Oh good grief

[c green]

Going to EXPLODE.

This morning, one of my most out of control kids is being a little twerp, so we've had a reminder, and then a warning on the board.

Step three is a time-out, usually involving taking lines to write to another teacher's room. I tell kiddo to take out paper for the lines. When I come over to take it and write his assignment on it, he holds it out and then grabs it back--ha-ha-ha!

I start toward the board to mark that he now has detention--OK, I may have stalked. "Run!" cries the kiddo. "Run! Run! Maybe you'll catch him!"

I write a referral.

Kid comes back about ten or fifteen minutes later, and tells me he was given detention. OK.

Now, the key part of this little tale is that I did not actually ask for a pass back from the office. I am, as we've long since established, sort of slow that way.

So this afternoon, our VP is passing in the hall, and I say "Oh, Mr. K, thanks for your help with Kiddo X this morning." (I call him Kiddo X, after Ingredient X from the Power Puff Girls).

He says--wait for it--"Kiddo X"?

Kiddo X didn't go. Checking back, I realize that Kiddo X didn't go on the day that he was sent last week for spitting on another kid's jacket.

Kiddo X happened to be passing in the hall at this point. Nabbed by our--almost terminally relaxed--VP--he explained that he went to the bathroom to compose himself and then returned to class.

Ideas? I have asked the VP for suggestions and am going down to talk to him after class, but honestly--good GRIEF!

 

[marguerite2]

VP needs to unrelax

VP needs to get it together and suspend Kiddo X for going back and saying he went to the office and has a detention.

VP needs to ask Kiddo X what happened to the referrals that you wrote for Kiddo X and gave to him to bring to the office.

 

[Dawn]

kiddo X

First, cgreen, you definitely should be recording all of your episodes. You are a very entertaining writer. I read a lot, and I would even say that you are a gifted writer and I honestly think you should pursue writing short essays on your experiences and selling them to your local paper or even to some national magazines.

I am curious as to what the VP said when you talked to him. You have already said that the admin doesn't support you at your school and that they are critical of your classroom management. It seems like the students are taking advantage of that situation, and I'm afraid that the admin will use this incident (lax documentation of a hall pass) as further fuel against you. It seems like a vicious cycle--the more admin doesn't support you, the worse the kids get, and the worse the kids get, the more the admin doesn't support you. On and on and on.

I don't have any ideas bc I've never been in a classroom situation where the students were so blatantly against me and so continually trying to undermine my authority, as your students are. You are describing every teacher's nightmare, which means that you are living every teacher's nightmare. I admire your fortitude and ability to stick it out every day. I hope that you stay on the meds for anxiety and that you are able to finish the year with some dignity, and with your humor intact.

Let us know what the VP said. Are there ANY students in your class that you enjoy and that you can try to focus on and stay positive? Sorry I haven't been able to say anything constructive. I just wanted to let you know that I have been following your posts all year and that I am very touched by them. God bless.

 

[mdm]

kiddo ... kill

UGHHH... The liars just get my goat. They cause everyone problems.

If the VP didn't do anything but swallow Kiddo X's story, then I wouldn't expect too much help. But I would go ahead and write another referral on the little goober - truancy from class (self-admitted), lying about seeing the principal, tampering with written documentation, and whatever else comes to mind. Make a note of what the other referrals were for on the new referral you send. Then make a copy and deliver the referral yourself. (I usually don't send the kid with the referral. I will either walk the hooligan and the referral to the office, or send the referral down during my conference or after school and keep the kid in class. If I have to get the kid out of my room so that I don't lose my mind, then I just send him/her to another classroom or buzz the office and tell them so and so is coming to sit. I let them know the referral will be down later. )

Call the parent (or make an attempt to call the parent) and document that on the referral, too.

What are your referrals like? Ours are 3 part referrals - one for the office, one for the parent, and one (yellow)for the teacher. The way we know our kids have been spoken to is if the principal puts the yellow copy of the referral in our box. Otherwise, we wouldn't know. (If the kid gets suspension from class, then we do, but most kids get lunch d-hall.) Our kids switch classes and have specials classes. A student could be pulled from somewhere without our knowledge. Do you get anything back? If you don't, how are you to know whether or not the principal spoke to the kid ?

I would keep track of referrals you write from now on. I print a roster for each 9-week period and put it in a folder with blank discipline referrals. When I have to write one, I jot the date of the referral on the roster in the box by the kid's name. When I get the yellow copy I put a little check by the date on my roster and file the referral in the kid's folder.

I always write exactly what the kid said even it it is a cuss word (or words!!). I want parents to know exactly what their little darling said. I love to see their shocked faces when kids realize they have to take the f-word home to their parents. I say, "It looks bad in writing doesn't it? It sounded just as bad coming out of your mouth."

Well, good luck! I hope that you can find enough ways to make the little urchins' lives as unpleasant as they have made yours. I know that sounds unprofessional, but some kids really go over the limit. Even if you choose not to make their lives miserable, it's still fun to think about it. (Maybe I need a vacation.)

Only 13 more Mondays ( if you district gets out at the end of May!)

 

[GB]

A Sneaky One

A sneaky kid is just about my biggest pet peeve.