What an interesting week at my school

We have some gang members at our school - like most schools these days.  The other day, a teacher gave a student a zero on a test for talking during it.  That night, he commented on Twitter that he wanted to beat her over it.  A person came by her classroom to tell her of the comment.  We found everything he wrote about her and printed it off.  They finally got the boy out of her class and into OSS.  However, someone overheard the person who told her tell the principal, so that person needs to watch out.  I'm hoping it is just a case of a student getting embarrassed in front of the class and trying to be cool online, but these days you can't take any chances.

Geez! What a Monday!

What a day I've had today.  First, I had to post grades from Friday's test.  Just to give you an idea about Friday's test: they could use their notes, I only put 25 questions on it, and they had over 90 minutes to complete it.  22 of my 9th graders failed it.  Then today, I got two new students in my monster class, which brings the total up to 3 new students in that class since Friday.  This was going to be an easy day.  I was going over their test answers from Friday, then letting them read their water molecule stories (those who actually did it, of course).  While a student was giving her report, a kid in the back of the class started rolling his chair across the back of the room.  I warned him that he was being inconsiderate and got him back to his desk, then he started yelling to a student across the room, so I moved him to a seat away from them and over by me.  I signalled for the student presenting to continue and the kid started banging on the closet door handle.  I wrote him up and sent him out.  As I was coming back in ti class, I heard words that stunned me coming from the back of my class. One of my new students wasn't in class 10 minutes before I heard cursing that would make a sailor blush.  Needless to say, she was starting a fight with another student.  I wrote them up before punches flew and sent them to the office. Finally the bell rang for lunch.  I spent my lunch time looking for goggles for another teacher.  When the students came back from lunch, the door handle abuser was back.  I asked him why he was in class and he said the assistant principal sent him back.  And I kid you not, he started rolling the chair across the room again!  I walked around the desk and emailed the AP demanding an explanation as to why he would send a kid back to class after a write up.  No response.  After school, I went looking for the AP to get an explanation and he was gone.  I really hope this new AP isn't going to suck.

Yikes! He finally arrived!

Well, he finally arrived.  The kid who is apparently so horrible that the faculty met with me to explain that if he screws up just one little bit, he gets sent back off.  Basically, it's his last chance for an education and a better life.  Oh goody.  And he happened to arrive in my class on test day.  I received the email before his class arrived.  Part nervous and part panicky, I wondered how I would handle it if he becomes violent or mouthy during a test.  By the time he arrived to my class, I had devised multiple reactions to his behavior.  It was to the point that I almost hoped he would pull something.  See how weird I am?  Anyway, it was a big relief when he walked in and sat down in the front row, right by my desk and smiled and introduced himself.  He looked like an angel.  I explained that everyone had to take a test and he would need to sit quietly and read or take a nap or something quiet.  He was fine with that.  Very charming.  And he sat quietly the entire time.  I felt like chewing out the administration for scaring me like that.  Of course, it was only the first day, so Herman 1 (new school, new names) could turn into a nightmare.  And I still have four dissections to do with that class before it's over.  Maybe he'll be fine.  Maybe.

Our football team won...but we suck!

The only reason we won the game Friday night was because the other team sucked worse.  We didn't even score until the fourth quarter - and that was because the other team's quarterback got tackled over our goal line. (Still laughing about that).  It was the start to a crappy weekend.  Got home Friday night upset over all our penalties.  Saturday, had dinner with a teacher friend and we watched the Alabama game.  I know we won that too, but we sucked!  What is wrong with the offensive line?  I finally figured that the only reason we played so bad (we're ranked at #1, the other team isn't ranked), was so the other teams wouldn't know how good we really are.  It's a trick that Saban's using to throw off the other teams we have to play this year.  Brilliant, eh?  Anyway, so disgusted after that game, that I went to see The Wolverine to cheer myself up. Mind you, Hugh Jackman shirtless was worth every penny, but the movie ended all wrong!  WTH is going on?  Then, after church on Sunday, I decided to color my hair.  Too much gray, you understand.  I went with a dark brown color, which, as it turns out, is really black.  And for some reason the back of my hair didn't get dyed.  So, from the front I look goth, but the back of my head is a different color.  Needless to say, Monday was rough.  But the kids were wonderful.  They kept telling me that it looked fine and that two different colors of hair is the style.  LOL.  What a great bunch of young men and women!  (Frame this, I may never say that again!)

Getting a new student on Tuesday

Great.  Just when I thought it was going to be a really good year, I find out that I will be getting a new student.  And not just any student.  Apparently, this kid is returning from jail or juvie or alternative school.  They didn't tell me which.   Basically, all they said was "if he screws up just one tiny bit, send him out and we'll get rid of him".  Lovely.  Now, I'm wondering if he is violent, or high strung, or drugged out or just scary to look at.  Will assigning homework send him into a rage?  I hate when no one will tell you about a student.  I've really got to start taking some form of martial arts classes!  This is one of those situations where you actually hope he's a stoner or something.  I'd prefer him to sleep through class than to freak out and shoot everyone!  Oh well, guess I'll find out on Tuesday.  Thank goodness we have tomorrow off!

Parent meeting cancelled

After school, I was supposed to meet with a parent because my student flipped his chair over and got embarrassed.  Not sure why I was meeting with the parent.  It's not like there was anything I could do to stop his embarrassment.  Anyway, it was cancelled.  The only thing that irks me a little is that nobody told me the meeting was cancelled until I had locked up my room and walked the length of the school to get to the conference and nobody was there.  Then had to walk to the office and find the AP, who then told me it had been cancelled.  Great.  My feet were killing me and it was cancelled.  Oh well.  The good news is that I got out of there by 5 pm.  So far, this week hasn't been half bad.  Let's hope my optimism continues. LOL

Trouble with the 9th graders already!

I have a parent meeting tomorrow after school.  Three days into the new year and already have a parent meeting.  Geez.  Had a student flip his chair over yesterday (very loudly).  He didn't get up, so I went over and asked if he was alright.  He said he was fine.  I told him to get up and he said he would just lay there.  I asked him if he was really alright.  He said yes, he was fine.  I told him he had to get up. (He was lying spread eagle behind three other students sitting in office chairs on wheels.  His fingertips just inches from their wheels.  He finally sat up, but didn't get off the floor.  Realizing that this class was too big to risk a lot of our fun experiments on due to safety, I told them that right now they have a yellow flag.  That if they walk into class one day and there are books on the desks, I didn't want to hear a bunch of whining and complaining, because I had to consider everyone's safety.  Apparently, this embarrassed the student and his mom needs to discuss it.  Wow.  Really?  Of course it embarrassed the student.  The fall was so loud it scared the entire classroom.  Everyone stared at him and some giggled nervously.  Oh well. Another year.  On the good side, he was an angel today. Tomorrow, we break out the microscopes and they will look at cork and thread under them.  So, here's to hoping nothing gets broken and no one gets hurt tomorrow. Say a prayer.