They're Learning How to Take Turns

I'm beginning to see a pattern. Every time a problem-causing child either improves his or her behavior or is removed from my class, one or more that were previously manageable students start acting up to fill the gap. It's almost as if they're working in shifts.

Young Bobby* has experienced some kind of miraculous transformation. We had been off for a week for Fall Break. When we returned, there was a major difference in his behavior. He does his work. If he needs help, he stays in his seat and raises his hand. He even asks if he can get up to get a tissue. He isn't 100% perfect; he still talks to his friends while I'm talking. The noticeable difference, though, is that he no longer seems to be trying to get himself in trouble.

There are three young ladies in the class that I used to have a handle on. I keep them seated as far from each other as possible to minimize chatting. They used to give me some attitude, but I didn't mind much. I realized that it wasn't personal: they're just teenage girls. However, within the past week, it has gone from attitude to insolence and defiance. One of the girls is constantly talking. Sometimes she is talking to her neighbors about something that has nothing to do with class. When I do have her attention, something I say will remind her of something that happened that she must share with the class. When I interrupt her, she acts as if it was so terribly rude of me. Another one makes personal attacks. She said that I live in la basura. (She was surprised when I knew what that meant.) She said that I buy all of my shoes at the flea market. When a fly flew by me, she announced to the class that it's because I never take showers. All three of them love to argue. They will argue with me about what page of the book I said we were on, whose turn it is to use the bathroom, or how to pronounce a word in a story. When assigned detention for talking, they immediately claim they weren't talking. (Yesterday, one said, "I was just looking at my shoe.") Then they say it's not fair, and I'm the worst teacher ever. Finally, they announce that they're not going to serve detention, and they don't care what happens to them.

I don't know what brought on this sudden increase in negativity. I would like to settle these girls down if I could. But I would almost be afraid to. I would worry that some other student or students would start acting up to take their place.

*Not student's real name.

Making Up the Grade

This afternoon, I was in the office and ran into the principal. He asked me to talk with him for a few minutes, and, of course, I can't say "No." He wanted to talk about grades, and he had a few rather interesting pieces of information to tell me. First, he did not know what the district policy on grading was. In fact, he wasn't even sure if there was one. It is his first year in the position, so I guess he has an excuse for not knowing. So, he asked the school counselor, who has been around for several years, and she didn't know either. How are these people supposed to enforce district policy if they don't know what it is or if it even exists?!

The other thing he wanted to talk about is that although no one knows if they're following the rules, there is a grading "tradition" at our school handed down from the previous principal and more tenured staff that everyone follows. Part of this tradition is that RSP students can not be given an F. Instead, they get a P for passing. This does not make any sense to me. If they would have gotten an F, then no, they're not passing. These students are called resource students because they are given extra resources beyond what all of our other student receive. Depending on the nature of their disabilities they may get extra time or assistance on assignments, for example. My thinking is that, if they get that extra help, and they still can't manage a D-, then they shouldn't be considered passing. Putting a P on their report card might make their parents happy, but it doesn't help them any. It is not entirely relevant in any of my classes, because as long as they don't get retained, all students go on to freshman English at the high school. But what about in math. Should these kids be promoted to Algebra if they can't understand pre-algebra?

The most asinine point to this whole conversation is that I turned in my quarter grades yesterday. Report cards are already being printed, so I can't change anything. No one had thought it prudent to mention any of this at any of the three new teacher meetings we've had this year. I suppose I could have asked, but what would I say? "By the way, I have some questions about grades. Do you have any stupid grading 'traditions' that I should know about? And are those traditions consistent with district policy? Or do you even have a clue?"

I know that I do not post all that often. You may think that it is because I am so busy at work. In fact, that has nothing to do with it. The real reason I can't find the time to post on a regular schedule is because I have been too distracted by other blogs. Since starting my own blog, I have been perusing the interweb to find some highly entertaining content. So, I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you. That way, you'll be so distracted by looking at those other blogs that you won't have time to miss mine. So, here are the two funniest websites I have ever seen...

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/
This blog lists photos of professionally made cakes that turned out terribly wrong. While the cakes are pretty funny looking, it is the commentary that makes this thing filarious.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/lovelylisting
Here are posted photos that come from real estate listings that really shouldn't have been in there. I keep asking myself, "Do they really expect people to want to buy that?!"

2 Habits of Totally Ineffective Teens

I've realized something about the difference between my reading improvement students and my regular language arts students. I don't think it is limited to intelligence. Certainly, there are a few students in my RI class who are a few tacos short of a fiesta platter. But I have a couple like that in my other classes as well. The biggest difference is in their habits.

For example, instead of listening to what I have to say, most of the RI students continue to talk to each other. Some of my other students talk while I'm talking also, but it only takes one or two reminders per day to keep their attention on me. In my RI class, I have students who, after being asked by me to turn around and stop talking, will say, "Alright, Teacher! Gosh!" then, literally two seconds later, will turn back and continue talking to their friends while I am standing two feet from them.

There is another habit that is conspicuously missing from my RI group. My other classes, when asked to do a simple task, such as open their books to a specific page or write their name on their paper or copy notes off of the overhead, just do it. They just do it right when I ask. Sometimes someone will ask me to repeat directions, but then at least I know that that student is attempting to follow directions. The RI students, with the exception of two or three individuals, sit there, talking, staring into space, drawing, or doing their homework from another class. I have to address each one by name and repeat the directions over and over. Sometimes, I just get so annoyed by having to listen to myself talking repetitiously that I just open the student's book for them and place the pencil between their fingers.

Now that I think about it this way, it seems obvious why these students haven't been successful. If I were an elementary teacher with just one of these students who was slowing down the whole class all day long, I would be tempted to work with the students who were working with me and leave the one behind. For all the time that they were off task, they were falling farther behind. I have known other students who were not terribly gifted in the brain area, but who knew the skills and habits needed in school. They were able to keep up by studying on their own and asking for extra help. I am certain that the RI students have hardly ever done homework or studied in their lives, and they have only gotten outside help when it was forced on them. I think that, although it isn't in the state content standards for this grade level, I need to make study skills a new focus in my class.

Who Does That?!?

Just a quick update on my reading intervention class. I talked with the other teacher who teaches the same class about the students I have... those specific ones I've told you about. And she agreed that it would be best if we could split them up. So she talked to the counselor about having two of them moved into her class. It finally happened this week. It has made that class quite a bit easier to handle, though they still don't have anything on my regular Language Arts classes.

So, I saw the other teacher today, and I asked her how the two are doing in her class. She said one of them hasn't been there yet, because he has been suspended... for choking someone!!

The Cheshire Disturbing Child

A new personality is rising above the crowd in my reading intervention class. The last time I wrote, I explained that there are a few students who totally throw my class off track, and I need to remind them to SIT DOWN twenty times a day. But they do not make me angry, just frustrated. They don't seem to have much (or in one case, any) self control. They honestly seem to forget that they are supposed to stay in their seat during class.

Having observed all of this and my reactions, little Bobby*, has gotten himself some ideas. This child, I am certain, is either trying to get into trouble, or trying to piss me off. He does exactly what he knows I don't want him to do. For example, another student will be up wandering around the room, and I will tell him to SIT DOWN. The instant after I say it, Bobby will jump out of his seat and walk across the room. Or, I will remind my freakishly forgetful student to take out his textbook. Right then, Bobby, who already had his book open and turned to the right page, will slam it closed and shove it under his desk. What makes me wonder the most about him is that every time he gives one of these displays he'll be staring me right in the face and grinning like some big thing that grins a lot.

Yesterday, he straight refused to do any work, so I sent him to the office for the second time this week. He is suspended on Monday, so I will at least have one day of slightly less commotion. We will see if there has been any real effect on Tuesday, but I highly doubt it. I will continue, though, to try to figure out each of my students and see what works best with them individually. There has to be some better alternative than loudly reminding them to SIT DOWN all the time. Can you tell that I'm getting a bit tired of it? My throat is really sore by the time that group leaves each day.

Just in case anyone thinks I'm whining and that I dislike my job, let me assure you, I am still much happier than I was last year. My two regular Language Arts classes are so wonderful that it makes this all worth it.

*Not student's real name.

One Month Done

It has been four weeks, and my two regular language arts classes are still wonderful. Each class has its class clown and a few girls who chat too much, but they actually do what I tell them to do. All of them. There are a few who occasionally need some coaxing, but they don't argue with me or just refuse to do it, the way my students last year would.

My reading intervention class is a bit more work. Well, a lot more work. There are four students in that class who are a total handful. I think that two of them are not trying to cause trouble, they just are incapable of sitting still for more than two minutes. And they apparently have no filter between their brains and their mouths. One of them looses his pencil every five minutes, which gets really tiring in a ninety minute class.

The other two seem to be looking for attention. They walk over to other students to start talking, or they just shout out irrelevant things. One announces that "This is boring" every time we start a new activity. I think that is code for "I don't get it." But instead of raising his hand and asking for help, he shouts or wanders around the room. Yesterday he started throwing bits of eraser all over the place.

The real work comes in when the latter two catch the attention of the former two, who can't help but respond by laughing and pointing, shouting or throwing something back. I have found myself saying "Jerry, Jose, Francisco, Alejandro*, SIT DOWN" too may times.

Of course the rest of the class is not too happy about being put in the "stupid" class, so they will gladly sit and watch the antics instead of doing their work. One thing I have found that seems to work, though I have no idea why, is putting a time limit on the activity. If I say, "You have four minutes to complete page 12 in your Practice Book" all but the four will get it done. I'm still working on figuring out those other four and finding something that will get them engaged in the activities. Until then I just keep reminding myself that once the bell rings, the rest of my day will be a cake walk compared to this.

*Not the real students' names.