Day 65

Having a child throw a chair at another student during first period can set the tone for your whole day. Fortunately the chair merely broke my Target box fan and knocked over my speakers-it missed the student target and upset my LCD projection screen, but no real harm done. KayBee got himself a couple days suspension for that stunt, but before he left he came upstairs and apologized and said "Holler atchoo later, G!"

I spent the rest of the day putting my hands on rowdy kids, pulling them apart, pushing them, setting them in their chairs, carrying them across the room, pinching their trap muscles painfully, etc. I know what can happen to classroom management after the MSA, and I'm establishing myself in ways I haven't used since I left the trenches at the Book.

3rd period two dopes started wrestling next to my LCD projector and laptop, in the middle of a horseshoe of desks and tables. I was outside this horseshoe by the door to the classroom, and kicked tables out of my way, grabbed each goofball by the neck. Kids were shocked. "Dag, he ain't playin'. He bangin' n****z!" they said, and sat up straighter. "Why he go batshit?"

I drove a student home the other day when it was raining, and now every day different kids are waiting for me outside, asking for rides home. Right now I'm cool with it, but it's going to get tiresome soon. Today I drove into particularly wretched East Side territory, the kind of spot you need colors flying to be comfortable in. But I like to see where my kids live.