Teacher interest/incident thread?

[sad-cafe]

some days you feel like you are making a huge difference

some days you just feel like mud

[MaryCalifornia]

God bless you, SC. Even if all you can accomplish with these kids is just maintaining the peace in your classroom and being nice to them, they will remember you forever.

[sad-cafe]

I sure hope so.

What we do at Gway isn't for the faint of heart.


It is kind of like Meatball surgery. They get in trouble, they get sent to us for anywhere from 45 days to 186 days. We plug as many holes as we can in their transcript and hopefully model proper behavior that they can learn on what is appropriate or not given the setting and then if it all works right, we send them on their merry way hopefully to never see them as teachers again.

However currently we have 8 repeat offenders that were with us last year. That is not supposed to happen like that.

[tjh532]

SC I have a question for you. I recently filled out an application for a job in another state, and I had to fill out a questionnaire. It asked quite a few questions about how much I think a student's culture/nationality plays into their attitude and behavior. Do you think that the kids you see are affected by their environment mostly, or do you think that their culture plays into it? Where I'm at now, we are about 50% Hispanic and 50% white. It is interesting to see the difference in priorities in the different cultures ( and they are there ). Mostly in the make up of gangs, but also in their outlook on life and how they view their future. Knowing that you deal with troubled kids, I would like your take on that.

[sad-cafe]

Absolutely environment plays a HUGE role. Many of these kids grow up with parents in gangs and even grandparents in gangs. That is all they know. They are taught hate from day one, dressed in red/blue/brown/black what ever their parents are. Other kids grow up in households that yell and scream for communication. They expect that from everyone. Many times I lower my voice if I need to talk to a student. You would be surprised how that catches their attention. Very poor kids know all kinds of incredible tricks to get food/money/needs. They know when stores throw out bread that is too old to sell but not rotten yet. They know how to return items maybe bought with snap benefits but take them back and get cash.

Children born of alcoholics know how to compensate for their parents-if they do not become alcoholics themselves. They know how to watch out for their younger siblings-older ones often put themselves in the line of fire -its just instinct or survival.

The kids of today are incredibly resourceful and smart in a street wise way.


A sad note-one of my favorite students that seemed to be making huge strides in behavior and grades was put in jail over the spring break for unlawful discharge of a firearm. Gang stuff-we don't know for sure but probably was with his gang when they did a drive-by

[DJ]

Wow that is a lot to handle. A year or so ago my nephew got arrested in a Child Pornography sting. In a million years I never would have believed this kid would do something like that. I just don't understand the "draw" to child porn or porn at all! I was watching the View tv program the other day and their was a 18 yr old girl on there bragging about how she is doing pornography and putting herself through college! WTF.. Where are her parents. She has no idea she is ruining her life. All she see is the money, which is laughable, she makes 1500$ a picture and none of her "films" have been shown yet. Sounds to me as if she's being paid to be a prostitute.
Our world is so corrupt these days. I know people say oh it's been that way all along and you just didn't hear about it. I don't think it has been.
All I can conclude with is it starts at home. If these children don't have a home life or parental care they are doomed.
Hang in there, sounds like you may be all these kids have.

[bluefeather]

so sad about that student, SC, I'm sorry

[tjh532]

Thanks for the reply SC - I can see that we agree on the subject. It's even sadder when you see some of the same behaviors happening at the elementary level.

Sorry to hear about your student. It's hard when you invest so much energy into one of your kids, but they still can't make a good choice (or resist a bad one). Have you read any of the books by Ruby Payne? She lines out the differences between the classes in our country and how there thinking is so different. It's not that they are bad kids, it's just all they know. It was a real eye opener to me when I went back to work and saw how kids were living and being raised.

[sad-cafe]

I wish I could just quit. I am sick of the adult issues in my building.

My principal wigged out because my students had headphones on (some of them are in music appreciation and actually need to listen to music)

None were on you-tube yet a couple of old biddys in our building cry that the kids get to listen to headphones in my room and they are trying to say that no one is allowed. I had been walking that tightrope but Friday the principal came in and all kids were on task but had headphones on and he really wigged out.

Yesterday morning one of the biddies texted me and asked me if everything was okay...she was just playing games, what she really wanted to know was if I had gotten in trouble.

I am tired of trying to do what is best for my students while the other bitches are just trying to nag and be controlling.

If I could, I would tell them all to kiss of and walk out.

[sodascouts]

Wow. Sorry you have to deal with people like that!