Some days at work are great and I love it. Some days I just want to go home. Some days I feel like I have made a difference for some students or that the student finally "gets it". And some days one of those students does something so studpid that I am left standing, dumbfounded by their actions. Most days are a conglomeration of all of those things. What I hate the most is when a student does one of those stupid things and the only suprise I feel is that they didn't do it sooner.
Today was one of those days. I sometimes just want to tell someone, but can't talk to the kids because they go to the same school and there is that whole privacy issue thing. (besides, I really wouldn't appreciate it if the other staff went home and talked to their kids about mine). Since the kids that read my blog don't go to that school, perhaps it would be ok if I told you about my day today.
* Why just because we had a two week break do the students think that all of the rules no longer apply? Why do they think that the one minute warning bell is just annoying background noise. And why do they think they can ignore me when I tell them to get to class 5-10 minutes after the tardy bell has rung?
*Why do students think that when they smart off and tell me I need to learn to get a life and get out of theirs that they are going to be the exception and not get suspended? Especially when they have been told that that particular behavior will get them a suspension? And they have been suspended for it before? And then turn around the day back from suspension and do it to a teacher and then act surprised when they get suspended- again?
*When I ask this question, after class has started, "Students, where are you supposed to be right now?", why do students think that, "I'm headed to class." is the correct answer? No, the correct answer would be, "In class" or "In Mrs. Smith's class." My usual response is, "That is not the answer to the question I asked." Which makes some students angry and beligerent, others just look at me bewildered until they figure out that I really wanted an answer, just not "the right answer to get me out of trouble" And again, why just because we had a break do I have the same students from the first of the year acting like they didn't realize that they were supposed to be in a classroom before the tardy bell rings.
*When you come into school late with a steaming cup of cocoa/coffee/whatever from Starbucks and Starbucks is 10 miles from the school and you tell me the reason you are late is because you overslept/you had to scrape your car/the carpool was late/the roads were bad/or any thing else along those lines, don't expect me to be sympathetic. If you had time to make it to Starbucks, you had time to get to school before the bell rang. Go to bed earlier, get up earlier, and stop whining. I didn't believe you yesterday, or last week, or even the last 20 times, so I am not going to believe you today either. In fact, I probably already have your tardy slip made out with all the information except the time you got here.
*Sitting at the bottom of the stairs in the alcove that leads to the backstage of the auditorium with a girl on your lap and your tongue doing a tonsillectemy on her does not constitute "just talking". Last time I checked I did not have the word 'stupid' written on my forehead. And I have kids- I know what "just talking" looks like.
*I have a list of students that I am working with. I also have a list of students whose attendance and grades I check on either a weekly, daily or period by period basis. One student that I have on my period by period list did one of those stupid things today. He falls into the I know longer know how to help you if you don't step up and help yourself a bit category. He is respectful and will tell you the truth when he has done something wrong- mostly. He is not introuble a lot, attendance is good, he just refuses to do the work in his classes. He goes to class and sits and daydreams.
He has been diagnosed with some health issues and takes medication for them (ADHD for one and I can't remember what else) but that is not too big of a problem. Until today. Before school started, he brought some marijuana (didn't know about this issue before- but I am not surprised by it) and traded it to another student for some Ambien- 6 of them. And he took the Ambien. 6 of them. Time release pills. They all released at the same time soon after first period started.
6 Ambien are enough for an overdose, 1 is the adult dosage, but combine them with his other meds... Ambien is a hypnotic drug so he was hallucinating, couldn't walk unassisted and told us all kinds of things that he will never remember telling us- some he will not be happy he told us.
The ambulance came, mother came and he was taken by mom to the hospital. I would bet that he is one tired sick boy this evening.
On the up side, I had a positive comment from one of the assistant principals. She said that when she asked a student where he had been hiding to do his smoking, he said "Its gotten hard, I have to find somewhere that that red headed lady can't find me and I have to keep moving. She knows all the hiding places." That's a good thing, right?
So, how was your day?
Indeed.
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7 comments:
Can I just say I am NOT ready for my kids to grow up and become members of this "high school" society! It scares me to death.
Do me a favor, and in one of your upcoming posts, give me some rock solid advice about how to keep my kids from getting on YOUR list!
I read this switching back and forth between terrified for my kids to go to school and laughing my head off...
Oh, I sympathize with your frustration. I deal with the K-2 level, thank goodness. I just have to look at the kindergartners and say, what do you mean you don't know the name & sound of this letter? We've only been working on it since September! Then in my head, Oh ya, that's because you only come to school 1-2 days a week!
And those are the kids that are going to resemble your blog here in 9-12 years.
I think this is a sign of the age-gap between us, as well as the culture-gap from home to PG. Now, I haven't been home in the better part of a decade, but from what I remember going on when I was in high school, the staff would have LOVED to only have to worry about this kind of stuff!!
Jeri- I think that is a great idea. I'll probably start each one with "This is the most important thing to teach your children"
Sharon- your kids will be fine
Loretta- You are right. I usually know by the end of the first day at school who I am going to get to know fairly well. I have never been wrong.
Dustin- I didn't tell you about the 6 inch knife that was confiscated yesterday, or the student that had to be tazed 4 times before he quit trashing the principals office- it took 3 policemen to take him out of the school or... We have a full time police officer at our school and he deals with a lot of the more serious stuff.
And I remember good old Silver High and a student getting knifed by the counselor's office before school started. Yes, we are pretty tame here in "happy valley" but it is getting worse and each year is 3-4 times worse than the year before.
I had a student threaten to stab me if I didn't let him do something. I looked him in the eye and said "Whatever makes your day, you go for it and I hope it works out for you." He backed down and I later became his biggest advocate. He just needed some rules and someone to enforce them. But let me tell you, I was pretty scared there for a minute while he made up his mind.
She knows all the hiding places! Absolutely the funniest. Well done red headed lady. Keep up the great work!
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