For today's #ThrowbackThursday, a post from February 28, 2008. Another day with the evil 8th graders. Just goes to show, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
First period I was sent to cover a middle school special ed. class. Reading. Their word of the day was "failure". I was to give an example so that they could get a grasp on what the word meant. I had trouble coming up with something right off the top of my head. Too bad that that was the harbinger for things to come.
The rest of the day I covered an 8th grade U.S. history class. But the subject turned out to be irrelevant. I had a very bad day.
The teacher had been out all week. I was the third sub. That's never a good sign. And the room looked like it had been through numerous battles. I saw about ten books missing their front covers. These were hard cover books. They were new (well, about a year old). The books looked like they had been thrown at wolves to keep them from attacking.
I spent the day trying to keep the classes from running wild. And mostly I failed.
I had one kid throw sharp objects at the ceiling. He was trying to get them to stick up there. He succeeded. I had students who would not remain seated. They tried to play with their toys. One girl's pen got stolen at least five times; she was one of the roamers, so I didn't have much sympathy for her. And that doesn't even take into account the constant pencil sharpeners or the ones who suddenly needed to find paper/pencil more than half way through the period (why they didn't think of this at the beginning, I don't know).
I sent several kids packing. I should have sent many more. And they were loud. I couldn't hear questions asked of me even when I was standing right next to the student. It's amazing that anyone got anything done (some actually did).
It was the passing period before 6th period. I was wiped out. And one girl came up to me to ask me a question. She had heard that I was strict. She wanted to know if it was true.
They were calling me strict? Awwww. How sweet.
Too bad it didn't feel like I was being strict enough.
I will never understand why our school systems continue to put up with these kinds of kids. It is obvious they aren't interested in an education. Babysitting for parents who are tired of them too??? Bless you, Liz
ReplyDeleteWould you rather they were roaming the streets?
DeleteGoodness. That does sound like a bad day. I remember boys throwing pencils at the ceiling tiles. I think one actually did puncture one once.
ReplyDeleteI once saw a bunch of pencils stuck to the ceiling. It might have been this day. It takes a bit of patience to manage that.
DeleteYou have to keep control of class.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Ideally, yes. It's a weird sort of balance, though. They have to be willing to let one have control, and middle schoolers don't always.
DeleteI truly admire teachers, reading your posts, I admire them more!
ReplyDeletebetty
These are the things that keep it interesting.
DeleteSounds like a day from hell. How's your blood pressure? I can feel mine rising on days like that.
ReplyDeleteAs long as I don't go home in tears, I consider it a win.
DeleteOh wow...I have a headache just reading what you went through.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a pretty awful day.
DeleteOh my word. They sound like an ordeal. I'd so be tempted to use that voice I use on the herd when they've been particularly hellish some days. They get that look on their faces like op! looks like we done pushed mama too far today. lol
ReplyDeleteDon't you wish that people who criticize teachers could spend the day with a class like that? Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell, I wonder about that teacher... But yeah, it would be eye-opening to some people to spend a day in a classroom.
DeleteWow! That class sounds awful! Sounds like you maintained some semblance of control though, especially if they were calling you "strict".
ReplyDeleteIf I was "strict", I wonder what they were used to.
Delete