This year the sheer number of difficult students is wearing me down already and it's only November.
The sheer load of paperwork that has been foisted upon us is NOT helping.
Here's where our pact comes in.
A colleague and I decided that we are not going to sweat the demands. Whenever we start getting fired up, one of us has to put the brakes on, and then we laugh, acknowledge that we are being asked the impossible, acknowledge they are going to continue to ask the impossible, acknowledge how ridiculous it is, acknowledge we do the best we can and make the right choices for the kids, and move on and get some yummy cafeteria pizza or something.
It is working pretty well.
Thanks, K! Without her this job would be impossible.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Worst group ever
This year I have The Worst Class Ever (TM). They really suck. BAD. They are the kind of bunch that really make me rethink teaching in the city and cause a lot of burnout. They are the smuggest, most entitled, least mannered bunch of children I have ever had in one room together.
They don't want you to teach them, they want you to fight and argue with them and it takes every ounce of energy I have not to engage. Today my skin was crawling the entire 90 minutes I had with them. I have excellent classroom management, so does the social studies teacher and english teacher, but NONE of us can do anything with this bunch.
What's sad is there are around 11 of them who are total assholes, but the leaves 14 who are really all right and they are constantly being robbed of the education they are trying to get by these other knuckleheads who have absolutely no regard for the value of education, the concept of respect, or the concept of needing to put in effort to get something in return.
It is at a point where we are going to try to have an auditorium style meeting with the parents of the children in that group because no one can work with them and we need help from outside, but I'm guessing that the lack of outside support is why the 11 are the way they are.
Did I also happen to mention that this year they tiered the groups by standardized test scores. Guess which group this is?
No, they aren't the honors kids.
They don't want you to teach them, they want you to fight and argue with them and it takes every ounce of energy I have not to engage. Today my skin was crawling the entire 90 minutes I had with them. I have excellent classroom management, so does the social studies teacher and english teacher, but NONE of us can do anything with this bunch.
What's sad is there are around 11 of them who are total assholes, but the leaves 14 who are really all right and they are constantly being robbed of the education they are trying to get by these other knuckleheads who have absolutely no regard for the value of education, the concept of respect, or the concept of needing to put in effort to get something in return.
It is at a point where we are going to try to have an auditorium style meeting with the parents of the children in that group because no one can work with them and we need help from outside, but I'm guessing that the lack of outside support is why the 11 are the way they are.
Did I also happen to mention that this year they tiered the groups by standardized test scores. Guess which group this is?
No, they aren't the honors kids.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
We figured it out
So another harrowing day with "new guy". I'm walking down the hall and there are two girls sitting on the floor outside the room while shrieks and hollers are coming from inside. I ask them what they're doing there and they say " Mr. Newguy said we can sit here and talk out a problem we're having." Now, first of all in our school is is a GIANT no no to leave any kids unattended, second if every seventh grade girl that was having minor drama was allowed to sit in the hall and talk it out, we would have zero female students in class. If there was a SERIOUS issue we have mediators for that. If it were serious, and they started punching each other, pray tell who would be there to break it up?
The ELL teacher who works with him evrey morning with the English language learning students summed it up and it's the vibe I've been getting since he started. She said "He's decided it isn't his responsibility. These are just "city" kids who run wild and have no manners. It's just how they are." SHE IS SO RIGHT. He's seemed very smug since he started and she so hit it.
If HE can't keep them under control they must be uncontrollable. He seems oblivious to the fact that when they're in our rooms they're sitting and learning. In his mind it's obviously something wrong with the kids, not him.
The kids are tough. I'll give him that, but they're also very smart. They KNOW what you think of them and give back to you accordingly. Until he changes his mind about them, nothing is gonna change in that room.
The ELL teacher who works with him evrey morning with the English language learning students summed it up and it's the vibe I've been getting since he started. She said "He's decided it isn't his responsibility. These are just "city" kids who run wild and have no manners. It's just how they are." SHE IS SO RIGHT. He's seemed very smug since he started and she so hit it.
If HE can't keep them under control they must be uncontrollable. He seems oblivious to the fact that when they're in our rooms they're sitting and learning. In his mind it's obviously something wrong with the kids, not him.
The kids are tough. I'll give him that, but they're also very smart. They KNOW what you think of them and give back to you accordingly. Until he changes his mind about them, nothing is gonna change in that room.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Parent Meetings
When they talk back to their parents during a meeting and the parent just looks dumbfounded at what to do about it, you know you're not gonna get much help there.
(sigh)
(sigh)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
I know you are but what am I?
I just feel like talking bout the fact that in my experience middle school teachers become as immature as the children they teach in their spare time.
Yesterday for example, I was walking down the hallway minding my own business when I suddenly felt a solid, painful "thud" between my shoulder blades. I turned around to see an orange rolling away behind me. Apparently my colleague was very excited to see me. Rather than saying "hey there" using the voice he was given to alert others to his presence, he explained when he saw me "he had to throw something", and felt like the orange was a better choice than the chocolate milk he had in his other hand. I reminded him that although the orange may have been better than the milk, and that people in prison beat each other with bags of oranges. Oranges are dense. Oranges are not gentle projectiles.
The other latest trend is for members of one team to put clothespins on members of other teams in awkward places. Why? Just so other people will come up and ask them why they have a clothespin randomly stuck to whatever location it may be in. Preferable somewhere embassing like dangling from the center of one's ass.
Also, once you become a middle school teacher you can no longer handle words like, balls, homo sapiens, rod, thrust etc. without falling apart.
This is all better than three years ago when the male teachers had a very questionable game in which they would whip their lanyards with keys at each others junk, the most prized score was between the legs from behind. So one guy would be dry heaving, hunched over with tears in his eyes while the rest stood around high fived each other and giggled. One of those participants just had a baby, so i guess his parts turned out ok, but I was worried for a little while.
Yesterday for example, I was walking down the hallway minding my own business when I suddenly felt a solid, painful "thud" between my shoulder blades. I turned around to see an orange rolling away behind me. Apparently my colleague was very excited to see me. Rather than saying "hey there" using the voice he was given to alert others to his presence, he explained when he saw me "he had to throw something", and felt like the orange was a better choice than the chocolate milk he had in his other hand. I reminded him that although the orange may have been better than the milk, and that people in prison beat each other with bags of oranges. Oranges are dense. Oranges are not gentle projectiles.
The other latest trend is for members of one team to put clothespins on members of other teams in awkward places. Why? Just so other people will come up and ask them why they have a clothespin randomly stuck to whatever location it may be in. Preferable somewhere embassing like dangling from the center of one's ass.
Also, once you become a middle school teacher you can no longer handle words like, balls, homo sapiens, rod, thrust etc. without falling apart.
This is all better than three years ago when the male teachers had a very questionable game in which they would whip their lanyards with keys at each others junk, the most prized score was between the legs from behind. So one guy would be dry heaving, hunched over with tears in his eyes while the rest stood around high fived each other and giggled. One of those participants just had a baby, so i guess his parts turned out ok, but I was worried for a little while.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I'm back, no...really
So I'm starting this back up because i need SOMEWHERE to vent.
This year is going to be a doozy. We have a fresh crop of very flip mouthed, bass-ass, little darlings. These things seem to run on a three year cycle. Every three years we get a disproportionate numbers of little shits. Don't get me wrong, I do well with little shits, in fact you might say I love getting them because it's a challenge to turn them around BUT one can only take on so many challenges at once before they burn out. In particular we've got problems since two of our teams teachers aren't the best classroom managers and the brand new teacher has a borderline safety issue in his room. Someone is going to get hurt and I'm not kidding...
We've offered help, advice, etc. but new guy already seems to think he knows it all. In fact his statement was "this is going to be easy, I was a human resources manager". Welcome to my world. Adults who want to keep their jobs are far different from children who would much rather be doing childreny things, making out, or playing with tech decks than listen to someone drone on about whatever it is their droning about. The trick is you got to make them want it, especially with kids whoa re pains in the asses. You have to make them eager to step into your room to see what's gonna happen next. The second component is to carry yourself with complete and utter confidence. They need to think no matter what happens you'll know what to do next, and they might not like what you have in store for them if they make you go there...even when you have no fucking idea what's going on and what to do about it. Think fast, act fast, and act like you had the plan all along. It's a hard thing to teach someone else how to do, but all our successful teachers just seem to have it.
...anyway where I'm going with this is that myself and some other seasoned folk are having to deal with hallways gone wild cause this guy cannot contain children in his room. And whatever it is he says to them leaves them so crazy it takes us double effort to calm them down and get their heads strait, so we're feeling like we're managing two classes at once. Administration knows about this yet they still leave us to deal with the mess...and if I don't deal with it and leave it be, there are children screaming and screeching outside my door so it's near impossible to focus on what we're trying to do anyway. Last period the kids in his room literally start chanting screaming, throwing stuff to a degree I have rarely seen. We go in and calm them down but as soon as we step foot out of the room, it's a free for all.
So that's where we're at this year, wish me the best, because I feel like I'm working WAY too hard.
This year is going to be a doozy. We have a fresh crop of very flip mouthed, bass-ass, little darlings. These things seem to run on a three year cycle. Every three years we get a disproportionate numbers of little shits. Don't get me wrong, I do well with little shits, in fact you might say I love getting them because it's a challenge to turn them around BUT one can only take on so many challenges at once before they burn out. In particular we've got problems since two of our teams teachers aren't the best classroom managers and the brand new teacher has a borderline safety issue in his room. Someone is going to get hurt and I'm not kidding...
We've offered help, advice, etc. but new guy already seems to think he knows it all. In fact his statement was "this is going to be easy, I was a human resources manager". Welcome to my world. Adults who want to keep their jobs are far different from children who would much rather be doing childreny things, making out, or playing with tech decks than listen to someone drone on about whatever it is their droning about. The trick is you got to make them want it, especially with kids whoa re pains in the asses. You have to make them eager to step into your room to see what's gonna happen next. The second component is to carry yourself with complete and utter confidence. They need to think no matter what happens you'll know what to do next, and they might not like what you have in store for them if they make you go there...even when you have no fucking idea what's going on and what to do about it. Think fast, act fast, and act like you had the plan all along. It's a hard thing to teach someone else how to do, but all our successful teachers just seem to have it.
...anyway where I'm going with this is that myself and some other seasoned folk are having to deal with hallways gone wild cause this guy cannot contain children in his room. And whatever it is he says to them leaves them so crazy it takes us double effort to calm them down and get their heads strait, so we're feeling like we're managing two classes at once. Administration knows about this yet they still leave us to deal with the mess...and if I don't deal with it and leave it be, there are children screaming and screeching outside my door so it's near impossible to focus on what we're trying to do anyway. Last period the kids in his room literally start chanting screaming, throwing stuff to a degree I have rarely seen. We go in and calm them down but as soon as we step foot out of the room, it's a free for all.
So that's where we're at this year, wish me the best, because I feel like I'm working WAY too hard.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Agenda Books and parent responsibility
Why would parents NOT utilize the agenda?
At the beginning of every year during open house, course letters etc., we go nuts trying to emphasize that their will be daily information from teachers in the students agenda in the form of stamps or notes. Every time a teacher, counselor or principal contacts you they mention the agenda book.
Your kid had the same agenda book LAST YEAR
I have invested in over ten stamps.
I have a "keep up the good work", "Good Job", Star Student" , "Hot shot" as well as "Disrupting During Instruction", "Did not use time wisely", "Unsatisfactory Work", and "Did Not Complete Science Work" etc. This agenda goes home every day. I send out Gradekeeper reports twice a marking period. The school sends out progress reports. You are required to sign the agenda weekly...yet you still have no idea how your kid is doing in school and despite my having 142 students want me to call you every time YOURS doesn't do an assignment even though I CLEARLY mark it in the agenda every day.
I don't think so.
At the beginning of every year during open house, course letters etc., we go nuts trying to emphasize that their will be daily information from teachers in the students agenda in the form of stamps or notes. Every time a teacher, counselor or principal contacts you they mention the agenda book.
Your kid had the same agenda book LAST YEAR
I have invested in over ten stamps.
I have a "keep up the good work", "Good Job", Star Student" , "Hot shot" as well as "Disrupting During Instruction", "Did not use time wisely", "Unsatisfactory Work", and "Did Not Complete Science Work" etc. This agenda goes home every day. I send out Gradekeeper reports twice a marking period. The school sends out progress reports. You are required to sign the agenda weekly...yet you still have no idea how your kid is doing in school and despite my having 142 students want me to call you every time YOURS doesn't do an assignment even though I CLEARLY mark it in the agenda every day.
I don't think so.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Ahh, the joys of science fair...
Science fair. The most dreaded time of the year for me. Our principal DEMANDS that all of the science department participate in the academic rigor that is science fair. Mind you Science fair is supposed to work like this:
The student picks a project, does a research paper, conducts the experiment at home and composes a lovely lab report to share their new found insight with the world. We do this all over the course of three months.
Sounds nice right? Well it could be if the children actually, I dunno, did homework or had parental support...
In our school it works something like this:
December: Students are explained the concept of the science fair. Students say "This is stupid, why are we starting this if science fair isn't until March!"
January: Project ideas are due after three weeks to choose, and a ninety minute in school period at the library to gather ideas.
Students say "You didn't give us enough time to pick our ideas!", "We had to pick an idea?", "I couldn't find an idea".
Meanwhile I put over 50 books of ideas on a cart labeled "Science Fair ideas" in the school library. I brought them to the cart. Handed them books from the cart. Danced around the room announcing the due date EVERY DAY.
Mid-January: Teach them how to research their topic. Give them a template to create their rough draft. Have a rubric to go along with the template. Spend an entire 90 minute period on instructions for this. Next class go to the library. Spend ninety minutes there. 45 minutes in encyclopedias and reference books, 45 minutes at the computer. Spend everyday reminding about the research paper.
Two weeks later their rough draft is due. On the due date students say "What research paper?" " What do we have to write about?", "You didn't tell us anything about a research paper!" Because clearly this is all my fault.
I get about 40% of the rough drafts in.
February: Final Draft due after rough drafts returned. Students again say "What research paper?", "What do we have to write about?", "You didn't tell us anything about a research paper!"
I get about 20% in.
Right before Feb vacation: Teach the lab report, take a 90 minute period to explain this, tell the children to begin their experiments. They are to be done in two weeks. Are there any questions? No, no questions. Great , get started.
After February vacation: Teacher dances around room everyday, reminds to do lab report.
Due date first week of march: Teacher receives four complete projects out of 142. Students are in uproar that I did not explain nor tell them what to do for science fair. Teacher's head explodes all over the room as not a day went by from December to March that I did not mention it and tell them how and when to get help, including posting a calendar to schedule help time, posted it on the daily agenda, and verbally reminded at least once every class period.
Needless to say the whole thing is a disaster every year for the science teachers who manage to put together a meager display of sub par work with an occasional flash of insight from a motivated student. We get all stressed out because it's like how many projects you have displayed is the sum of you as a teacher.
Requiring this type of project from all your students is fine and well. But don't get mad at the science teachers when only about a third of their students pull it off. The sheer number of students for whom a "D" on their report card is totally acceptable at home dictates how successful this is going to be. When they are in front of me learning. I have them and they do great, once they leave my room, what happens from there is anyone's guess.
The student picks a project, does a research paper, conducts the experiment at home and composes a lovely lab report to share their new found insight with the world. We do this all over the course of three months.
Sounds nice right? Well it could be if the children actually, I dunno, did homework or had parental support...
In our school it works something like this:
December: Students are explained the concept of the science fair. Students say "This is stupid, why are we starting this if science fair isn't until March!"
January: Project ideas are due after three weeks to choose, and a ninety minute in school period at the library to gather ideas.
Students say "You didn't give us enough time to pick our ideas!", "We had to pick an idea?", "I couldn't find an idea".
Meanwhile I put over 50 books of ideas on a cart labeled "Science Fair ideas" in the school library. I brought them to the cart. Handed them books from the cart. Danced around the room announcing the due date EVERY DAY.
Mid-January: Teach them how to research their topic. Give them a template to create their rough draft. Have a rubric to go along with the template. Spend an entire 90 minute period on instructions for this. Next class go to the library. Spend ninety minutes there. 45 minutes in encyclopedias and reference books, 45 minutes at the computer. Spend everyday reminding about the research paper.
Two weeks later their rough draft is due. On the due date students say "What research paper?" " What do we have to write about?", "You didn't tell us anything about a research paper!" Because clearly this is all my fault.
I get about 40% of the rough drafts in.
February: Final Draft due after rough drafts returned. Students again say "What research paper?", "What do we have to write about?", "You didn't tell us anything about a research paper!"
I get about 20% in.
Right before Feb vacation: Teach the lab report, take a 90 minute period to explain this, tell the children to begin their experiments. They are to be done in two weeks. Are there any questions? No, no questions. Great , get started.
After February vacation: Teacher dances around room everyday, reminds to do lab report.
Due date first week of march: Teacher receives four complete projects out of 142. Students are in uproar that I did not explain nor tell them what to do for science fair. Teacher's head explodes all over the room as not a day went by from December to March that I did not mention it and tell them how and when to get help, including posting a calendar to schedule help time, posted it on the daily agenda, and verbally reminded at least once every class period.
Needless to say the whole thing is a disaster every year for the science teachers who manage to put together a meager display of sub par work with an occasional flash of insight from a motivated student. We get all stressed out because it's like how many projects you have displayed is the sum of you as a teacher.
Requiring this type of project from all your students is fine and well. But don't get mad at the science teachers when only about a third of their students pull it off. The sheer number of students for whom a "D" on their report card is totally acceptable at home dictates how successful this is going to be. When they are in front of me learning. I have them and they do great, once they leave my room, what happens from there is anyone's guess.
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