Kids

I went off on a kid the other day. He'd stopped coming to my 2nd period US History class a few weeks before the end of last semester. He even skipped the final. The only time he's made class this semester was when Security dragged him in after the Attendance Office hunted him down.

A week later, I spotted him in the hall in front off Admin. When I confronted him, he said something smartassed and walked away. I chased him, yelling. He said he was on his way to counselling to drop my class, which I don't believe. I told him he was going to see a principal with me. I got him in the office, but he kept trying to get away, and I kept yelling. One secretary called Security while another got between us and told him to sit and me to write a referral. All the principals were off campus at a meeting, so he spent the afternoon in ISS.

I thanked the ladies later for keeping their heads while I lost mine. One said, "They really know how to push our buttons."

While I was in my alternative licensure program, a professor suggested we stop calling our pupils "kids." She thought "students" or "young people / men / women" was more appropriate. I tried, but it just doesn't fit. They're "kids." One of the problems for both them and us is them trying to be adults when they aren't. They're not ready for it educationally, emotionally, or physically. Even though they can do some things that adults do, they have little concept of the results or responsibilities of their actions.

This past fall semester, we had a slew of pregnant girls (not women) running around campus. (By my reckoning, it was one hell of a Prom.) They're gone now, but there are more starting to show.

My generation said that if we were old enough to fight and die in a war, we were old enough to vote. These kids say that if they're old enough to vote, they're old enough to drink. I tell them nobody's buying votes with drinks anymore, but if they feel that strongly about it, they should vote to change it. Of course, that would require time and work. Changing laws would require getting in the system and changing minds. That's a lot to ask from a group that can't see past next weekend.

As I said, they're "kids."

Testing...Testing

We have begun the testing season. Today was the 10th grade Competency Exam. All students must pass all parts of this exam in order to graduate. This has nothing to do with NCLB. Our state has mandated this one for over a decade now. This is the standardized test that all students take seriously.

This is also the first full blown testing for our new Testing Coordinator. I wasn't sure how it would go. TC seemed a little flakey. She gave us (State mandated) Test Security Training last semester, then spent a lot of very visible time tracking down teachers who skipped it. Her emails were bad. Her lists contained errors. The room captains were announce two days ago and got no training or advanced instruction. It didn't look good.

It went great! She did what I'd been complaining about her predecessors not doing. She treated us like intelligent, educated professionals who were capable of reading directions, understanding directions, following directions, and guiding the students. It couldn't have gone smoother, and TC couldn't have been calmer through the whole thing.

Support

This year my school has monthly meetings for first year teachers. It is run by the Student Advocate from our 9th Grade Academy. She taught for 30 years, retired for 2, and came back.

I sat in on today's meeting. I wish this had been around my first year. I got support from individual teachers when I started, but nothing like this. Half of the people at the meeting were experienced teachers. We all shared things we'd learned the hard way. It was a good experience.

Experience

I'm surrounded by more experienced teachers, including my wife. I marvel at their experience and their ability to use it with something new. The other day, I was stalled on one of my classes. Stalled, hell, I was completely without any idea of where to go next or what to do when we got there. I told a colleague. This is a subject she doesn't like and hasn't taught in over 10 years, yet she was able to pull a 3-day project out of thin air. My wife says it's just experience, that it takes at least 4 years.

Of course, like all schools we have a group of burn-outs who are just holding out for retirement. Fortunately, most of them are on their last year. I won't be here 30 years, or even 20, so I shouldn't hit that point.

More games

Okay, our girls basketball team was slaughtered two nights in a row. I still had a good time.

Two nights ago, they looked like they'd had a week of games cancelled and weren't allowed to practice in that same period. Last night, they played the #1 ranked team in the city. In the first game, they were flat. In the second, they still weren't hitting their shots, but they made the other team work for their win.

I know I'm writing a lot about sports in a teaching blog, but I believe student activities are an important part of what we do.

Games

Early on in this career, I discovered a great classroom management tool. I go to games, plays, and concerts. I found that if I show an interest in the things in which my students are interested, my life in the classroom is easier.

Now, football and boys basketball are easy. Everyone goes to them. I go to the stuff no one else does. I'm always the only teacher at the girls basketball games. It's just me, their parents, a few boyfriends, and the principal assigned to the game. There are fewer of our fans at away games. I don't know why people from my school won't travel across the city, but they won't.

The day after the last band and orchestra concert, the music dept. chair was seeking me out because he knew I was there and he knew I'd give him an honest opinion. He told me that. I told him the truth.

My students tell me when they have a game or a concert or a match or an art show or a play and ask me if I'm going. I can't say no. I can't be one of those teachers who just goes to the football games. I can't be one of those teachers who want to be as far from the students as possible after the bell rings.

Finally, a new semester

We're finally back. The students are back into it, though they won't admit it. I think every one of my collegues had a good day, at least until the faculty meeting after school. Why does admin beat-up all the staff when they're unhappy with a few teachers?

We started the week with the flex schedule: three 2-hour classes today and tomorrow. Three of my classes are brand new. I've got a few seniors who I had last year as juniors, but most of them are new faces. So, I'm starting all over.

Continuing Saga of Forced Semi-retirement

My stepson emailed this picture yesterday of my father-in-law and my grandson. It's a couple of years old, but a great shot.

As I was hauling garbage out today, a day late due to the New Year's Day holiday, I met my neighbor, also a teacher. She said they've done nothing with her school. I told her we're going to our school today to check my wife's classroom for leaks and / or flooding. She teaches computer apps. Thirty-five PCs and a leaky roof just don't mix well.

The Holidays That Wouldn't End

The last two days of 2006, we had record snowfall. We've had sub-freezing temperatures since. Clean-up has been difficult. Since we're in the "sunny" southwest, we're not used to or prepared for this type of weather. We were supposed to go back to work yesterday, but it was cancelled. Now, the district has cancelled the rest of the week. I'm starting to lose track of what day it is.

I'm starting this new year and new semester with a blog. I teach at one of the high schools in a city in the southwest. This year I'm teaching 11th & 12th graders. I don't know yet how often I'll post, but I imagine I'll be writing about my everyday experiences with the job. Right now, as I said above, there are none.