January is a Tough Month
I know, I know, it's been a while. There's been a lot going on lately- most of it unpleasant.
I've been battling strep throat and pneumonia for a couple of weeks now. I haven't had a voice for over a week, which makes it hard to do my job. On the bright side, two of my classes have turned a corner, and were really good because they knew I was sick. Last year, I could have counted on all of my classes to help me out, but this is a whole new bunch of kids, and I'm considering this a step in the right direction.
I truly wish that my health were the thing I was most worried about. Right now, my biggest concern is James. He hasn't been himself for a while, and I now know why. After guessing all of the obvious things-pregnant girlfriend, STD, normal teenage angst, I've found out that he has become a target. There was a lockdown at his school this past week, after a girl spotted a gun. The gun was never found (I won't go through the 3 Stooges-style security implemented). Josh came to me and told me that the kid who had it was the one James has been having problems with, and was looking for James. James asked me about transferring to a school out of the city. After the horrors he's seen in his life, for him to be concerned makes me even more worried.
Apparantly, the kid wouldn't give James his money (James and John often play basketball for money). James beat him up, without knowing the connections the kid has. It seems that the kid is a member of a well-known and powerful gang. James keeps insisting that he's not afraid, but is very persistent about switching schools. I'm investigating home-school options, but he's not crazy about the idea (there aren't any girls).
My boss's wife works at the high school, and he suggested to me on Thursday that I get James out of town for the weekend. His dad was going to take the boys to Chicago for the weekend, but their plans seem to be on hold again. The boys agreed to stay home last night, but tonight is Saturday, and they'll want to go out, and that scares the shit out of me. There are always shootings at the skating rink where they like to go, and the theater isn't much safer. My hat is off to all of you who are parents- how do you manage to maintain a normal life, knowing that your kids are in such an unsafe world?
On the work front, there is very little to discuss. While I do love my kids, they make me crazy. They're very different from any group I've ever worked with. Individually, they are great, but together, they are wild. I haven't been able to do as many labs with them as I would like because of behavior issues. In my 3rd hour class, only six of the 33 kids have earned the right to do the lab next week. I'm at wit's end, and would be worse if every other 8th grade teacher weren't in the same boat. Normally, by this time of year, I have earned their respect to the point that misbehavior is kept to a minimum. This year, however, I'm not feeling that. I have written more office referrals this year than the past three years combined! I think that my laid-back style makes them think that I'm a pushover, and I have to keep up the hardass front. It's exhausting.
Ok, my meds are kicking in, and I'm going to take a nap. If you have a little extra time, a prayer for James would be appreciated. Love to you all.
I've been battling strep throat and pneumonia for a couple of weeks now. I haven't had a voice for over a week, which makes it hard to do my job. On the bright side, two of my classes have turned a corner, and were really good because they knew I was sick. Last year, I could have counted on all of my classes to help me out, but this is a whole new bunch of kids, and I'm considering this a step in the right direction.
I truly wish that my health were the thing I was most worried about. Right now, my biggest concern is James. He hasn't been himself for a while, and I now know why. After guessing all of the obvious things-pregnant girlfriend, STD, normal teenage angst, I've found out that he has become a target. There was a lockdown at his school this past week, after a girl spotted a gun. The gun was never found (I won't go through the 3 Stooges-style security implemented). Josh came to me and told me that the kid who had it was the one James has been having problems with, and was looking for James. James asked me about transferring to a school out of the city. After the horrors he's seen in his life, for him to be concerned makes me even more worried.
Apparantly, the kid wouldn't give James his money (James and John often play basketball for money). James beat him up, without knowing the connections the kid has. It seems that the kid is a member of a well-known and powerful gang. James keeps insisting that he's not afraid, but is very persistent about switching schools. I'm investigating home-school options, but he's not crazy about the idea (there aren't any girls).
My boss's wife works at the high school, and he suggested to me on Thursday that I get James out of town for the weekend. His dad was going to take the boys to Chicago for the weekend, but their plans seem to be on hold again. The boys agreed to stay home last night, but tonight is Saturday, and they'll want to go out, and that scares the shit out of me. There are always shootings at the skating rink where they like to go, and the theater isn't much safer. My hat is off to all of you who are parents- how do you manage to maintain a normal life, knowing that your kids are in such an unsafe world?
On the work front, there is very little to discuss. While I do love my kids, they make me crazy. They're very different from any group I've ever worked with. Individually, they are great, but together, they are wild. I haven't been able to do as many labs with them as I would like because of behavior issues. In my 3rd hour class, only six of the 33 kids have earned the right to do the lab next week. I'm at wit's end, and would be worse if every other 8th grade teacher weren't in the same boat. Normally, by this time of year, I have earned their respect to the point that misbehavior is kept to a minimum. This year, however, I'm not feeling that. I have written more office referrals this year than the past three years combined! I think that my laid-back style makes them think that I'm a pushover, and I have to keep up the hardass front. It's exhausting.
Ok, my meds are kicking in, and I'm going to take a nap. If you have a little extra time, a prayer for James would be appreciated. Love to you all.
posted by Tsarina @ 2:51:00 PM
3 Comments:
At 4:27 PM,
Traci Dolan said…
How do I parent? Girl, I got ONE, you have 33, my hat is off to you!! I sincerely hope James is going to be okay and will send up a prayer for him.
About Seeker, haven't seen him, haven't heard from him, nothing.
At 11:59 AM,
Derek said…
gun, yikes. My school doesnt have any problems with that kind of stuff, but there have been stabbings. Outside of school though.
I live in a moderately tame city though. Real bad for drugs, but not that bad for drug violence.
33 students in one class? jesus. We've got class maximums here I'm pretty sure.
At 2:24 PM,
Tsarina said…
Inanna- actually in total, I have 135 this year!
Derek- We've had knives at our school, and at the high school. Thank goodness that the guns are still uncommon at school. This city is known to be rough; high unemployment has added to it in recent years. But, I think that the violence is more of a reflection of society as a whole...I guess that's a different post.
Thanks for stopping by, guys.
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