Deal With It
Workday - 8:30am-4:00pm
To catch up on what's happened in the last month:
On to today's story:
Apparently one of my students is schizophrenic. If no one had told me, however, I'd never have guessed. I've noticed she acts a bit odd and can be easily distracted, but that's hardly a tip-off. I have plenty of odd and distracted students without (diagnosed) mental illness.
I'm sure she's on medication, and I don't really know what to expect from her (or how to "handle" her). Only recently has she presented herself as someone who even needs "handling".
Today she came into class late (as usual) and I told her to get her worksheets out of her folder (all of the students' folders were spread out on a table). She proceeded to look at three folders before she gave up and said, "mine's not there".
I replied, "Sure it is. They're all on the table."
She looked at the same three folders and repeated, "Mine isn't there!"
I finally gestured to the other folders besides those three and said, "There are other folders on the table. Yours will be one of them."
"Oh."
Once she got settled, she then had a question to ask me for every minute there was left in the period.
Whew.
Plus every other student had about 3 or 4 questions for me, on top of it. That was an interesting juggle.
In last period, the entire class ganged up on me. They spent the hour goofing off, despite my warnings that I would finish the lesson no matter how long it took. And that I'd wait for them to be quiet if they continued to talk. And I'd wait for them to wake up if they decided to sleep. And I'd wait for them to answer if they ignore me when I ask a question.
Yet, for whatever reason, they still did all of the above.
I don't care how much of a "bad kid" you are (or think you are), I know if I were in my last class on a hot Friday afternoon I'd do anything to get it over with a.s.a.p.
They could have been out of class early, too. I taught the very same lesson in the period just before, with 15 minutes to spare.
The class was incredulous as 3:15 came and went. I had only 3 minutes left of what I needed to write and say, but they decided to use the time to argue with me instead. They wanted to tell me what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, where to teach it, and even when I should talk. Some began to get out of their seats while I was still writing. Most had long packed up their books.
Who am I writing on the board for, if no one's writing it down? I knew I'd be pushing my luck if I stopped and made them take out their books, though. I may be in charge, but they were already riled up and I can't take on 25 hot and cranky teenagers. I did make them sit, at least.
The lesson kept them in class for all of 6 additional minutes. Six minutes wasn't nearly enough punishment for what they were doing. I've been looking into what more I should do to them come Monday, keeping in mind I strongly believe in punishments fitting the crime. I believe I'll check everyone's notes and make sure they all have Friday's lesson written down. I know damn well most of them don't. For the ones who don't have it, they'll have to find a way to get it before the end of the period on Monday. It will be their only ticket out.
Today, I simply dismissed them and handed out the homework on their way out the door.
As they exited, I said, "I don't appreciate your rudeness today. I'll remind you that I can hold you in here for a detention for as long as I wish. And if you pull this again, I will."
I think I'm a pretty patient person. This was me almost at my worst.
Not bad restraint for someone with a two-and-a-half week old cough, an ear infection, a tonsil infection, and allergies on a sweltering Friday afternoon.
To catch up on what's happened in the last month:
- Seussical's long finished. It went amazingly well. In fact, it may be the best high school production I'll ever work on. We should have taken it on tour. Really, it was awesome.
- As soon as the musical ended, I got sick. This is usual. I generally get sick after a big stress factor is lifted. However, my symptoms lasted for far too long (I'm still sick at the moment). I finally went to a doctor yesterday and was prescribed various drugs.
- My marking has piled up and up, and my students are getting impatient. I couldn't even begin to tackle it while I was sick -- my brain was barely functional. I've finished a bit of it now, but there's still lots to go.
- For some reason, the air conditioning isn't reaching the math wing. The weather has been summery lately, and so my classrooms are unbearably hot and sticky. The rooms are easily 5 degrees hotter than outside, too. It's hard enough reaching applied math students in a comfortable environment. We have only two weeks left, but I've lost them. No one wants to come to class now, and I honestly can't blame them. I may have to relocate my classes to a cooler place if I want to see anyone before exams.
- Exams are coming up (as well as end-of-the-year assignments), so that's just going to add to my marking. I'll be quite busy until June 28, I imagine.
On to today's story:
Apparently one of my students is schizophrenic. If no one had told me, however, I'd never have guessed. I've noticed she acts a bit odd and can be easily distracted, but that's hardly a tip-off. I have plenty of odd and distracted students without (diagnosed) mental illness.
I'm sure she's on medication, and I don't really know what to expect from her (or how to "handle" her). Only recently has she presented herself as someone who even needs "handling".
Today she came into class late (as usual) and I told her to get her worksheets out of her folder (all of the students' folders were spread out on a table). She proceeded to look at three folders before she gave up and said, "mine's not there".
I replied, "Sure it is. They're all on the table."
She looked at the same three folders and repeated, "Mine isn't there!"
I finally gestured to the other folders besides those three and said, "There are other folders on the table. Yours will be one of them."
"Oh."
Once she got settled, she then had a question to ask me for every minute there was left in the period.
Whew.
Plus every other student had about 3 or 4 questions for me, on top of it. That was an interesting juggle.
In last period, the entire class ganged up on me. They spent the hour goofing off, despite my warnings that I would finish the lesson no matter how long it took. And that I'd wait for them to be quiet if they continued to talk. And I'd wait for them to wake up if they decided to sleep. And I'd wait for them to answer if they ignore me when I ask a question.
Yet, for whatever reason, they still did all of the above.
I don't care how much of a "bad kid" you are (or think you are), I know if I were in my last class on a hot Friday afternoon I'd do anything to get it over with a.s.a.p.
They could have been out of class early, too. I taught the very same lesson in the period just before, with 15 minutes to spare.
The class was incredulous as 3:15 came and went. I had only 3 minutes left of what I needed to write and say, but they decided to use the time to argue with me instead. They wanted to tell me what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, where to teach it, and even when I should talk. Some began to get out of their seats while I was still writing. Most had long packed up their books.
Who am I writing on the board for, if no one's writing it down? I knew I'd be pushing my luck if I stopped and made them take out their books, though. I may be in charge, but they were already riled up and I can't take on 25 hot and cranky teenagers. I did make them sit, at least.
The lesson kept them in class for all of 6 additional minutes. Six minutes wasn't nearly enough punishment for what they were doing. I've been looking into what more I should do to them come Monday, keeping in mind I strongly believe in punishments fitting the crime. I believe I'll check everyone's notes and make sure they all have Friday's lesson written down. I know damn well most of them don't. For the ones who don't have it, they'll have to find a way to get it before the end of the period on Monday. It will be their only ticket out.
Today, I simply dismissed them and handed out the homework on their way out the door.
As they exited, I said, "I don't appreciate your rudeness today. I'll remind you that I can hold you in here for a detention for as long as I wish. And if you pull this again, I will."
I think I'm a pretty patient person. This was me almost at my worst.
Not bad restraint for someone with a two-and-a-half week old cough, an ear infection, a tonsil infection, and allergies on a sweltering Friday afternoon.
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