Any Excuse to Act Up

It was freezing today. For once, it actually felt good to step into the school. I burned up my whole planning time talking to the Professional Specialist. (It takes so much time just to stay eligible to teach.) Then, we lost electricity. It was only out for a few minutes but all the kids were screaming in the halls (any excuse to act up).
There’s only one more day until Winter break. I kept reminding myself, "this is the last time I’ll see them for two weeks—be patient." They can be really obnoxious. Allison was chewing gum. I made her spit it out. The next time I saw her she had stuffed more gum into her mouth. I made her spit it out again and she put more gum in. I made her pick up all her gum wrappers (which she had thrown on the floor), remove the gum wrapper that she’d stuck to her forehead, and spit the gum out. She showed up for reading class with a fresh stick.
All of the teachers got a holiday loaf of bread from Chad except for me. It makes me wonder. I’m not really concerned about whether he likes me or not (I don’t need any 13-year-old friends) but it scares me because of who his mother is. I’m not really sure what to think about that.
Loco picked up a ten-day suspension for gang graffiti. He has a history. Some of the kids are saying that he’s expelled. I hope not. I like Loco. He’s a funny guy and he’s smart even though he tries to hide it. I’m going to have to have a little talk with him.

The Fog of War; Monday, December 11 – Friday, December 15

The week passed in a blur—-the fog of war. Monday, I had my last final. We all arrived in class expecting to turn papers in and go home. There was a schedule on the board. It outlined every single minutes of class and it was full. I don’t remember much else. Sleep deprivation, I guess.
My class was observed on Wednesday. By that point, I really couldn’t care less. We had the honor roll party in my room right before class. Most of the students happened to have me next. They were WIRED. High on sugar and strung out on caffeine, they were shouting to people right next to them, totally unaware that there was another adult in the room. I can’t wait to find out what she put on my evaluation. I’ll get it back on Monday when I have to meet with her again.
The anticipation of winter break has the kids acting crazy. Koko was suspended. LJ decided that he doesn’t have to do anything teachers tell him to do and got suspended. DaSean got sent out of four of his five classes in a single day and was suspended for the rest of the week. Malcolm spent today in In-School Suspension. It’s excitement over the holidays combined with anxiety. Many of our kids do not do well at home. As a student, I couldn’t wait for the next holiday but many of our students rely on our school for someone to care about them (get on their case), something to do (go to school and get in trouble), and somewhere to eat (complain about the food). Holiday time makes the kids anxious.
William got jumped after school yesterday. He was out with his boys this morning looking for revenge. I saw them headed away from the school and let the administration know.

She Said, She Said

We had a war council this morning. There was a meeting of all seventh grade teachers when school started. Then, they called all of the seventh grade girls out of class to talk to them. I guess most of the fighting is over “she said, she said” stuff. Brenda’s fight yesterday started because she got in trouble with one of the P.E. teachers. Brenda thought that someone told on her.
“Did you snitch on me?” she asked another student.
“No," the student replied, "and even if I did you wouldn’t do nothing about it.”
I guess she found out otherwise.
Well, we made it through the day without any more fights. There was still plenty of trouble but no more fights.
I played indoor soccer with the kids after school. My team is not very good. Nobody wants to pass the ball. On my way out of the school, I walked by the office. It was full of cops. They had a couple of students in there. Another fight?

Today Violence Won

Today violence won. This has been a relatively peaceful year. Last year, we had a stretch of third quarter when it seemed like there were fights every day. Today, I felt like I was back in that stretch of last year.
In my first class, I caught Brenda with gang writing on her textbook. I handed it over to the principal. There was a fight at lunchtime and all the students came back to class crazy. It’s impossible to get them to focus after a fight.
The halls were clearing after the next class when I noticed a crowd at the opposite end of the hallway. I ran down. Mr. Burns was yelling at students to go back to class. Nobody was. I forced my way through the crowd and past a teacher who was trying to hold everyone back. Two girls were being held apart. One of them was Brenda. I walked her down to the office.
Once again, the kids were crazy during class. Fifteen minutes before the end of the day, LJ wandered into my classroom from wherever he was supposed to be. He was wearing a hat. I didn't notice but the hat had a gang insignia on it.
“What do your hat say?” asked Malcolm.
“[Name of Gang],” responded LJ.
“Take it off, fool,” said Malcolm.
“Give me the hat,” I said.
LJ took off running down the hallway. I followed him outside, demanding the hat. I finally lured him back by asking for his pass (which was totally invalid) and snatched the hat from him. He came back and demanded it after school. When I wouldn’t give it to him, he called me a “bucket head”.
I went to take the hat to the principal and found out about another fight. Jenny and Cardoza started fighting after school. Jenny was in the office crying. Cardoza had the usual mean look on her face. It will be nice to be rid of her. I guess Malcolm is out, too. Apparently, he was sexually harassing Latisha (another rival gang member) in class. I hope we can just survive until winter break.

No Blood Stains

I took yesterday off. I had to work on a paper and a final that were due last night. I spent the whole day writing. Now, it feels good to be done—with one class, anyways. My other class ends on Monday.
It did not, however, feel good to be back today. The kids seem to be getting crazier and crazier. Allison was finally back from her big suspension. I didn’t miss her. Everyone’s just looking forward to the winter break.
The substitute seems to have done a good job while I was out. The room was still in one piece. Nothing was missing. No blood stains.
I managed to postpone my observation for a week. It was supposed to be today. It’s a good thing I got it changed because I wasn’t feeling like it and the kids weren’t either. The only problem is they’ll be even crazier next week.

Another Teacher Statistic

Ms. Lynn is leaving. The kids don’t know yet. She’s going back to Delaware. She won’t come back after Winter Break. I wonder what it’s all about. I know she was having a tough time. I wonder who will replace her.

Extra Curricular Activities

I stayed late today to prepare sub plans so that I can take tomorrow off. I have a big paper that I need to write. I can’t wait for this semester to be over. I have class on Monday and Tuesday nights. I have club meetings after school on Wednesday. Mr. Latin and I have been organizing a student after-school soccer program that I’ll be playing with on Fridays.
Today, I wanted to give some insight on the school courtyards and now it looks like I’ve been drafted onto a committee to do the whole thing. I guess I was the only one who responded. It really is a shame. There’s so much that we could do as a school but everyone is so tired by the end of the school day that they just want to leave. Clubs are really good. You can interact with the students in such a different (and positive) way. It’s nice.
Well, they’re wanting to renovate the school’s courtyards. It needs to happen. My classroom looks out into one of the courtyards and it’s a dismal sight. They want to have student gardens. I suggested a schoolyard habitat. I have a bird feeder on my window and that’s been good. I’d like to add some bushes, trees, and a pond. If not a pond then at least a birdbath. The habitat could add a lot to our life science curriculum. We’ll see what happens.

Maintain a Low Profile

It’s that time in the semester when everything is due. My night classes are killing me. Right now, I’m thinking, “It’s only Wednesday?” I think I’ll take Friday off. It’s a lot of work to take a day off but I need it. I have a twelve page paper due on Tuesday and I’ve barely started it. I won’t be able to get much done over the weekend because my weekends are even more busy than my workweek.
LJ was back in class today. I guess it was just a preliminary trial. He said he has to go back on January third. They should have just locked him up. He was crazy today.
We got some more news on Shauna. Mr. Burns just found out that she gave him a forged pass. She was late to his reading class and forged Ms. Lamb’s name on the pass. It’s another strike against her. We’ll see what happens next.
Ms. Helm has a parent who won’t leave her alone. It’s constant phone calls and emails. There doesn’t seem to be anything Ms. Helm can do to appease the woman. I pity her. I had a crazy parent who hounded me two years ago. It can add some gray hairs. I feel bad for Ms. Helm but also fortunate that she’s getting hounded, not me. I’m just trying to maintain a low profile and not attract too much attention.

Head Start Teacher is a Real Role Model

Update on Shauna—Mr. Burns said that the conference ended better after I left. Ms. Lamb, who has been teaching here for over thirty years, said that she taught Shauna’s mother but that she didn’t remember her being that bad. I went by the principal’s office to talk to them about the conference. The principal said that he had the referral. He agreed with me that the conference had been a complete waste of time. He said that both Shauna and her mother had yelled and cussed at him in his office. By the way, I was wrong. Shauna’s mother does not work for the after-school program. She works in our school for Head Start. That’s right. She works with preschoolers.
I next talked to the school police officer. I told her about the baiting that was going on between Malcolm, Shauna, and DaSean. She said that although Shauna is not part of the gang, she believed what I was saying about trying to incite Malcolm. We talked about “Crime Mob”. Even if it is the legitimate organization that Shauna’s mother claims it is (and it isn’t) then there were other things that Shauna wrote on the paper that tie her to gang activity. It’s pretty clear what Shauna was trying to say.
The professional specialist caught up to me today. She’s going to observe my class next week. I can’t wait.

'Crime Mob' is a Community Organization

Welcome back. I spent half of my planning time today trying to avoid the Professional Specialist. She wants to set up a time to observe my class. I want her to leave me alone. The other half of my planning time I spent with the reading specialist and Rodney. We tested him on his reading to see if we can help him with something. We’re not done yet but some things are already becoming apparent.
I caught Shauna writing gang names down today. She was doing it right in front of Malcolm who just got back from his gang-related suspension. I think she was trying to incite him to do something because she was writing the name of the rival gang. DaSean has been trying to set Malcolm off, too. I asked Shauna for the papers and she refused. I asked several more times and she crumpled them up and refused to let me see them. I finally got the papers from her and put her in the hallway, asking her to write an explanation of her behavior. When I got the explanation from her she had written, “Malcolm and Mr. Moore need to mind their own business.” I gave her a referral to the office.
After school, coincidentally, we’d scheduled a conference with Shauna's mother to talk about grades. I started telling her mother what had happened and she cut me off,
“You don’t know the street! You can’t change the street! ‘Crime Mob’ is a community organization! Your school PO’lice officer is supposed to be a resource officer! How come she don’t know that?”
We switched to the subject of grades. There was a bad feeling for the rest of the conference. Mom did not engage me much more verbally or visually. She glanced at me both suspiciously and aloof. Clearly, she believes that the teachers are the problem. I excused myself early to get to class but the whole thing is still bothering me.
The office secretary asked me for a referral form for Shauna. I guess the one I filled out never made it to the office. Shauna got ten days. She got five days for the gang writing and five more for being disrespectful to the principal. I wonder where she learned that from? I’m not sure but I think Shauna’s mother works at the school for an after-school program. I’ve long suspected that adult employees of the school are a connection to the gangs. I think some of the hall monitors and paraprofessionals are also involved.
Speaking of criminal activity, LJ dropped by briefly after school. He wanted to let me know that he won’t be in class tomorrow because he stole a bicycle. LJ always misses class and never mentions anything to me about it. I think he was trying to show off a little. It elevates the status of the kids when they get arrested or locked up. I took the time to tell him to talk to the judge respectfully.

A Bad Driver is OK Until He Meets Another Bad Driver

A bad driver is OK until he meets another bad driver. Isn’t that from Great Gatsby?
Today, one of my bad drivers, LJ, ran into another bad driver, Alice (the one who isn’t in my class but comes anyway). I’m not sure what happened. After lunch I was helping a student open her jammed locker. Suddenly, there were screams and pushing. I ran over and saw that two guys had LJ sandwiched against the wall. They were yelling at him and threatening him. I pulled him free. Everyone was crowding around and shouting. Guys were telling LJ not to hit a girl. Girls were encouraging him. It was absolute chaos. I got him out of the hallway and asked him what happened. Apparently, Alice hit LJ so he punched her back. I took him to the office. Half an hour later he was back in class.
I watched him after class in the hallway because I thought he might get jumped. Alice was back too. As LJ walked down the hall, Malcolm grabbed him. Malcolm put an arm around LJ's shoulder and had an intense conversation with him. From what I could overhear, Malcolm was telling LJ to never punch girls. Whatever he said, it probably had much more of an impact than whatever the principal said.
I’m disappointed that LJ and Alice weren’t immediately sent home from school. These things have a way of escalating. The kids were crazy afterward. Everyone was talking about what had happened. When LJ came back to class everyone wanted to talk about it again with him. We really need to have a zero tolerance for violence policy in our school because in a lot of ways the kids reward each other for fighting. LJ left school today with each arm around a different girl.

What a Difference One Student Can Make

This is the Thanksgiving holiday week. There are only two days of school this week. Only two days. Take a deep breath. Exhale slowly. I can do this. It’s only one more day.
The kids were insane today. I battled all morning and through most of the afternoon. By the time my last class started I had zero patience left. One girl, Shauna, asked if she could get a drink of water before class started. I let her go and she disappeared. She showed up just as I had finally calmed everyone down. She came into the room yelling at her friends. I had to get everyone quieted down again. In the middle of my explanation of the warm-up activity, she suddenly walked to the front of the class and started writing on the board. I told her to sit down. When my back was turned she flinched at me. I don’t think she thought I would see her but she pulled back and pretended to hit me. I put her out, sending her to the time-out room. The whole class calmed down. It’s amazing what a difference one person can make. Two minutes later she was back, claiming that the time-out lady sent her back to get some work. I refused to let her in. Class was pleasant from then on.

Really, Really Tired of School

It’s been a long week. Today was a long day. We got out two hours early but it sure didn’t feel like it. I am really, really tired of school right now. When the final bell rang the teachers were racing the kids out of the building.
Malcolm, back from his ten-day suspension, settled into his usual role of class disruptor. I held him after class and we had a little talk. For once, he settled down and was serious and sober. I hope he can get things together. Karen came back today, too. She’s been gone for over a month. Her family went back to El Salvador for a visit. She’s a pretty conscientious student but I have to wonder, how can you take a month off from school?
I now end with a different class on Fridays than I used too. That's because of the holidays we had last week. It’s a nice change. The group that I used to finish the week with was my worst group. On Friday afternoons they would be CRAZY! Ms. Helm had them last today. I could hear the screaming coming from next door. She told me that she sent three of them to the time-out room. One of them walked out of time-out. Another one never made it down there. After next week I’ll start getting that group last on Fridays again. God help us all.

Parent Conferences

Conferences are done. What a relief! I managed to get out of the school by 7:30. All things considered, it wasn’t that bad. Rodent’s mom showed but not his dad. His mom was upset with him but not rude to us. She asked that we call if we have any more problems. I know who to talk to now.
Some of the parents were not very polite and some were just plain rude. One of our students had both her mother and father there even though they are divorced. We had this same family last year (with the older sister) and the father is quite obnoxious. It’s hard to be in a ten-minute conference with him. I can’t imagine how someone could be married to him long enough to conceive two kids! He’s very controlling. He showed up late and expected everyone to cater to him. During the conference, he cut people off and controlled the questioning. At one point, he complained that his daughter did not have any homework. I glanced at the other teachers (who I know give plenty of homework) and then realized what was going on. If I were his daughter, I wouldn’t want to do homework with him looking over my shoulder, either. I didn't mention my theory. That one conference spoiled the tone for the next several.
There were a couple of other problems but none too serious. Mostly, it was just parents trying to get more time than they had been scheduled. During one conference I looked out the window and noticed a police car with its lights flashing. The police had pulled a car over and had a bunch of guys sitting on the curb in front of the school. It was a strange feeling, parents talking to teachers inside the school and police arresting people outside the school.
Speaking of arrests, Malcolm was back in school today after his ten-day suspension. Apparently, the reason that he was locked up was because he was caught with drugs on the second day of his suspension. I really have to have a talk with that boy. There’s another student that I suspect is using drugs. One of the other teachers voiced the suspicion to his mother tonight. Mom didn’t think so. She wants him tested for learning disabilities. I don't think that's the test he needs.

More Drama

Conferences are tomorrow. I have to get a grade sheet printed out for all the students whose parents are coming in. I’ll have to show up early tomorrow to do it. I have to plan some lessons for tomorrow, too. With the short day I also have a shortened planning time. Usually, I have some idea of what I want to do but for tomorrow I have no idea. I’m definitely going to have to come in early.
I like Wednesdays. It’s the first day of the workweek that I don’t have night school. It’s nice to just go home and relax a little.
There’s a seventh grade student named Alice who’s been showing up in my class. She's not supposed to be there because she’s not my student (and I’m glad). Throughout the course of the year we’ve had a couple of run-ins because her locker is near my room and she’s always causing some drama. Yesterday, she decided to join my class. When I kicked her out it was a big scene. Today, she stopped by twice during the school day. Once on the way to the bathroom. Another time to borrow some tape. Both times were in the middle of my (and her) class time and I promptly sent her out. Why do I have to deal with this? Why? What did I do to deserve this?

Parent Conferences Coming Up

Parent conferences are Thursday. We’ll get a half-day with the students but then we’ll end up staying until eight at night with the parents. It’s going to be a long one. Fortunately, we get a half-day Friday, too. I saw a list of the parents who are scheduled to meet with us. Mostly, they’re the parents that we don’t need to talk to. What a surprise, the parents who are involved in their kids’ lives have pretty good kids. There are a few on the list, however, that we really need to talk to. Rodney’s parents are on the list. I’m honestly worried about that one. Maybe his dad will come in and threaten me again. Some of the other teachers have told me that Rodney passed their classes. I’m not sure how that’s possible. Can he be that much better for them than he is for me? Or are the teachers bumping his grade up to avoid problems? Am I going to be the one singled out at the parent conferences?

Second Quarter (Round Two)

Round Two got off to an explosive start today. We had two fights before the opening bell. I was at my post in the hallway as the kids were coming into the building. Suddenly, I noticed a group of students gathering around. That's a sure sign of a fight. I got there and saw Mr. Latin standing between two girls who are screaming at each other. Mr. Latin is pushing them apart and yelling at them to back away. Neither girl will. I grabbed one by the shoulder and pushed her back down the hallway. Mr. Latin took one to the office while I stayed with the other one.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“Yesterday, I was talking to my friend on the phone and she grabbed the phone and started cussing at me.”
As Mr. Latin entered the office, the principals went running out. They were on their way upstairs to break up another fight. That one turned out to be two of my students, Kanika and Allison. It must have been serious because they got suspended for ten days apiece. When the fights start early in the morning then it’s usually a carry-over from something that happened before school. The gangs are the same way. They’ll feud on the street then it erupts in school because they’re all here together. This was the first day back from a four-day weekend. It was our first holiday of the school year. Everyone had plenty of time to get in trouble over the holiday so they were crazy today. I swear the crime rate must jump when we’re out of school.

First Quarter Ends

It's the end of first quarter! I stayed at the school until 7:30 to get done. I finally got all the grades and comments in. That should mean that I don’t have to work on Friday. Thursday is Veteran’s Day so I have that off. It was hard getting done. I tried to put at least one comment for each student but for a few average students I just didn’t have very much to say. Of course, you can never say what you really want to. “Your child is really obnoxious and it’s a result of bad parenting.”
I had about ten students fail. Rodney was one of them. He wasn’t even close. I know I’m going to be hearing from his parents but what can you do? I give all my students a participation grade. Most students get all ten of the points and that can bring them up a whole letter grade. Every time they cause so much trouble that they are sent out of the room I deduct one of the points. Rodney managed to whittle his way down to three points. He would have been lower but I’ve stopped sending him out because he seems to think it’s a reward. Rodney’s quarter average was around 30%. Most of that is for stupid stuff—earning zeros on quizzes and tests for talking, not following directions, tearing all the pages out of his notebook right before the notebook check etc. His parents have already asked for a conference. I’m not looking forward to it.

Just One More Day, Just One More Day

Just one more day, just one more day. I never wanted to be in a position where I was living for weekends and holidays but that’s where I am now. One more day before the holiday. Tomorrow’s the last day of the first quarter.
I forgot to mention it yesterday but Malcolm (who is suspended) stopped by in the middle of class.
“Hey, Mr. Moore,“ he said.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I just got out,” he responded.
“Out of what?” i had to ask.
“I was locked up.”
I guess he’s been in the juvenile detention center for the last few days. I didn’t even realize it. I just knew that he’d been suspended. He still has five days on his suspension but he must have been coming in to pick up his books and because . . . he misses school? Who knows? I’m going to have to spend more time on that kid. He’s too smart for his own good.
Ms. Helm has challenged my reading class to a competition. We’ve already started talking trash in front of the kids. The bet is to see whose class can read the most. We haven’t decided what the prize will be. Her kids want me to cut my hair if they win. I don’t know. I don’t really want to do it but if it will make them read . . . I’ll have to think about it.

Monday, Monday, Monday

Monday, Monday, Monday. The quarter ends on Wednesday. Thursday we are off for Veterans Day. Friday is a Teacher Workday. The kids have it off. We’re supposed to get our first quarter report cards done. Rumor has it that if we have grades in on Wednesday then we don’t have to come on Friday. My grades will be in on Wednesday. I don’t care if I have to work past midnight. I really need the four-day weekend. It’s only a three-day school week. The kids are crazy. I just have to survive two more days.
I met with Mr. Latin again about Rodney. I’ve decided that I’m going to dismiss the entire class except for Rodney. Then, I can make sure that he takes all his materials with him. I’m planning on doing it every class until he learns. It’s totally inappropriate for a kid his age to need this king of extra attention but how can he ever do his homework if he never has his books?

Is There a Black Market for Microscopes?

Well, I guess the observation went OK because when I came in this morning the notes were gone and the can was in the trash. Today is Friday but it sure doesn’t feel like it. I have class tomorrow. Normally, it’s a Tuesday night thing but once a semester we have to meet on a Saturday. It’s scheduled from 9-3 and I’ll be presenting a paper that I have to write tonight. It’s a good thing I have Veteran’s Day off next week.
I went looking for microscopes today. They seem to have disappeared. I thought we had a whole set of new ones in the closet but when I looked this morning there were only a few. I thought Ms. Peters had them but she claimed that the ones in her room were from someone else. I don’t think I believe her. She always hoards the materials and then things have a strange way of just disappearing. I don’t know. Is there a black market for microscopes?
Rodney was extremely annoying today. He had a coughing fit until I let him go get a drink of water. Then, he asked if he could go to the bathroom and I accidentally said “yes." I’m just not much of a disciplinarian when it comes to the rules and sometimes (when I get asked a million times in the same day) I answer without remembering to think. Rodney came back from the bathroom and started climbing on the tables. Finally, he settled down to a game of paper football. I took the football from him, threw it in the trash, and had a talk with him. He settled down for the rest of the period.
After school, I saw him wreaking havoc in the hallway. He was grabbing two girls who were screaming at him to leave them alone. Meanwhile, a teacher who was telling him to stop and go home was being completely ignored. I handed him his notebook (which he had left in my classroom AGAIN)and walked him out of the building.

Notes to Principal: How to Conduct a Classroom Observation

The principal observed my class today. It’s been on the agenda for a while and I’ve kind of been stressing it. It’s just hard to work with someone looking over your shoulder. I’ve never liked having outsiders in my classroom. Well, we’d scheduled once for the principal to come in but then I had to miss it because of a curriculum-planning meeting. The principal was getting on me to reschedule and I was trying to put it off. Finally, today was the day.
He drank a mountain dew while he was watching. (I guess I’m not the only one who stayed up too late on Election night.) The students were surprisingly quiet during the warm-up exercise. A couple of girls kept popping up and down to get textbooks off the shelf. The principal scribbled notes furiously. I could have killed them. Then, class started. The same group of girls kept raising their hands, volunteering to read, and answering questions. They’re never cooperative. I guess they’re just showing off for the big boss.
About twenty minutes into class (and just before we got to the interesting part) the principal’s radio went off. He left and never came back. The only part that he observed was the boring part. After school, I stared at his mountain dew sitting where he left it, next to his notes at the side of the room. I contemplated pouring the mountain dew on the notes. Then, I thought about reading what he’d written about me. I did neither. I’ll find out soon enough. The can and notes are still sitting there in my room.

The horror . . . the horror . . .

The horror, the horror. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it to take a day off. The room was a disaster. Guess who got in trouble? It was the usual list including my little friend Rodney. As usual, he left his notebook in the room instead of taking it with him. I’ve written “Don’t Leave in Room” on it in big, black letters. It doesn’t seem to matter. I’m so sick of seeing it in my room that I feel like throwing it out but I don’t want to give him another reason to slack off in class.
Ms. Morris, the counselor, approached me today. She said that she’d heard that I had a “meeting” with Rodney’s father. I told her no but that he’d had a “meeting” with me. She seemed to know what that meant so I asked her what the history was. All she would says is that it goes way back and the family still doesn’t “get it”.
Malcolm got a ten-day suspension for leaving his gang-graffittied binder in my room. I guess he’s got a history too. The school police officer was livid. I guess she’s worked quite a bit with the family and Malcolm is still getting in a lot of trouble in the community. He was one of the kids that they brought in this summer for a big gang mediation. That was supposed to be the end of it. Malcolm’s mom thought that ten days was too much but he’s had a history and he’s been warned before. Personally, I like the guy. He’s got a good sense of humor and he’s smart. I admit that he can get on my nerves but he’s usually polite—at least in my class. I’m not sure how he’s always getting in trouble but he’s smart enough that he could get into some real serious trouble.

What a Day

What a day. I left substitute plans so that I can take tomorrow off. Now that Jamal is gone I am supposed to choose another student to focus on fixing. So, this morning I spent over an hour in a meeting about Rodney. We have to try to figure this kid out.
The elections are tomorrow. Every school system in the metropolitan area has the day off except for us. They’re going to be voting in our school. It’s going to be a total mess. I don’t know how we’re going to control students and voters at the same time. That’s one reason I’m taking the day off. The other reason is so that I’ll have time to vote. I have school all day and class all evening. When am I supposed to vote? The polls close at 7 p.m.
I have a test in my class tonight. I’m stressing it. At the same time, however, I really don’t care. I guess I’m getting pretty close to the burnout point. It's yet another reason to take tomorrow off. The principal is going to be observing my class on Thursday. I should take Thursday off, too. I don’t even know what happened to this weekend.

How to Reduce Traffic

I didn’t take the train today. I didn’t write in my journal. I had to drive downtown to pick up my monthly train pass. City employees get issued a few free rides each month. It’s to encourage people to use the train and to decrease traffic. For some reason, though, you have to drive downtown to pick up the pass. So I drove to work on Thursday and then swung by after work to pick up the pass. Guess what? On Thursdays they only give the passes out between eleven and one. The lady was sitting there with an envelope full of passes but refused to give any up. So on Friday I drove to work again and went by the office after work and actually got the pass. Two trips for one pass. All this to reduce traffic.

"No Shool"

I watched Latisha while she was taking her test. She only answered a handful of the questions. Then, she got out her assignment notebook. She opened it up and started folding the pages in half lengthwise. Page by page she very carefully folded them until her whole assignment book was half as wide but twice as thick. Then, she started writing “No Shool” on all the weekend sections of the book. Finally, she turned to the goal section. On the first line she wrote her name followed by three stars “Latisha ***”. On the second line she wrote it again . . . and on the third . . . and the fourth . . . and the fifth . . . and so on . . . and so on . . . Sometimes, I think I’m teaching way over these kids’ heads.
We pulled in a bunch of the trouble makers today to have a little talk. We brought them in one-by-one. Rodney was there. I asked him if he had a locker . . . and if he knew the combination . . . then why does he always leave his materials in my class? Well, after our talk with all the kids we were feeling better. Then, Rodney got in trouble at lunch and got another in-school-suspension. It will be nice to have a break from him tomorrow. I swear that kid only comes to school for breakfast and lunch.

The Natives Are Growing Restless

The natives were restless today. You would think that after the principals talked to everyone then they would calm down. If anything, the opposite happened. Kids were running around in the hallways between classes. One student stormed out of my room because I wouldn’t let her go to her locker. (This was after I held my door open for an extra two minutes for her while she was at her locker.) Rodney had to go to the bathroom all class long. DaSean had to go to the nurse all period but I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want to take the test. I think the kids really hit back hard when you try to get them to improve their behavior. Come down on them and they’ll come down on you.
I worked on my annual goals today. Annual goals are a piece of paper that you look at once a year (that’s the annual part), change the date on them, and turn in to someone who insists on having them. Then, you don’t think about them again until another year has passed. I finished my goals up and then emailed them to my mentee so that she could change the name on them and turn in the same ones. (And they say you don’t learn anything in school!)

A Miracle

I had a meeting this morning about Jamal. We’ve been meeting once a week or more to try to figure out what to do about him. We’ve been identifying the issues. We planned to do some testing on Thursday.
This afternoon, Jamal barged into my honors class in the middle of the period.
“Wrong class, Jamal,” I said. He pulled a piece of paper from behind his back. It’s a withdrawal slip. Jamal is moving to another school system. Thank you, God.
We had an assembly with all the seventh grade students today. The principals were talking to them about discipline. Of course, all the students were being rude and disrespectful (especially during the part of the assembly on respect). For the most part I have been impressed with how well our students have behaved this year, especially compared to how they’ve behaved in past years. The principals, however, recognize that there is still a lot of room for improvement. I’m glad. I believe that our students rise and fall to the level of expectations placed upon them. They are doing so much better this year. It’s hard to imagine how high their potential actually is.

Review for the Hardest Test of Your Life

Rodney came into class wearing a big winter coat. A few minutes later he asked me if he could go to the nurse because he felt hot. I told him to take his coat off. Then, he complained of a headache. I told him he couldn’t go to the nurse. A few minutes later he told me that he had to go to the bathroom. I told him no. Soon after, he had made a miraculous recovery and was running around, crumpling up papers to throw at the garbage can, and shouting at people. I think I liked him better when he was sick.
We were reviewing for the “hardest test of your life” today. Rodney’s class couldn’t even focus for a few minutes. Even with so much of their grade on the line, they couldn’t get it together. I feel sorry for the few serious students in there. Ms. Helm had a talk with the wild ones before they came to my class (she has the same group right before I do). Apparently, they didn’t get the message. We’re going to bring the troublemakers in next week to have a little talk.

Who Comes Up With These Things?

I drove to work today. I had a mentoring meeting on the other side of town fifteen minutes after school got out. Who comes up with these things? Well, I finally got all the kids out the door and was about to leave when I saw DaSean standing in the hallway.
“What do you want me to do, Mr. Moore?”
Whoa! I totally forgot that he’d asked to come by after school about a week ago. Normally, the kids don’t show up. Well, what kind of mentor would I be if I turned down a kid who wanted to learn? I gave him some assignments to make up and helped him through them. Then, I found a new way to get home from school. I’ve missed yet another meeting.
Rodney was surprisingly quiet, polite, and well-behaved in class today. LJ got suspended for doing something. It must have been bad because the principal asked me to give him some work. I guess he’s going to be out for a while.
Someone wrote a gang name in large letters across the front of the bathroom stalls. I think it might have been Malcolm. I know he’s part of that group. He was late to class today because he’d been in the head principal’s office. Suddenly, in the middle of class, he yelled out, “Fuck her!” (Her being the head principal). I took him outside to have a talk. He agreed to come back to class and get to work but I told him that he needed to calm down first. I sent him to the bathroom and told him to take his time. He came back to class and gave me no trouble for the rest of the day. Now I’m wondering if he did the graffiti when I sent him to the bathroom.

Aftermath of the Substitute

As expected, Rodney was a real pain today. He came to class late, would not stay in his seat, and spent most of his time yelling things at the other students. After school, he went running for Ms. Helm saying that someone was going to beat him up. It turns out that it was true. What Rodney failed to mention was that he called the guy “white boy” and slammed him into a locker. I haven’t figured out what to do with Rodney yet.
It looks like the sub was a disaster yesterday. I had a whole stack of names sitting on my desk when I got back. Fortunately, the principal gave them all detention. Unfortunately, I’m supposed to call all their parents. The kids were all complaining about how mean the sub was and how unfair he was. Of course, they’re all innocent of any wrongdoing. As the stories came out, however, I was able to piece together what really happened. I don’t feel sorry for my students. They’re all guilty. Besides, even if the sub is the meanest, nastiest person in the world, all they have to do is get along with him for an hour and fifteen minutes. Our kids are used to getting away with too much. When someone from outside the school tries to hold them to normal standards of behavior they think it’s cruel and unusual.
The rumor is that Jamal’s aunt showed up at the school yesterday afternoon. She talked to the teachers then yelled at him and threatened to take him out of this school. On the one hand, it would be nice. On the other hand, what Jamal really needs is some stability in his life. Our principal thinks that Jamal is acting up on purpose because he wants to get sent back to his parents in Florida. There, he used to bounce back and forth between them, never really spending much time in one school. It’s sad how so many of our kids want the worst for themselves.

It's Nice to Feel Wanted

It’s three o’ clock and I’m out of work already. I had an hour off for lunch, too. I’m not even tired. We had an “all day” curriculum planning meeting today. It was kind of strange to be in-school-but-not-in-school all day. I kept seeing my students around the building. I saw LJ as I was leaving. I guess the substitute kicked him out of class. According to LJ, the sub kicked all the nice people out. I saw my principal a little later and he asked if I’d be back in the classroom tomorrow. I told him I would and he said, “Good.”
It’s nice to feel wanted.

Unscheduled Parent Conference

TGIF. Payday! So why am I so miserable? It was a stressful day. Yesterday, when I had Rodney in class, he wanted to go to the bathroom. We don’t normally let kids go unless it’s between classes or an extreme, extreme emergency. I didn’t really believe Rodney. It seemed like he was bored and just wanted to get out of class. Every two minutes it was, “I have to go to the bathroom. I really, really have to go!” Near the end of class I started to feel sorry for him. Maybe he really did have to go. Well, when class got out I watched him. He didn’t go to the bathroom. He went to Ms. Helm’s room.
Today, five minutes into class, “I have to go to the bathroom!” I reminded him of yesterday’s class and told him that I’d seen him when he left my room. “I have to go . . .” I told him that if he said it one more time then I’d send him to time-out. “But, I really have to go . . .” I sent him to time-out.
It was probably the most pleasant class period I’ve ever spent with that group of students. After class (the last of the day), Ms. Weeks, the time-out lady, came by. She had called Rodney’s dad and he was going to come see me today or after school on Monday. Thanks a lot. For a moment, I considered rolling out of school and saving my weekend. Then, I remembered that I had to do substitute plans for Monday since I have to be in that meeting.
Minutes later, Rodney came into my room with his dad. Immediately, the mood was hostile. I explained what had happened. His dad started yelling at me and got up in my face, “I’m telling you right now, some teachers aren’t worth a fuck!” his finger pointing down in my face. I tried to diffuse the situation with a smile, “Well, I think . . .” He interrupted, “I’m not playing games! I got my diploma! I don’t play games with teachers no more! Last year, I sued the school system! I’m not paying no $500 for a lawyer this year! I’m dealing with you face-to-face!” His finger is still in my face. “Either you’re lying!” pointing at me, “Or you’re lying!” pointing at his son. The conversation turned to whether Rodney had been disrespectful of just disruptive. I maintained that Rodney had been just disruptive. The yelling started back up, “That lady on the phone told me you said he was disrespectful to you! Someone’s lying here! I’m going to find out what you wrote on that paper!" He stormed out of the room with Rodney, looking for Ms. Weeks.
Well, now we know what’s wrong with Rodney. How is a kid going to respect his teachers when his parents disrespect them in front of him? The school is always telling us that if you have a problem with the student then you HAVE to call the parent. I don’t want to call the parent. Most of the time, the parent IS the problem. I don’t want my students to get beat up at home because I talked to their parent. I really don’t know what to do. How do I handle Rodney now?

Meetings About Meetings

I forgot about a meeting I had this morning. They came and got me in my classroom. At the meeting, I got assigned to go to another meeting on curriculum. It’s an all-day Monday thing so I have to get a substitute. I’m not really looking forward to it. I’m all meetinged out. I have another one tomorrow morning.
The gang graffiti is starting up in my room again. I have a couple of suspects. I turned one girl in today because she had it on her binder. I had to clean it off the student tables. I’ve discovered that fingernail polish remover works well.
I’ve been having a lot of trouble with Allison lately. She’s always playing around in class. This afternoon on the way into the room, she asked if she could sit somewhere else in the room. OK, I thought, she’s starting to realize that some of the other students are a bad influence on her. That’s good. So I told her I’d let her try it. Later, I discovered that she’d written her name on the table with lip-gloss. Then, she started talking up a storm while I was giving directions. I told her to move back to her old seat. She refused. I told her that she could sit in her old seat or she could sit in the time-out room. She left. I’m going to make her clean the lip-gloss off the table tomorrow.

Thanks For the Help

I got an email this morning from Ms. Morris, one of the social workers in the school. She went to LJ’s house this morning and brought him to school. He hasn’t been in school for a couple of weeks now. Last time I saw him he told me he wasn’t going to work until the second half of the school year because that’s all he needs to do to pass. Apparently, that’s what he did last year.
I had LJ’s class at the end of the day today. I saw him come into the room but when I took roll he was gone. He showed up fifteen minutes later with a tardy pass, no books, and no materials.
“Where’s your notebook?” I asked.
“Oh, don’t worry about me, I don’t go to school no more,” he responded.
“You’re here now,” I said.
“That’s because Ms. Morris brought me this morning. I’m only coming on days I have P.E.”
For the rest of class he talked out and was mildly disruptive. If that’s all he’s going to do then I’d rather he stayed home.
I missed a mentor meeting early this morning. I slept in. I missed a faculty meeting yesterday (thanks to class). Then, I missed some sort of textbook meeting today due to club activities. At yesterday’s faculty meeting they assigned everyone to committees so that we can have more meetings. Do you think we have enough meetings yet? I don’t know what I’d do if I actually went to them.

D.C.'s Problems

I guess Jose wasn’t expelled because he got suspended today. After he got the suspension, he was wandering around the 7th grade hallway like he belonged there. Mr. Burns, Ms. Liger, and I all converged on him and pointed him out to the principal who took care of him.
We had a seventh grade meeting today. As usual, there was a lot of complaining. I felt like I should say something positive so I thanked the principal for the good job he was doing. It was an awkward moment so I quickly reminded him that I have an evaluation coming up. Everyone laughed at that and we moved on. Still, you have to keep it positive. Things are so much better this year than they were last year.
It was a little tough being back today. I called in sick yesterday for Columbus Day because my wife had the day off. It was a beautiful day. We had a great time together. Today, it was like, “Why do I have to deal with this?”
I saw one of my students as I was getting on the train. I quickly ducked onto another car because I just don’t feel like dealing with anyone at the end of the day. Now I’m suspicious. Our kids that ride the train are usually coming in from somewhere else where they don’t want to go to school. I can understand not wanting to go to D.C. schools with all the problems D.C. has. Unfortunately, students who come from D.C. tend to bring D.C.’s problems with them. You would think a student who isn’t supposed to attend our school would maintain a low profile but a lot of times they don’t. They get in trouble. Then, when the principal tries to contact their parents we discover that they shouldn’t be in our school. We have enough trouble with our own students. We don’t need to be taking care of everyone else’s problems, too.
Speaking of everyone else’s problems, I got a new student today. She just moved in from D.C. She’s a Timmons, one of many in our school. I had her cousin two year ago, one of my most-hyper-of-all-time students. Let’s hope for the best.

TGIF!!!

Friday! Friday! Friday! I had energy this week but today it was gone. Monday is Columbus Day. Most school systems get it off but we don’t. I’m planning on calling in sick and spending the day with my honey (she has it off). I can use the break. I don’t have class this Monday evening.
Well, the kids knew it was Friday, too. They were crazy! We watched a video today, not the whole period but the last twenty minutes or so of each period. It’s hard to keep them sane for seventy-five minutes on a Friday afternoon.
Rodney was pouting in the doorway of my classroom when it was time to come in. He said that he got assigned Saturday School for “doing nothin’” Of course, I happen to know that “nothin’” in this case includes a whole myriad of disruptive behavior in Ms. Helm’s class. The kids are so used to not having consequences for their actions that they can’t handle it when they are held responsible. They get away with everything they do at home, everything they do in the neighborhood, and most things they do at school. The first person to hold most of them accountable is the judge. It’s no wonder our prisons are full of “innocent victims”. Anyhow, I asked Rodney if this was going to interfere with his behavior in my class. He assured me that he would behave himself. Of course, he didn’t.
Apparently, Nick wasn’t the only one who might be getting expelled for yesterday’s incident. My email this morning had four kids suspended to the Dean of Discipline. He’s the one who makes decisions on expulsions and serious suspensions. The email also included my former students Shawanda and Creme. I broke up a fight with Creme last year and she scratched me up until I was bleeding. Jose (also from last year) is saying that he’s getting expelled as well. Of course, Jose is also a chronic liar but it might be true.

Smart Kids Gone Bad

I just heard that Nick, one of my former students, might be expelled. I had him for most of last year before they took him out and put him in the alternative program. I guess he just got back from a suspension today and he got into another fight. He ended up pushing another student into a teacher. That’s sad. The kid is crazy, it’s true, but there are always a few of the bad ones that have a special place in my heart. He was never mean or nasty to me. True, he never let me get through a lesson uninterrupted, but I thought he had potential.
Loco is like that this year. What is he, like sixteen years old? He never stops but he’s funny. He makes me laugh in spite of myself.
I sent DaSean out today. I gave him a couple of warnings and then on strike three I sent him to the time-out room. I had the referral all filled out and waiting. I wasn’t going to let him bug me for the entire period like he did the other day.

What Nobody Ever Tells You About Interim Grading

Jamal was a real pain today. Probably the worst that I’ve ever had him. Before, the other teachers would complain and I’d just think, “He’s not that bad.” But if he’s acting everyday for them the way he acted for me today then he is that bad. The boy doesn’t want to shut up. I’m supposed to be coming up with some sort of special plan for him. His aunt has asked for testing. She says he’s headed for prison. I guess she just got custody of him last year. He moved up from his parents’ in Florida at the end of last school year. Then, he drove all the sixth grade teachers crazy in the short time that he had them.
I turned in interim grades today. That’s always a daunting task. There are always those parents who say, “Why didn’t you tell me my child had an F?” Then you say, “That’s what the interim is for,” and they get mad. Then, there are a lot of parents who complain if their student does well at interim time but then does badly on the report card. You can’t please everyone. I try to throw some tough assignments in there so that not everyone has perfect grades. If their grades are good then some of the kids will stop working.
Something happened in the cafeteria today. I’m not sure what but I guess the principal is making them have a silent lunch tomorrow. A bunch of students asked if they could have lunch in my room but I turned them down. I used to let students have lunch in my room but it got to be as much of a drag as having them in class. I’m glad they’re having silent lunch tomorrow. They normally come back from lunch completely crazy. I’m curious to see what it does for them.

Did You Eat Your Wheaties?

I had energy this morning. I was feeling pretty good (yesterday, too). That all changed after lunch today. I had two rough classes in a row and that just took it all out of me. Why are they giving me such a hard time now? The “let’s be nice because it’s a new year” is definitely over. Interim reports are due tomorrow, could that be it?
DaSean was awful today. He came into class with attitude and just wouldn’t stop talking. I asked him to stop and he did but only until I looked away. I asked him to stop again and this time I caught him whispering, “Mr. Moore, can you hear me?” I said, “Stop!” Then, he started arguing, “How could you hear me?” I finally got him to stop. I turned to the board and I heard a whisper, “Now, can you hear me?” I sent him out. He was arguing all the way out of the room. When I went to talk to him in the hallway he was still giving me a hard time. I explained to him that I was trying to give him another chance and he calmed down a little. I let him back into the room and he started up again. I called him over and explained to him that I was trying to help him out. Why are you giving me a hard time if I’m trying to help you? He apologized then went right back to the talking. At the end of the school day, Ms. Helm came over and said, “DaSean was such a pain for me today.” Enough is enough.

More Scheduling Problems . . .

I just found out that I only have eighty-some students. I realized I was a little short but I didn’t realize I was that short. It’s because of the scheduling problems with the honors classes. My honors class is full. I have students whose parents want them in honors science so they get moved to another team. I lose my best students that way. Of course, I also lose a lot of parents who could be a real hassle. So now I have eighty-some kids. Last year, it was over a hundred.
I feel bad that I’m not carrying my share of the load this year but I’m also going to enjoy it while I can. You're probably thinking that a few kids doesn't make much of a difference but just one kid can make a huge difference. Of course, it depends on the kid. Sometimes you can have a class that is just awful. Then, someone is out for a day and the whole personality of the class improves.
I guess I’ll be getting all the new students since I have space in my classes. That’s too bad. Most of the transfer students are not that good. Some transfer because they get kicked out of other systems. Our good students, on the other hand, tend to transfer out of our school. We’ve already lost a couple that I wish we could have kept.

Dodging Parents

I just dodged a parent on my way out of school. It was one of my parents from last year. She would have wanted to stay and talk. I had another parent email sitting in my inbox but didn’t bother to open it. I’ll deal with it Monday and enjoy my weekend.
Today, I ripped into Rodney in the hallway. I had thrown him out of class and he slammed the door on his way out. Later, Ms. Helm said she heard me. Then, Ms. Weeks said she heard me, too. That’s not good. She’s all the way down the hall and around the corner. It’s tough. I have my worst class on Fridays. They are totally hyper by then. Ms. Helm came in today and asked us to quiet down because we were making so much noise and her class was trying to take a test. When she walked in, Rodney was standing on a chair and yelling at other students. It’s not as bad as it sounds—we were doing a rowdy activity, covering textbooks in an assembly line (trying to beat another class’s time)—but I’m sure it didn’t look good.
Timothy complained about his lab grade today. Said it was his partner, Chawanda’s fault. I told him that it’s part of his job to work with his partner even if she’s being difficult. That will probably be another parent email on Monday.

One Month Down, Nine More to Go

The first month is down. There's not much to say today, really. I’ve got a bunch of kids in my reading class who still haven’t taken a reading test. They're supposed to read every day and take tests on what they read. Of course, they don't. I read a book to them for the first week of class and even walked them through the test, answering each question for them. I told them that I want them all to have points by the end of the week (that’s tomorrow). Sometimes I think it’s because I do too much for them.
Rodney was complaining about being hungry again. I got him to start talking and he said he could only eat a little breakfast or his parents would yell at him. Then, he didn’t eat the free breakfast the school provides because it looked “nasty”. He doesn’t eat lunch for the same reason. I don’t know what to do with a kid that turns down food that the government is paying for and them complains about being hungry. We talked about it but Rodney hasn’t come up with any solutions so far.
I just saw Jackie on the train. I taught her brother two years ago. I told her to say, “Hi.”

The Honeymoon is Over

The honeymoon is over. We’re into the school year now. Kids aren’t trying to make a good impression anymore. They’re getting disruptive. We’re losing patience.
I finally got the OK to start distributing textbooks (four weeks into the school year). It’s about time. They wouldn't let anyone give out books until there were enough books for every student to have one. I guess they finally got enough delivered. The books are brand new. That means the students are responsible for any damage. This is going to be ugly. I think we’ll put book covers on next class.

Some kids were good . . . some kids were bad

Coming back to your classroom after a day with a sub can be like coming into a war zone. It wasn’t bad today, though. There was just the slightest sense that things were not where I had left them. On the desk, a note from the sub—“Hi Mr. Moore, some kids were good, some kids were bad.” That pretty much sums up every day.
I always ask the substitutes to leave names of students who were acting up. That way they can be dealt with and it makes things that much easier for the next sub. It goes back to the days when I was substituting. I could walk into a class and tell which teachers had their kids on notice and which didn’t.
Expectations for substitutes are low. Some of them tell me they don’t sub for science because they can’t teach science. Of course, none of the subs can teach science. If they could teach science then they wouldn’t be subbing. All I’m expecting is for someone to pass out worksheets, maybe put a video in, be there in case something happens. If you speak English then that’s a nice bonus.

Weekend!

Weekend! I love the weekend! I left sub plans on my desk so I can call in sick on Monday. I really need a little break. Not only that, I have to get my homework done. Graffiti Boy was back in class today. I guess it was a one-day suspension. More of the same graffiti appeared on one of the student lockers today.
In another incident, I gave some students extra time to get to class from lunch. They finally made it back to the room from their lockers when LJ came strolling down the hall, taking his sweet time. He hadn’t even gone to his locker yet. I gave him the choice—-get to class on time without your stuff or go to your locker and be late to class. He went to his locker. About fifteen minutes later he showed up with a pass, yelling that I got him an In-School-Suspension. I kicked him back out and when I went out to talk to him he was gone. He reappeared for the last two minutes of class with a pass from his former Language Arts teacher. Everyone in class just laughed.

The Morning After

The worst part of Back-to-School Night is the morning after. It feels like you spent the night in the school. I should just bring a sleeping bag in, throw it on one of the lab tables, and sleep till class starts in the morning.
The aftermath of Back-to-School Night is also fun. I had one long, irate email from a parent. It wasn’t directed at me but my name was in it, I got a copy of it, and so did all my bosses. I’m not sure which is worse. On top of that, we have all the kids whose parents suddenly decide that they want them in another class. So now we’re running around trying to change schedules. I also picked up two brand new students today.

Back to School Night (The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree)

Everyone should have the opportunity of being a teacher at Back-to-School Night. For the first few weeks of school you have all these kids that you can’t figure out. Then Back-to-School Night comes along and everything becomes clear. You see these older versions of your kids sitting in your room – some of them in the same seats their kids choose. We have a saying in education, it’s “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” And it is really true.
It’s been a long one. I got to school around 8:30 this morning. It’s now about 9:45 p.m. and I’m on the train going home. Mr. Burns had to rescue me. Most of my classes only had a handful of parents in them. One class had only two parents out of a class of more than twenty. My last class, however, was my honors class and there weren’t enough seats for all the parents. They wanted to stay and talk, too. Mr. Burns came by my room like I was riding home with him. Even then, one of the moms kept talking to us. She followed us all the way out of the building and to Mr. Burns’ car. We’ll have to watch out for that one. She could be trouble. Mr. Burns dropped me at the train station. He’s nice like that.
Graffiti boy was still in class today. I was not happy. After school the principal came by and explained that they just talked about the graffiti today and now he’s suspended. He’s been suspended pending a parent conference. Hopefully, that means he’ll be out of school for a while. Last year the parent would call the school to yell at someone and that would count as the conference. Then, the kid would be right back in your class. I guess we’ll see what "parent conference" means this year. Apparently, the school cop had a good talk with graffiti boy and scared some sense into him.
In other news, I have my name, "Mr. Moore" posted outside the door to my classroom. Someone wrote an “H” over the "M" in "Moore".

Sorry . . . I've Got Class

I just slipped out of a science department meeting early. Sorry, have to go. I’ve got class. It's a good thing, too. The professional development lady was getting ready to do a presentation and I don’t think I could sit through another one of those. It’s irrelevant anyways since I won’t be teaching here next year.
This morning I ran into Amber, a former 7th grade Health teacher. She’s substitute teaching. It was good to see her but at the same time she really shouldn’t be teaching. They really should require teachers to take a drug test. At least she’s not fulltime anymore.
For the most part, I’m happy with the way things are going this year. The kids are better behaved. They’re more pleasant and fun to teach, too. We have Back-to-School Night tomorrow night. We’ll see if the parents are well behaved too. I think they will be. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know.

Shortest Weekend of My Life

This was the shortest weekend of my life. The Redskins lost an ugly one on Sunday afternoon (it was painful to watch)and by Sunday night I was thinking, “I can’t believe I’m going back to work tomorrow.” Then I overslept. My wife had to drive me to work. Fortunately, I was teaching the same lesson today as I taught on Friday and today's was much easier. I was tired but the kids were even more tired and that helps. Loco slept through class completely.
I caught the graffiti writer today. It was the student who I thought it was. I checked that his table was clean before class. During class I saw him writing something on it but didn’t interrupt. After class I checked and there were the gang names.
I can’t write. A bunch of people got on the train and started singing and handing out pamphlets.

The Gangs Are Back

Thank goodness it’s Friday! I started the day with another meeting. For the third day in a row we discussed what we’re supposed to do with out honors science classes. For the third time nothing got done and for the third time I wasted my planning time.
The gang graffiti has started again. I’m not sure who’s doing it yet but I have my suspicions. I looked up his address and he’s in the right neighborhood. I had to clean it off a table—if you don’t then you get more. Two of my class textbooks are ruined. I’m not sure what I’m going to do about that yet. If I can figure out who is doing it then the school will suspend the student. Gang activity is one thing they take seriously—even last year. No bandannas, no gang colors, no signs—if it’s on your stuff then you’re out. The gangs stay one step ahead. I suspect that the current gang uniform is black tee shirt, cargo pants, and backpack with numbers on it. I see some kids that are looking pretty suspicious—including one of my little friends from last year. I’ll ask the school police officer about it.

Amazing People Tricks

Isaiah walks up to me in the halls between classes.
“Mr. Moore, let me show you something. Hold out your hands like this.” I hold my hands out, palms down. He slaps me on the back of each hand.
“Which one hurt more?” I point to my right. He takes it in his hand and yanks on the last knuckle of each finger.
“Which one hurt most?” I point to my middle finger. He grabs it, turns it over, and starts rubbing it vigorously while saying, “Think of a number between one and five. Can’t be one, can’t be five.” He stops rubbing and inspects my finger carefully.
“Is it three?” I shake my head.
“Four,” he says confidently. I shake my head again.
“Two?”
Wow Isaiah! That was really amazing.

Remarkably Unremarkable Day

It was mostly an unremarkable day. The usual kids were late. The usual kids were misbehaving. The usual kids were late and misbehaving. But today something very unusual happened. The principal did something about it. Today, Jamal got a detention for being tardy again.
All the other students had been in class for a couple of minutes when Jamal came ambling down the hall like he’s got all the time in the world. When he got to class he still had his bag so I told him to take it to his locker. He strolled over to his locker. I shut the door. “Go get a pass from the office. You’re late.”
The whole time I was waiting for him he was looking at me like, “What? You can’t do anything to me.”
About ten minutes later another teacher brings LJ to my class. She found him hiding under her desk. I told her I’d send him to the office but she said no, he was hiding under her desk because he had just come from the office. Thirty minutes later the office came for him. That was the last I saw of him. We have a good office staff this year.

Tired Tuesday

I’m tired. Today wasn’t bad. I was just giving the students their pretest for the year. It’s actually a nice break for me. I’m tired because of my class last night. I have class again tonight. I’m actually skipping a faculty meeting right now so that I can ride the train in time to get to class. This is going to be a long semester. I’m going to have to take some days off just to survive.
Remember the kid that I had to email home about (Jamal)? Well, he became the first kid that I had to send to the time-out room. He came to class and then just refused to stop talking. I put him in the hall to give him a chance to settle down but as soon as I tried talking to him he started up again. “Send me to time-out. I don’t care.” So I did. His mother/aunt/grandmother or whoever is the one I was in contact with on Friday emailed me back yesterday to tell me the problem was taken care of. I guess it wasn’t.

First Monday Back

Why does the morning have to be so early? Who made the weekends so short? It’s our first Monday back in school and our first full week of school. It started out with a meeting for 7th grade science teachers that wasted most of my planning time and, as near as I can tell, accomplished nothing. The kids were on me early. My third block is nice and quiet, though. Maybe too quiet. When I ask for volunteers no one wants to read. Still, I’d rather have it that way than the other way.
My fourth block noticed the classroom bird feeder. When the birds started squabbling the kids were picking sides. The only problem is that no one could tell the two birds apart. As near as I could tell, the small feisty bird chased off the larger one. It just goes to show you—it’s not the size of the bird in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the bird. The kids loved it. Loco was trying to place bets on the outcome.
Right now, I’m riding the metro to my evening class. I had to leave school right behind my students and then walked past them as they were lounging home. Being a teacher is like being a celebrity, but only when school is out. While I was walking to the train station kids were leaning out of bus windows and shouting "Mr. Moore! Mr. Moore!"
I have to make it to class by five. All this so that I can get a permanent teaching license instead of the provisional license I’m on. I took the Biology Praxis test on Saturday. It didn’t seem too bad. We’ll see in 4-5 weeks.

Day of Firsts

I’m tired. I’m glad it’s Friday. I have to take my Biology teacher certification test tomorrow morning and I better study tonight. I haven’t studied as much as I would have liked to. I’ve got a kind of achy feeling in my body that I haven’t felt since last school year. It’s the feeling you get when you’re just counting the periods until school gets out on Friday. Only now that it’s out I’m still tired.
It was a day of firsts! I sent my first email to a parent today. Actually, I guess it’s to his aunt/legal guardian. It always makes me nervous. I’ll probably come in on Monday and have a nasty message waiting for me or an angry guardian at my classroom door. Her kid is a real pain, though. He just doesn’t know when to stop. When to stop talking. When to stop fooling around in the halls and come to class. When to stop fooling around in class and get into the hallway.
I guess there have actually been three 7th graders suspended already. Schools with a lot of suspensions are usually frowned on but for us it would be a great thing. I don’t think we want to discourage our principals from suspending. The kids already get away with too much in our building.
I confiscated my first toy today! DaSean was bouncing a rubber ball in the middle of class. It’s going to make a nice addition to my collection.
Some of the kids noticed the birds coming to the window bird feeder. It will be nice if we can keep them coming all winter. I heard from Charles that he’s been transferred to another class. I ran into him in the office. He was complaining loudly to his teacher that he had been sent to the office without getting a warning.

Do We Really Need More Meetings?

I had to come in about half an hour early for a mentoring meeting. It wasn’t very helpful. Some of the other mentors are really pushing for extra meetings after school and happy hours together (someone mentioned that we should invite the superintendent--who was arrested for DUI last year). The last place I want to be on Friday afternoon is hanging out with people from work. I mentioned it and they switched to Thursday. Still, do we really need more meetings? Some of these people really need to get a life outside of school.
The copy machine has started jamming again. That, and we’re running out of paper. We talked about lab safety rules and following directions in class. Then we played “Mr. Moore Says” to practice following directions. It’s basically like “Simon Says” but who is Simon? Why does his opinion matter? In my class, it’s Mr. Moore's opinion that matters.
Last class, Arome insisted that I call her “Lymo” because lime is her favorite color. Today, she admitted that she just made that up. Charles got belligerent when I asked him to spit his gum out. I guess he’s mad at me since he failed my class last year in spite of everything I did for him. The Guidance Department is not supposed to put repeaters with the same teacher two years in a row. They should probably change that. Speaking of scheduling problems, for the third year in a row I have only one honors class. There are two honors Language Arts classes on my team and two honors math and a bunch of parents will be complaining to me that their kid isn’t in honors science. Then, my honors class will fill to overflowing, and then I’ll start losing my best students to other teams. The administration has agreed with me for the last two years that it is a problem and that they should fix it but . . . nothing has happened. All things considered, it’s been a good start to the school year.

Opening Assembly

We took the students in to meet the 7th grade principal. This is when they explain all the rules and procedures. I had a good talk with my class beforehand. I explained that if they keep me happy then I will keep them happy. Then, I told them that one thing that makes me happy is when they make me look good in front of my boss. They behaved. Some of the other classes however . . . it's the second day of school, the principal is talking about discipline, and they can’t keep their mouths shut for two minutes.
Apparently, we had our first fight today. Welcome back! The good news is that the responsible party was suspended. Last year he would have escaped with a warning.

First Day of School

School started today. I arrived a couple of hours early to get set up. I ran into Mark (one of my annoying students from last year) in the hallway. It’s two hours before school starts on the first day and he can’t wait to get back to annoying his teachers. He was like, “Hi Mr. Moore!” It took me a while to ask how his summer was.
Two of my eighteen homeroom students brought their locker money today. It’s a hyper bunch. I’ve already given them assigned seats. It’s amazing how they automatically seek out the people who will get them in trouble.
My second block class is WILD! In third block I had two students that I failed last year. Charles was miserable and quiet, only nodding his head when I teased the students about how this will be the hardest class of their life. Beyonce, on the other had, was energetic and seemed proud to be back. She already knows the teachers and routine so this is her chance to shine.