today was a bad day.
and that's saying a whole lot, considering i don't have "bad days" (i'm a diehard optimist). but today came really close. it started off innocently enough. i've actually been getting to work eariler than normal. i made copies, dropped off tech equipment to my coworkers (i'm in charge of it), and then proceeded to our weekly team meeting. when my teaching day started, period 2, i was prepared, my students were engaged and we actually got through a pretty good lesson. i was being observed & i think i'll have a good report.
then it fell apart *insert ominous, overly dramatic movie music* it was time for my 3rd & 4th period, my intervention group.
my intervention class is a challenge everyday. in this class, i aim to help kids who are functioning far below grade-level (like 2nd or 3rd grade reading level) rise to meet the state standards. not only are we faced with academic challenges, many of my students are, uh, a tad touched. several of them have been having behavioral problems since elementary school and have carried the same mentality to middle school. it's literally a struggle. i come with lots of positivity, and the more positive i am, the crazier they can be. i'm sorta at a loss as to how to reach ALL of them. today, one student, a girl, FLIPPED out on a male student and it took 2 adults (myself included) to try to keep her away/off of him. now, we aren't supposed to touch students, but i don't allow anybody to get beat up on in my room. so, while we are attempting to restrain her (and believe me, she's STRONG), the rest of the students are hyping up the situation, damn near screaming "fight, fight," like this was some sort of gladiator match. i dunno. teaching is one thing, i got that, but my students need holistic services--mental, emotional, educational--that just cannot be served by me alone.
we constantly hear about the deterioration of our schools and the achievement gap for black and latino students, but no one is addressing their issues. everything cannot and will not be solved through Shakespeare and algebra. these kids need coping skills. they need to know how to deal with their emotions. they need to learn how to make sound choices and avoid the bullshit. otherwise, they will be lost. and then what will we do?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg){kind=icon}
How about taking the first 10mins or so of class time to do relaxation exercises like sitting still, breathing, letting go etc. You could find tons of little exercises to do to help them relax before class. Less stress for you and they'd probably be quiet so you wouldn't have to spend time refereeing them.
At the end of the 10 or so mins, let them tell you when they'd like to start learning. If not, just stay the hr in the relaxed state!!!So what. I guess this is too Utopia-like, Waldorf School like thingy for a public school, but maybe it could work.
Heather
If you remember, I posted a comment a while back about single parent families and how they affect society. I would bet there is not ONE student in your class who comes from a stable home where the parents are still married. Check and see. I would like to know...I'll be looking for your reply.
I'm so sorry you had a bad day. I know what a caring and understanding person you are, so this must have been so upsetting. Upsetting for anyone, really.
You are there everyday, you show up, ready to give. I commend you.
I wish I had the answers. You are in my thoughts and prayers. As are the students. : )
some of these kids are out of control and cna u and chk this
when independent is really single
Heather: would love to get them to relax, but i'm not even sure they will sit still for 10 mins. i'm willing to try anything tho LOL.
Anonymous: welcome back. your hypothesis is actually wrong. i have several students who come from 2-parent homes (throughout all my classes), and in this particular class this class has a lot of challenges. i have 3 students who have lost one or both of their parents (deaths), two that are foster kids, a few single-parent fams, and the rest live w/ both parents. actually one of the "worst" ones in this class comes from 2-parent home, so i dunno. their issues are less parenting (although that's an issue as well), and more a lack of motivation as well as the public school's ability (or lack there of) to actually address their problems. not being able to read in the 7th grade is unacceptable. how no one (parent, other teachers, etc) didn't catch it and try to correct it is has set many of my students up for failure.
Xtina: thanks sis. how come you don't holla at the kid no more? lol
Torrance: yup. some are.
I'm back! I am so interested in how children turn out the way they do! I actually teach middle school as well. I believe not only does the marital status of the parents affect the child, the parents' education (or lack of) does as well. I teach in a rural setting so many students' parents are not college educated. I once did a survey of all of my students, about 100 of them. Out of the 100, only two students' parents were still married and both had college degrees. Very interesting! Love this discussion!
C