'm worried she will act out just because they are there.
The Special Education teacher put it best when he said that the whole situation is a Catch-22. If Asia acts crazy and hurts herself or someone else, she will be allowed to get the help she needs. But if she acts fine while she's being observed, then she will be stuck in a Special Education class that she does not belong in.
This is my main problem with the whole thing. If Asia went to the mental hospital and has been DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS, she has PHYSICALLY ATTACKED two teachers and numerous classmates, WHY WHY WHY does there have to be one more week of pointless observation before she can be placed in a classroom for children with emotional problems? Why wasn't all that other stuff enough?!
This is the kind of stuff I can't handle. Blatantly ruining kids lives for no damn reason.
She's super smart and has a severe emotional disorder. Before this school year, nothing was done to address her emotional problems. Her brother is in the Emotional Disorders program at our school. (Those classrooms have like 8-10 kids, they have one-on-one aides, and the teachers and staff have permission to physically restrain students who are a danger to themselves or others. They also have a "time-out" room.)
Our team referred Asia for this program earlier in the school year. She was able to maintain in the classroom about 60% of the time, but that other 40% she was running around tearing down bulletin boards or stealing people's work and ripping it up. Apparently she ran outside one day and tried to get into someone's car (someone who was sitting outside waiting to pick up a child.)
In November, she had an altercation with Ms. P (the one who's out on administrative leave...because of this incident.) After that, she started spiraling downhill. She stopped doing work, she was skipping class and getting in fights with other students. At one point, I saw her running down the hallway and banging her own head against the wall.
At the meeting we had to begin the process of getting her the help she needs, I turned in 20 pages of notes on her behavior. Two days before the meeting, she--completely unprovoked--attacked a teacher (who she didn't even know) in the hallway and followed that teacher down the hall and into the office and attacked her again in the office, hitting her with the notebook the teacher had been carrying earlier.
Asia was given a 45 day suspension for that incident. During her suspension, she has attempted suicide, she has run away from home more than once, she has broken her leg trying to jump out of her bedroom window to run away and she has been institutionalized for about 10 days. Her father has basically given up on her to the point that when she runs away he waits a few days to start looking for her. (She's 11 years old, by the way.)
Asia's 45 day suspension is over this Friday. She is expected to return to our school on Monday March 21.
Here's where the no sense making part starts. Asia will not be placed into the E.D. program yet. She has to be placed into the Special Education classes first. (Special Education is for those who have disabilities keeping them from working on the grade level of their peers; Asia's abilities are far above her peers.) She has to be observed by teachers, staff members and someone from Central Office in the Special Education classroom before she will be allowed to move to E.D.
At her meeting today (which she and her father were invited to, but did not attend) we pleaded with the Special Ed Office to immediately place her in the E.D. program. The Special Education classes are only TWO DOORS away from all of her former classmates and friends. She will see them in the hallway, and she will be embarrassed. I think Asia knows that she needs help, but let's face it, no one wants their friends to think badly of them and I'm worried she will act out just because they are there.
The Special Education teacher put it best when he said that the whole situation is a Catch-22. If Asia acts crazy and hurts herself or someone else, she will be allowed to get the help she needs. But if she acts fine while she's being observed, then she will be stuck in a Special Education class that she does not belong in.
This is my main problem with the whole thing. If Asia went to the mental hospital and has been DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS, she has PHYSICALLY ATTACKED two teachers and numerous classmates, WHY WHY WHY does there have to be one more week of pointless observation before she can be placed in a classroom for children with emotional problems? Why wasn't all that other stuff enough?!
This is the kind of stuff I can't handle. Blatantly ruining kids lives for no damn reason.
Friday, March 11, 2011
I'm Just Special
Last week, this kid named Corey decided he wanted to be in a different class. So he just started showing up to this new class. Apparently, I'm the only teacher who was not okay with this.
Administrator brings him to me last period because Corey said that was his class. I tell administrator that Corey is NOT in that class, he is in my second period...and I had written at cut slip for him during 2nd period.
This happens Wednesday AND Thursday.
On Friday, Administrator tries to bring Corey to me AGAIN during last period. "Miss Vinson, just take him, he's already been to all his other classes."
NO. NO I WILL NOT TAKE HIM. An 11 year old does not get to make my decisions for me. He is in my 2nd period. I will teach him during 2nd period unless you change his schedule.
He leaves and take Corey to the computer lab for the remainder of the period.
I'm sorry, but I just don't get letting a kid do whatever they want just because you don't feel like arguing with them. And I don't pick every battle with a child (Good Lord, there aren't enough hours in the day) but the battles I do pick, I AM GOING TO WIN THEM.
This past Monday, Administrator says we need to talk. He takes me into the conference room and says, "In all my years of teaching, I would have NEVER thought to raise my voice to an administrator and I cannot BELIEVE you did such a thing."
I told him that I was sorry he was upset, but I would not apologize and I would do it again if it came down to it. He said we should be able to talk about things out of range of the kids and without raising our voice.
Which, I agree with...HOWEVER. This was the THIRD day we'd had the exact same conversation ("Miss Vinson you can't expect me to remember everything.") And he's the one who forced his hand by standing in the doorway of the classroom and announcing that I needed to take Corey into my room.
I told him that I have to show up in this building and survive everyday and the only thing I have is my authority. And if he tries to strip that away, we are going to have some problems.
We decided to agree to disagree. And since then, he has come into my room and told me that he needs a copy of my curriculum to make sure I'm teaching what I'm supposed to be teaching. Apparently, they are suspiciously well-behaved for me and he thinks I'm just making shit up to keep them entertained.
Administrator brings him to me last period because Corey said that was his class. I tell administrator that Corey is NOT in that class, he is in my second period...and I had written at cut slip for him during 2nd period.
This happens Wednesday AND Thursday.
On Friday, Administrator tries to bring Corey to me AGAIN during last period. "Miss Vinson, just take him, he's already been to all his other classes."
NO. NO I WILL NOT TAKE HIM. An 11 year old does not get to make my decisions for me. He is in my 2nd period. I will teach him during 2nd period unless you change his schedule.
He leaves and take Corey to the computer lab for the remainder of the period.
I'm sorry, but I just don't get letting a kid do whatever they want just because you don't feel like arguing with them. And I don't pick every battle with a child (Good Lord, there aren't enough hours in the day) but the battles I do pick, I AM GOING TO WIN THEM.
This past Monday, Administrator says we need to talk. He takes me into the conference room and says, "In all my years of teaching, I would have NEVER thought to raise my voice to an administrator and I cannot BELIEVE you did such a thing."
I told him that I was sorry he was upset, but I would not apologize and I would do it again if it came down to it. He said we should be able to talk about things out of range of the kids and without raising our voice.
Which, I agree with...HOWEVER. This was the THIRD day we'd had the exact same conversation ("Miss Vinson you can't expect me to remember everything.") And he's the one who forced his hand by standing in the doorway of the classroom and announcing that I needed to take Corey into my room.
I told him that I have to show up in this building and survive everyday and the only thing I have is my authority. And if he tries to strip that away, we are going to have some problems.
We decided to agree to disagree. And since then, he has come into my room and told me that he needs a copy of my curriculum to make sure I'm teaching what I'm supposed to be teaching. Apparently, they are suspiciously well-behaved for me and he thinks I'm just making shit up to keep them entertained.
Idaho Started It.
Me: What two states touch ZERO other states?
Latifah: What?! They all touch each other!
Damon: EEEEEWWWWWWWWW
Latifah: What?! They all touch each other!
Damon: EEEEEWWWWWWWWW
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
