Wednesday, January 04, 2006

A.W.O.L.

Yikes. I have been away a long time from my blog.

One of the reasons for this, I believe, is due to the overwhelming number of "reflections" I was required to write for grad school this past semester. After I rambled for 2 or 3 pages, I found that I really didn't want to reflect that much more on the blog. I really hope that this semester's classes require just a wee bit less on the reflection business.

Another reason was also that I was entertaining the idea of running away from the D.O.E.. Long story there, but suffice it to say that a number of factors entered into my decision to remain an education laborer for the time being.

Anyway... back to Oz.

G.T.B. has ceased saying, "Shut Up," after just about anything I say. This was accomplished through a strategic series of interventions that included my delaying dismissal, speaking with the physical education teacher, calling his mother, and denying him just about every bribe I use to entice my reluctant pupils. Unfortunately, he seems to have had a Darwinian adaptation to the whole matter, and now drops the f-bomb when asked to do just about anything.

*rolling eyes in frustration*

S.F.H. (Student from Hell) has returned to the sanctuary of my classroom, and although things are still early in the game, his time at the suspension center appears to have had some effect. Apparently, he didn't take to his temporary principal. When he submitted his assignment on similes, he wrote, "The principal at %%% and the principal at *** are like two peas in a pod - they both suck." Apparently he gave this administrator a run for her money as well.

7 months to vacation and counting down each and every day.

2 comments:

NYC Educator said...

Calling home is a great thing. I really try to make it inconvenient for kids to act out in my class by conveying to them that every problem they make in my class will follow them to the place where it makes them least comfortable.

It makes the parents uncomfortable sometimnes to the point they'll actually discipline their kids when you tell them how you'd hate to have to call them up to school and inconvenience them...have you brought these parents to school?

Unfortunately, though, some kids, like some grownups, are just out of their fucking minds and there really isn't a whole lot you can do.

X said...

Once I made the mistake of responding to the instructors' (there were two of them -- team teaching) comments on a paper and then handing it back to them. The instructors thought this was so clever, they then instructed the rest of the class to do what I had done and reflect on their reflections. Barf.