Six Word Saturday

I am truly blessed this year!


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As a parent, I had my children take small gifts to their teachers all through school. (even to the teachers I was not fond of, because I knew they worked hard and were trying to do the right thing for my children)

I have gotten used to not getting presents in this school. The number on free and reduced lunch is a large percentage of the school, I teach a course most of my students hate, I don't want to play and be their friend - I want them to learn and apply the math - so I am mean. Just ask them.

I have received small things over the years that meant much: notes, small candies, hugs. Just a few each year.

This year - I got notes, cookies, lotion, (no gift from POS for which I am truly grateful). WOW. Merry Christmas, one and all!

This sounds like I am whining - actually,no. I just don't expect anything. I have some who love me and some where we both are grateful when the year ends.

Why you keep your head down

Dear Asswipe.

Or I should say, dear School Board Asswipe.

I came to you with concerns that have legal ramifications. Ramifications that have been headlines in the local papers for the past 3 years.

I explained why I did not go to my administration.

So you can imagine how absolutely thrilled I was to hear that you had shared those concerns - and my name - with those same administrators.[that was of course in sarcasm font]

Three things.

I will be a cold day in hell before I ever come to you again.

I am sharing this information with everyone I remotely care about.

I will be talking to my professional organization since I cannot have a professional conversation with you.

Merry Christmas!

Student Gifts

Pissed Off Teacher wrote about the joy of student gifts. Several years ago a student gave me a Starbucks card valued at $5. He took great pride in giving this to me and explained to me in detail how I could redeem it for coffee. It was obvious from his demeanor and the explanation that he had never given a gift like that before. And I valued it. I kept the gift card after it was empty and I hang it on my tree every year and think of that student.

The school I teach in is not one where there are a lot of gifts. I get some every now and then, but it is not the norm in the school so it is usually a pleasant surprise. I keep the "I like you" notes and I take pictures when they write them on my board to savor later.

There is another side of student gifts.

I have a student this year I cannot stand. Actually no one who has ever had her can stand her. She seems polite enough but there isn't a day that goes by where she doesn't threaten or insult me. While I recognize that is what they are (threats and insults) they are worded in such a way as to make it extremely difficult to write up. In other words, our administration wouldn't recognize them for what they are and would take the student's word that she didn't say that over mine.

Ask me how I know.

This student will graduate, probably not succeed until she decides that the world is not going to adapt to her, and drop out of my awareness.

Forever.

A week ago this student started hinting that she was going to give me a gift card.

Now I don't want to be rude, but I do not want anything from this student except seeing her hind end exiting my door for the last time. The previously mentioned card (first paragraph) has brought me great joy for the past 4 years, at least once a month, sometimes more often, remembering the student and the giving.

If the current student gave me a card - let's say a $100 gift card - it would be the equivalent of a larger pile of shit.

I hope it was talk and the student will not do anything. But, on the off chance she does, I have finally figured out what I would do.

In another class a boy mentioned he was having a horrible week. He mentioned all of the things that had happened to his friends that week. And. Oh by the way. My mother says she is going to kick me out of the house and I am not sure what I am going to do.

Pointed boy to the appropriate counselors for help. Thinking about him on the way home, and thinking about POS, I decided it POS does bring in a gift I will regift it to someone for whom the gift will not have baggage. And that way, I can be grateful for the gift. And someone else might feel a little better.

Six (or seven) Word Saturday

You can teach an old dog new tricks


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Reality Check

I want to know where I can get a reality check. I think I am doing ok, it's my students.

When did it become normal to disrupt a class (which is telling you that you are being a douchebag) during review for a final - and then insist that you were ONLY stretching. (No, douchebag, you are laying over the desk behind you, touching the person behind you who WAS working.)

When 14 people in a class tell you that you are acting in an immature fashion (ok, they worded it differently) because you and a friend are playing Marco Polo during the same review, grow up.

No, honey, it is NOT acceptable to whisper and giggle during a standardized test - and you need to concern yourself with what you are doing, not with what someone else is doing.

Gee, you got thrown out of an exam because you were loudly messing in your backpack? Sure threatening the teacher when you return endears you to everyone.

My son has recounted some of these stories to his friends at Georgia Tech over the years. Until this year, they assumed I taught low level special ed students. What is considered the normal behavior by too many of my students, my normal (I use that term loosely), average kids in this school is not the norm in schools within a 20 mile radius.

And then I see former students post that some air headed move has cost them a job and sadly, I am not surprised.

I want to change the culture in my little corner of the world - and I am not succeeding.

Just when you think things cannot get dumber

Teachers acting stupid here, in Atlanta, again.

Parent needs to understand teacher limitations

I cannot sit with your son and make him work in a 55 minute class with 31 other students. I can ask him if he has questions but if he will not write something down or give me an answer when I ask where he doesn't understand, then - well, there are 31 other students in the class that I can help.