I was walking in the other morning and I heard one boy say to another boy "Now she says it burns when she pees." I can only wonder what the line before that might have been.
Was he asking for advice? Did he think that one of the other boys might have a solution for that? I'm thinking he might get a response such as "My god sister's homegirl said if you shake up a coke and put it up there it will make the burning stop." Sage advice to be certain.
Today in the hall there was a boy going by and he'd obviously been hit in the face. He said he was headed to Youth Action to talk to the detectives. As he looked well abused I inquired. He told me he'd been jumped by five guys to get his I Phone 4. I was suitably horrified until he told me that he shot at them. Finding out that the boy was 16 I was concerned about him walking around near my home carrying a gun and he said he had a permit for it. Texas may be open minded about guns but I don't think 16 year olds are licensed to carry handguns on a public street.
I brought it up in my class and certain students said that the boy absolutely SHOULD have shot at them to "defend hisself." They said that on that street that there were a lot of boys who liked to jump other boys, so that walking through demanded protection. This is four blocks from my home. I told them that I thought that was a lousy world to live in and they said "Miss, that's just how it is now." I told them it wasn't like that everywhere and another student said "Miss, where isn't it like that?"
I really think I need to leave the hood....
Monday, April 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Personal Responsibility
I teach high school at the largest High School in Texas. Why are we held accountable for the fact that there are students that are advanced to us that have NEVER ever passed a grade of school?
So there is this school thing in Rhode Island.
Schools are low performing if their students cannot 1)graduate with their cohort (graduate in four years) or if they cannot pass the exit tests.
HOW can WE be held accountable for students that are advanced without mastery? HOW can WE be held accountable for students who enter High School on a THIRD grade reading level?
I'm sorry, if a kid is only at "Skippy ran out in the street and got hit by a car and died" level then WHY should High School Teachers take the hit because they can't bring them up SIX grade levels in one year, SEVEN in two years, EIGHT in three years and NINE in four years????
I am happy to work with all the children I get. I'm FURIOUS that there are kids that are being passed on even though they didn't pass ANY middle school grade but they are passed on to HIGH School because of their age.
That tells me that High School teachers are set up for failure. They are delivered with substandard students that are more than six years behind and THEY are held accountable. That's not cute.
Who is responsible? I am responsible for teaching children that get to me in the high school. Should I be responsible for their performance if they come to me on a THIRD grade reading level. Should I be up for being FIRED because I can't raise these Young ADULTS fast enough?
So there is this school thing in Rhode Island.
Schools are low performing if their students cannot 1)graduate with their cohort (graduate in four years) or if they cannot pass the exit tests.
HOW can WE be held accountable for students that are advanced without mastery? HOW can WE be held accountable for students who enter High School on a THIRD grade reading level?
I'm sorry, if a kid is only at "Skippy ran out in the street and got hit by a car and died" level then WHY should High School Teachers take the hit because they can't bring them up SIX grade levels in one year, SEVEN in two years, EIGHT in three years and NINE in four years????
I am happy to work with all the children I get. I'm FURIOUS that there are kids that are being passed on even though they didn't pass ANY middle school grade but they are passed on to HIGH School because of their age.
That tells me that High School teachers are set up for failure. They are delivered with substandard students that are more than six years behind and THEY are held accountable. That's not cute.
Who is responsible? I am responsible for teaching children that get to me in the high school. Should I be responsible for their performance if they come to me on a THIRD grade reading level. Should I be up for being FIRED because I can't raise these Young ADULTS fast enough?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Note to a Parent and to her other teachers...
This baby girl is in DESPERATE need of glasses. I wrote a referral to the nurse and she got her approved through Lion's club and the student told me today that her mother didn't take her to the appointment. This is the second year I've had this child and she has expressed issues to me about her mom spending her "daddy money" on things that were not for her benefit. I think she has 10+ siblings with her father and 4 with her mother.
She is a HARD working kid. She can RISE above her family of origin. She needs BASIC things such as EYEGLASSES. I just called her mother who told me that I couldn't talk to her now because she was at work. She told me to call back before 11 am. Like that works for me as a school teacher...I guess I can call her when I get up in the morning to see if she can talk about this.
I have provided this child with the supplies to take my upper level class for two years. I don't normally do this, but she is about the hardest working kid I've ever had. I will pay for a kid like this. I hate to see her handicapped because she is so nearsighted. She lives near me and I will TAKE her to the eye doctor if her mother will allow me to transport her.
I feel bad that I didn't realize that she was nearsighted until this year. I should have known it last year.
She is worthy. She's such a wonderful kid. She NEEDS grown ups going to bat for her.
She is a HARD working kid. She can RISE above her family of origin. She needs BASIC things such as EYEGLASSES. I just called her mother who told me that I couldn't talk to her now because she was at work. She told me to call back before 11 am. Like that works for me as a school teacher...I guess I can call her when I get up in the morning to see if she can talk about this.
I have provided this child with the supplies to take my upper level class for two years. I don't normally do this, but she is about the hardest working kid I've ever had. I will pay for a kid like this. I hate to see her handicapped because she is so nearsighted. She lives near me and I will TAKE her to the eye doctor if her mother will allow me to transport her.
I feel bad that I didn't realize that she was nearsighted until this year. I should have known it last year.
She is worthy. She's such a wonderful kid. She NEEDS grown ups going to bat for her.
I don't know what it's called
I see this couple walking down the hallway at school. That in itself is not so unusual, couples walk down the hallway all the time. However this provides a unique perspective.
They are not side by side -- hand in hand. They are not with arms around each other's waist.
He is BEHIND her and she's pulled up close and her backside is touching his frontside as they walk....matching stride for stride as they go by me down the hallway. He's getting his business waxed by her buns as they walk down the hall....I'm going to call it "GRAWLKING" (Grinding and walking at the same time)
My "inappropriate" meter goes off..... "Excuse me sir, sir, sir, sir, you in the white I know you can hear me you need to stop and have a brief conversation with me....." He tells me I'm stalking him. Wrong Answer.
I get louder and start saying "I'm SURE you don't want to disrespect that sweet girl like that...." He doesn't stop and I don't have anything else to do at the moment and so I following saying "Sir, please stop. Sir, you need to stop, SIR, I know you can hear me, everyone else can" and everyone else is STARING at him and the disrespected girl realizes that she looks like a fool. SHE makes him stop. I tell him he needs to make eye contact with me. He gives me the most hateful vacant stare known to mankind.....I tell him that it is MY job as an educator to offer corrections when they are needed. I tell him that walking like that shows everyone else that he thinks this girl does not deserve respect because he treats her like grindage in public. I tell him that I am offering a KIND correction. She starts hitting him in the ribs with her elbow at this point. I ask him what he should say when someone offers him a kind correction and he finally sputters out "Thanks." I think she's really close to grabbing him by the gnarlies now.
I nod and say, "That's the right answer. Please show this lovely young lady the respect that she deserves." I turn on my heel and walk away.
I hope he doesnt' slash my tires.
They are not side by side -- hand in hand. They are not with arms around each other's waist.
He is BEHIND her and she's pulled up close and her backside is touching his frontside as they walk....matching stride for stride as they go by me down the hallway. He's getting his business waxed by her buns as they walk down the hall....I'm going to call it "GRAWLKING" (Grinding and walking at the same time)
My "inappropriate" meter goes off..... "Excuse me sir, sir, sir, sir, you in the white I know you can hear me you need to stop and have a brief conversation with me....." He tells me I'm stalking him. Wrong Answer.
I get louder and start saying "I'm SURE you don't want to disrespect that sweet girl like that...." He doesn't stop and I don't have anything else to do at the moment and so I following saying "Sir, please stop. Sir, you need to stop, SIR, I know you can hear me, everyone else can" and everyone else is STARING at him and the disrespected girl realizes that she looks like a fool. SHE makes him stop. I tell him he needs to make eye contact with me. He gives me the most hateful vacant stare known to mankind.....I tell him that it is MY job as an educator to offer corrections when they are needed. I tell him that walking like that shows everyone else that he thinks this girl does not deserve respect because he treats her like grindage in public. I tell him that I am offering a KIND correction. She starts hitting him in the ribs with her elbow at this point. I ask him what he should say when someone offers him a kind correction and he finally sputters out "Thanks." I think she's really close to grabbing him by the gnarlies now.
I nod and say, "That's the right answer. Please show this lovely young lady the respect that she deserves." I turn on my heel and walk away.
I hope he doesnt' slash my tires.
Monday, December 6, 2010
It DO
I DO often revert to my "home" lingo. I was born in Arkansas. I'm related to anyone who is from Arkansas. I don't see any way around it. My father insists that my mother in five minutes can find either a mutual acquaintance or a family member.
I played the "Arkansas Game" not that long ago. I was at a teacher conference and there was a gal from Pine Bluff. "Let's Play!!" I say to her and I ask her to name off three family names. She does. I do the same and get to the third and she says "Stop." She tells me her husband's mother has the same name. It's uncommon. I ask her if her mother-in-law is one of Uncle Gus's daughters and she says that in fact that is the case. This means that I'm 5th cousin to her husband. (I think that's right...his grandfather was my great-grandfather's brother).
Regardless, even if I come from humble origins, I learned to turn a phrase or two. I learned that one says I do, it does, Who did? It KILLS me to hear kids use DO for all three. I inquire gently and they understand the correct usage, they just choose . . . ignorance.
I correct grammar all the time. That's how I was raised. Even my Arkansas people understood that we may drink tea out of a jelly jar when we are working in the yard but we don't serve that same jelly jar to company. We offer up our best tea tumbler to polite company and we also speak correctly to polite company. The way I was raised taught me that everyone deserved polite regard. No exceptions. None. Not a single one.
I was taught that it was bad manners to attract attention to oneself in public. I thought about that today when I was on Buckner trying to listen to NPR. The jackass in the truck ahead of me had his radio on louder than mine and I couldn't hear the interview (on the radio in MY car with my windows rolled up) that was SO interesting. The jackass also had something testicular hanging from his bumper. It looked like baggy red testicles. I suppose that was making a statement also. I HAVE BIG RED SAGGY BALLS.
Polite. Polite society. Polite regard.
What a concept.
I played the "Arkansas Game" not that long ago. I was at a teacher conference and there was a gal from Pine Bluff. "Let's Play!!" I say to her and I ask her to name off three family names. She does. I do the same and get to the third and she says "Stop." She tells me her husband's mother has the same name. It's uncommon. I ask her if her mother-in-law is one of Uncle Gus's daughters and she says that in fact that is the case. This means that I'm 5th cousin to her husband. (I think that's right...his grandfather was my great-grandfather's brother).
Regardless, even if I come from humble origins, I learned to turn a phrase or two. I learned that one says I do, it does, Who did? It KILLS me to hear kids use DO for all three. I inquire gently and they understand the correct usage, they just choose . . . ignorance.
I correct grammar all the time. That's how I was raised. Even my Arkansas people understood that we may drink tea out of a jelly jar when we are working in the yard but we don't serve that same jelly jar to company. We offer up our best tea tumbler to polite company and we also speak correctly to polite company. The way I was raised taught me that everyone deserved polite regard. No exceptions. None. Not a single one.
I was taught that it was bad manners to attract attention to oneself in public. I thought about that today when I was on Buckner trying to listen to NPR. The jackass in the truck ahead of me had his radio on louder than mine and I couldn't hear the interview (on the radio in MY car with my windows rolled up) that was SO interesting. The jackass also had something testicular hanging from his bumper. It looked like baggy red testicles. I suppose that was making a statement also. I HAVE BIG RED SAGGY BALLS.
Polite. Polite society. Polite regard.
What a concept.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Some days give us hope
I'm really tired. It's been a long week but today had some fun and interesting moments and there were a LOT of us who learned a lot today. I like it when I can see SO much learning going on in the course of a day. I see that there are a LOT of folks who are interested in learning more. I need to recruit minions.
ooooooo Learning Minions....don't we call them apprentices? I have some very talented kids but I need to promote some minions that I can trust with some of the basic chores... things that can help most of the rest of everyone to try and catch up as the students learn from each other. I have to impress the rules. They have to be able to recite the rules. . . . . .
ooooooo Learning Minions....don't we call them apprentices? I have some very talented kids but I need to promote some minions that I can trust with some of the basic chores... things that can help most of the rest of everyone to try and catch up as the students learn from each other. I have to impress the rules. They have to be able to recite the rules. . . . . .
No I di'int
I'm standing in the hall talking to Ms. E and I see a girl walk up with a cake under plastic. I notice that the icing is fondant, all kind of smoothed over like a petit four and it looks YUMMY. A boy is buzzing about and Miss Thang throws her heel back behind her other calf and she gets in a good lick on him. . . He says "Ow." Ms. E says "Don't kick him." and Miss Thang says " I di'int do nothin'"
Um, yeah you di'd . . .
What is this business of saying "I didn't do it" when you absolutely, demonstratively JUST totally d'ID something? That's the ultimate of ignorant and about the best bluff in the world if you can get away with it.
I don't buy it. It's a LAME ass excuse for CHOOSING to be ignorant. It's a PUNK ass response to a real problem. Who wants to brag about that?
Losers.
Um, yeah you di'd . . .
What is this business of saying "I didn't do it" when you absolutely, demonstratively JUST totally d'ID something? That's the ultimate of ignorant and about the best bluff in the world if you can get away with it.
I don't buy it. It's a LAME ass excuse for CHOOSING to be ignorant. It's a PUNK ass response to a real problem. Who wants to brag about that?
Losers.
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