Friday, August 29, 2008

Day 5

"Dag, yo! This class be trifflin'! Mr. G, if I bring my mutha up in hyeah kin I get transferred to another class?" One of my students asked me this during period four, after I had to scream again and sit everyone down. She was tearing up because she always tries to do her work and while she and two or three others try to learn I am rushing around breaking up munchkin fisticuffs.

I'm not sure what the logic is behind our current class arrangements, but grouping every problem child in the sixth grade into one homeroom and having them spend the day wearing teachers out is not conducive to learning. I'm not particularly angry or frustrated by this group, because my attitude is to just strap in and enjoy the ride. Their antics are always entertaining, and there's no sense getting angry at them. I tell them the truth: I yell because I'm disappointed, not because I'm angry (though when they almost knocked my LCD projector on the floor I did let my temper get the best of me--I'm out $600 on that piece of equipment, and I use it every day).

I think at the next sixth grade team meeting I'm going to suggest breaking this class up into more manageable chunks. There is a core of six boys and three girls who cause all the trouble. If two of them were in a room it would fine, and we could easily disperse them amongst the other sections instead of turning one section into the Arkham Asylum.

I like these kids, however. One of the worst behavior problems handed me a note today. "Don't read it in front of anyone," he said. I opened it after school and it said "I like you Mr. G. You are a good man. I like your class and but you is nice and smart. I try to be better. 4 yo and other teaching people."

Another of these hoodlums is a wreck all day every day until the end, when he meekly asks me to walk him out of the building and across the street to his mother. "Someone hasslin' you?" I asked him, and he nodded, but I can get no further info because of the no snitchin' code.

Karaoke tonight with the Booker T. fac at Kelly's, aaiiiigggght?

3 comments:

Nick said...

Still reading and enjoying and marveling at your awesomeness. You're saving this stuff, right?

Geoff said...

No awesomeness here. I am humbled by others in my building every day!
And by the kids, who are fifty times braver than I had to be at any point in my life.

How are you and yours? I would love it if at some point we could get y'all over to our house for dinner or something.

Nick said...

We are all doing just fine--thanks for asking! You know we were just saying that the other day, and I STILL have your Dawn Of The Dead DVD! We should try and work something out soon--if not a house thing, at least a meetup dinner at some restaurant. Tien was talking to Jenn just last week too...