Trying To Make Your Problem My Problem Won't Solve Your Problem

So we're doing this thing during the last 8 weeks of school. Every Friday during third period (the last period we teach our students before we have planning period) we have been either watching a movie or going to the gym or something. We decide during lunch who is going to get to go. If a teacher takes you off the list, you have to stay behind and sit in a classroom and do work.

This is what I don't get: some of these teachers don't want to take responsibility for taking a kid off the activity. All the kids will get upset (obviously) and want to know who took them off. The other teachers will say, "we decided as a team." No, we didn't. I won't disagree with somebody for taking a particular child off the list, but if that child isn't a problem for me, why would I tell them I took them off? Now, the kids I do take off, I will go up to them beforehand and say something like, "Hey, Cortez, remember on Tuesday when you did no work and wouldn't stop cursing? Well, think about that and think about MISS VINSON while you're sitting in that detention room. Maybe next time you'll remember to take care of your business instead of acting like a clown."

The difference is, I'll take off about 5 kids, and the math teacher will take off like 40 kids. If you are having a problem with allllll these kids--kids that cause me no trouble--shouldn't you have something to do with their punishment? Maybe that's why you have management problems, because you are relying on others to do your discipline.

So this week, another teacher and I took the good kids to the gym to play basketball and jump rope and just hang out. When we came back, the language arts teacher told me that she thinks I need to stay behind with the disruptive kids because I have more control over them than the math teacher does.

This is fine. I'm a team player. But I don't see how this will help her with her discipline issues. But I notice, when we're making the list, the math teacher will just generalize certain students. Can Devin go? No, he's "bad." Whereas I say, "Devontay can't go because he has missed my class 3 times in two weeks." If she has just decided particular children are "bad," no wonder they act crazy.

And another thing, they WANT to come in my class. So, how, exactly, are we punishing them? Of course they don't get to go to gym, but they get to spend extra time in Miss Vinson's class, which is someplace they want to be.

And ANOTHER thing, if you are having problems out of more than half your students, maybe it's time to sit back and reflect on yourself. There are certain kids that I can't STAND but they do incredibly well in science or language arts or whatever. But if HALF OF THE SEVENTH GRADE is a problem for you...I don't think I can help you, and no matter how many times they aren't allowed to go to Fun Friday, nothing is going to change.

Two Things

#1
Another group of girls is working on a business. They told me it is a restaurant that sells "black people food."

What is black people food?

"you know, funnel cakes and chicken and stuff."

Wait, I can't eat funnel cakes because I'm not black?! But I love funnel cakes. :(

"You IS black, Miss Vinson."

*I hold out my arm* Um, I am very clearly not black.

"That's just your skin color. It don't mean nothing."


#2
One of the girls birthdays was last week and her mother brought in cupcakes. Each of the cupcakes had a little plastic purses and shoes and such sticking out of them. The boys thought this was hilarious. They ate their cupcake and then carried around their plastic high-heeled shoe. Deon was holding his tiny little plastic purse like an actual purse and another one of the boys says to me, "Look Miss Vinson, he's a single lady!"

Which made me think of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb9eL3ejXmE

(I don't know why blogger won't let me put the actual links in anymore...sorry)

They Sell Mom Jeans

My seventh graders are studying economics and they have to work in pairs to create a business. Two girls, Antionette and Tiykia are creating a clothing store.

"Miss Vinson, we're going to combine our names together for the name of our store. It's 'Anti-Style'!"

Grammar Nerds...You'll Like This Alot

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

Tu Madre

I don't know how well this will translate from a spoken story to a written one...but if anything I can have it for my own memories.

This kid, Darius. He really doesn't do much but he tries to. It's hard for him to focus and he's on like a 2nd grade level so he gets lost easily. We were studying entrepreneurs. The station he was at was Henry Ford. The first question was "What struggles did this entrepreneur overcome?"

He was having trouble answering, so I said, "Darius, what happened to Henry Ford's mom?"...He looked at me and (try to picture a loud, crazy black kid trying to do their imitation of a white woman)..."MAAAH-M....MOM....MAAAAAH-M." He then looks to Deonte and says, "I think sumptin hap'n to his muhvah."

Me: "Yeah...his muhvah."

Darius: "Well, his muhvah died, so he had to stay wit his fahvah."

Every now and then for the rest of the period, I would hear Darius randomly go "MAAAAAH-M." And I couldn't stop laughing about it. He wasn't doing it out of disrespect, it's like he was turning the word over in his mind and couldn't quite get it right.

Apparently I Have Too Much Courage

Today we had our monthly faculty meeting. It wasn't as annoying and ridiculous as usual..but they never totally disappoint us.

Last week we had to submit a list of all the kids who are going to fail for the year. It's basically a joke because probably about half the seventh graders really deserve to fail (40ish kids) but we put down around 20 who "really, really" deserve to fail, but honestly only around 4 or 5 kids will ACTUALLY FAIL.

So, there's no point to it. It happens every year. We make our list. They try to frighten us with how much paperwork all these failures will mean. They meet with us over and over to change the grades ("Look, he has a 55, can't you just give him a 65?"...I GAVE him the 55 when he really deserves like a 7.)

Well, today I heard a new phrase. The assistant principal stood up and told us that if we are "Bold enough to fail them, then we better have our documentation in order to prove it."

BOLD. BOLD ENOUGH.

Like, I have the gall to fail a child. I'm sorry, but bravery doesn't really factor into the equation. THE EMPTY NOTEBOOK DOES.

They aren't 5 years old. If they have literally done NOTHING for 180 days, I don't see why I have to have a whole bunch of paperwork to prove my point.

He then says we must get "work packets" together for the failing ones (this happens every year too). So they can get a "work packet" and finish it and pass the 7th grade. 180 days of instruction crammed into something that only uses a single staple. Of course. Oh, but they won't give us paper for this work packet....or a working copier...or time to make it.

One of my students from last year, she is now in the 9th grade, called and asked me to be the godmother to her daughter due August 26th.

Sounds Legitimate...

Today my kids were in the computer lab. It's next door to a sixth grade science class. I see a girl I used to teach standing by the door of said class.

"Ziyah, why don't you go into class?"

"My shirt is too big to go to class."

"What?"

"My SHIRT is too BIG so I can't GO to CLASS."

Oh, well, okay then....

HAHA, Psych! It was more like,

"GIRL, if you don't get you and your BIG SHIRT in that classroom in FIVE SECONDS I will take your EARS and keep them as SOUVENIRS."...or something like that.

My Formal Observation

So, twice a year we get Formal Observations. An administrator meets with you (Pre-observation conference) to discuss what you're going to teach, you both decide on a day and class period for them to come. They come and observe you (Formal Observation) and then within the next few days, you meet again (Post-observation conference) to discuss what was good and what was bad. You both sign it and it goes into your permanent file.
Last Tuesday, I got a note in my box from Principal that said she had forgotten all about Observations and didn't realize they were due April 1st. She said she would meet with us immediately to get them finished. She was then out of the building on Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday morning, I asked if I could speak with her. I told her that the lesson I had planned was necessary for the whole class to see and if attendance was low (it was the Friday before Spring Break, and raining) that I would have to do something else. I explained I didn't want her to come in on something like a game of Geography Bingo and be annoyed that I wasn't following curriculum.
At first, she insisted that she wasn't even the one who was supposed to observe me. I told her that I had received her note. "Well, I don't think it was me, but I'll check. Either way, don't worry about it. I've got so much stuff on my plate right now..." She then told me that if I wanted to be observed AFTER spring break, I could do that, but I would have to sign the form and pre-date it. I said that was fine.

I walked down to my classroom. I spoke with my classroom neighbor, Mrs. Allen. She said Principal had walked into her room yesterday, didn't say anything, and left after 10 minutes. She said, "I guess that was my observation?"

During 2nd period, Principal walked into my classroom with her official papers and sat down. My 7th graders were doing an AWESOME lesson, if I do say so myself. They were working in groups creating posters. When she walked in, they asked her questions and tried to include her in the activity. They explained to her what they were doing and why they were doing it. She laughed for a minute with them and then immediately asked for a lesson plan. I didn't have one. Yes, I am supposed to have them everyday. I don't. I'm not apologizing for it. It's a rule. I get it. However, had I known I was going to have my FORMAL OBSERVATION, I would have written one. She got angry. She left after 10 minutes.

After school, we had our Post-Observation Conference. She also invited Mrs. Allen in and we had ours together. She started with me. "Your kids were engaged, but you had no lesson plan. You didn't have IB stuff up on the walls and you didn't incorporate IB ideals into your lesson. Sign here.You can go, I'm done with you."

Mrs. Allen interjects and says, "No, I heard her evaluation, she can stay and hear mine."

Principal takes out Mrs. Allen's. "Your kids were engaged, you were teaching [some math terminology]. I have nothing negative to say about you."

Mrs. Allen: "Well, to be fair, I don't have any IB stuff up either."

Principal: "Oh, okay..."

Mrs. Allen: "...So, go ahead and put that down there."

Principal: "Well...okay."

She also didn't have a lesson plan, but that didn't matter because Principal didn't even ask her for one. She also stayed in my room for 10 whole minutes. How does she know if I included "IB ideals"? (I didn't, but she doesn't know that.)

This has been bothering me ever since Friday. Here's the thing. Nobody in the building knows that people are treated differently in the building better than I do. I'm one of the few that goes from favored to hated on a regular basis. Most people just stay in their assigned category forever. I've just never seen it done so completely obviously before. I mean, in the same room! And Mrs. Allen has been my classroom neighbor for 3 years now. Principal has to know we talk to each other ALL.THE.TIME. How could she think that kind of doublespeak was going to go over?

Several other teachers told me that I should go talk to her since it was upsetting me so much. This principal, while she is still a crazy administrator, wasn't so before she became principal. When she was an assistant principal last year, I used to talk to her all the time. We got along very well.

I didn't talk to her, but I did end up writing her an email (passive-aggressive, I know) saying that I know it's not some type of formal complaint, but I was really hurt by her actions. She wrote on my FORMAL OBSERVATION that goes in my PERMANENT FILE that I didn't have a lesson plan, and yet nowhere on there does it say that it was an unscheduled visit. That makes me look at best defiant and at worst incompetent.

Meanwhile, she has loaded me down with preps and responsibilities (which go against my contract) and I have continued to work hard under pressure that would make most people would just give up. She KNOWS me. She's known me for five years. She KNOWS that I will never give up on my kids and just because I didn't have a lesson plan doesn't mean that I haven't been doing awesome lessons.

Ugh, Thank you Jesus for this Spring Break and it's wonderful timing.

Believe Me, The Teachers Are Not The Problem

So we had a community meeting yesterday to discuss the "outside partner" that will come in next year to take over the school. I think I said already that they are firing at least 50% of the staff, maybe more.

There were three companies to come in and make their presentations. They were allowed a twenty minute presentation time and then a ten minute question/answer period. If anything went over, this guy would cut them off because "we don't have time." Time for what exactly? To get all the answers we want out of these people that will take over our school? Oh, by the way, this meeting was yesterday afternoon from 3-5 on the FRIDAY BEFORE SPRING BREAK. We told the guy leading the whole thing that we would like to stay and continue asking questions but he said no.???.

We only had one parent in attendance. Granted, the only way anyone tried to advertise this meeting was through flyers sent home via students. But still. ONE. There was one parent and one other community member. He was there because the school is named after his father. No one else. Oh, except about 30 teachers. We're there to try and figure out what is best for the school, we have a vested interest, and yet half of us or more won't even be there next year.

All three presenters talked down to us like we're idiots who don't know how to do anything. Or that the answers are so simple and if we would just ENGAGE the parents and the students everything will work out. When we tried to ask for answers that weren't so politician-y, we got cut off because "time was up."

I don't know what people think goes on at these "failing schools" but somebody has seen Dangerous Minds one too many times. First of all, all the teachers in the building aren't apathetic losers that hand out worksheets everyday and then ignore the kids while playing solitaire on their computers. Second of all, we have tried our damnedest to get parents involved. Even on Parent Night, when we give away prizes and free food, play games and make crafts...only about 20 parents will show up. And of those twenty it's usually a couple of family groups, not 10 separate sets of people.

And finally, as one of the teachers pointed out last night: We have been a forgotten school. It has only been open four years. The first year we started out with no desks, chairs or money to buy those things. When we did finally get desks and chairs, they were from a school that had shut down and were covered in graffiti and gum and who knows what else. We didn't even have an ENTRANCE for the first year. That's right. There is another school that connects to ours and to get to our school you had to park in their parking lot, walk through their building and over into ours. Our principal will try to get long-term suspensions for students who hit teachers or set fires and half the time those suspensions won't be upheld and the kid comes right back. Our principal was fired last year and there's been no one to replace her (current principal doesn't even have the certification to BE a principal.) We lost an administrator to retirement and the City won't give us money in our budget to replace her. We have almost 30 kids per classroom and no money to hire more teachers. They froze the budget on March 18, so we don't have any money at all now. We're one of four remaining middle schools in the city and the only one on the east side. This means whenever a kid gets thrown out of another school (for any number of violations) they come right to us. I've had nine kids come to me this year who started out the year at an alternative school for bad behavior. (And that's just the 7th grade...I don't know about the school as a whole.) But despite all this, we have teachers who care and good, quality students who have been dealt a shit hand in life and we're trying to do what we can to help them succeed.

They beat us and beat us and beat us and then get mad when we have bruises.