Before starting school last year, I spoke with a then MTC 2nd year that had taught the previous year in the middle school for my district. During our conversation, he highlighted several “problem” students and retold stories of their middle school antics. It was the summer. I had probably just finished a game of beach volleyball, smoothed out my flawless classroom management plan, and watched three movies online. Clearly I laughed about his words of warning and continued to enjoy my summer.
Fast-forward 1 month. I hate my life.
While I'm not sure how many total students I was warned about, I do know that in my 4th period class of 16, I had 5 of the said troublemakers. The rules of school say that the first few days are a “testing” period in which students feel you out as a teacher. However, every rule has exceptions. From the first day, my 4th period class of hell children stepped into my classroom with the intention of doing exactly what they wanted.
I could write several blogs about my 4th period class as a whole (in fact I have), but the real failure for me was DB. If I were asked to name my biggest behavior problems throughout the year I would most likely ramble off a list of the worst female students in the school. However, one of the behavior problems that continues to stick out to me as a failure involves a male student (Is that irony Scotty?).
DB was a punk from the start. He walked in the first day with his petulant little face poking out from a white towel he had hung over his head. When I asked him to take it off, he said simply “whatever man” and continued to pout his lips out at me. This was the first, but certainly not the last time I felt like snapping a student’s tibia in half. Unfortunately, instead of heeling his shin, I went through the same routine that had been drilled into us in the summer.
Warning…”for what?!...Writing assignment…”hahaha”...doubled writing assignment…and it goes on and on and on.
Of course he didn’t do the writing assignments. I had meetings with him and the counselor, I called his mom, and I gave him alternative assignments tailored to his learning style (puke). I thought I attacked it from all angles.
For roughly two weeks, DB single handedly ruined 4th period. On his best days, he would mouth off and write two or three lines in his notebook. On his worst days, he would incite a near riot in class. Keep in mind that this class was filled with several deranged females. On any given day, DB could call someone ugly or fat and chaos would ensue.
After an incident in which DB called another student a slut and they had to be separated, I spoke with the counselor and the other science teacher (who had few problems with DB) about relocation. Because the schedules matched up, we were able relocate DB to another science class.
Afterwards, class still did not go smoothly but it wasn’t chaos everyday. 4th period remained a stain on my day but I was (and still am) grateful that I was able to shift DB out. However, despite my gratefulness in respect to his absence, DB was my failure. I hate quitting and I quit on DB. As with most failed obstacles I have experienced in the last year, I could make plenty of excuses and they would all be legitimate. But when it comes down to it, I failed.
Who knows what would have happened if I had stuck with him and plugged on. Perhaps there would have been a turning point. Perhaps not. I’ll never know.
The only way to celebrate.
If you are wondering why my last post was in July, it is not because I have fallen ill, or quit life. My posts are only viewable by friends for reasons beyond my control. Making posts available only to friends is in my control. Not why I do it. Get an account and add me as a friend and I will add you. You will be able to read all about me whenever you want then. If you don't want to add me as a friend chances are I don't want you to add me either. Jerk.
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