Friday. Peer counseling/mental health class, third period.
(This class was a new one for me. The teacher has been with the school for several years, and I believe she taught this last year as well. As for how long she's taught it, I couldn't tell you.
It's kind of a psychology class, at least that's the foundation. But it's more geared towards teaching the kiddos about themselves with a bit about teaching them to do peer counseling through a couple programs at the school. I think. At least, that's what I gleaned.)
This was my second day in the class. I had been there on Wednesday as well. (They're on a block schedule, so each class meets every other day.) And they had been generally okay. (Fifth period, which came after, was horrible. But, of a class of 33, five of them weren't freshmen. Age makes a difference.)
However, this day got an extra degree of difficulty. It was pass-out-their-IDs day. And that's when they learned that they were now required to wear their IDs on campus all day.
They did not like this.
And, the passing out of IDs did not go smoothly. Not at all.
Having gotten a heads-up, I had gone to the teacher's mailbox to get the IDs and lanyards that I would need to pass out. But, there were not 27 IDs in the stack I got. It felt short, and then I counted. Yup, I was about 10 IDs short.
As the announcement went out that they were getting their IDs, I held them up to show the kiddos that yup, they were getting them for sure. But not everyone. Once the IDs I had went to the proper students, I gave the students missing an ID a lanyard for when their IDs showed up.
You'd think they'd be happy they didn't get an ID. Nope. A couple of those without IDs were visibly upset that theirs had not arrived. And those that got them? Yeah, not happy with them. (They hated their pictures. I can relate. I hate my employee ID picture as well. And they let me retake it when I got it.)
Then I got a call from the office. They listed off seven names. Could I send them to the office? They had their IDs.
So, at least a few of them were happy to get IDs.
To say the rollout of this was a mess... Yeah, that did not go well.
But then again, having worked for this district for a while, yeah, that snafu is an acronym really, really applies here.
(Some people have a word for each new year. Something they strive for. I am beginning to feel like this school year has a word, and it's snafu.)
My kids High School (tried) that lanyard process around 2017? It was a complete fail, too many kids forgot them. Anyway, the whole thing was over & done by Thanksgiving break.
ReplyDeleteI would not be surprised if it falls by the wayside there. They tried this years ago, and it was a fail then, too.
DeleteMy grandson's school is the same way. The students have to wear their ID's all day. If they lose the ID or it is damaged it is $10 to get a replacement and it's mandatory to buy it.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a lanyard with an ID for my job for over a decade. Get used to it, kids.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I told them. That wearing ID is a life skill.
DeleteI can imagine how many IDs are "lost" or forgotten daily. It seems like a bad idea to expect the students to wear them daily, let alone remember them the next day. If they even wanted to remember. I wonder how much time will be spent asking students where their IDs are?
ReplyDeleteThey learned from the previous iteration of this that getting them printouts (for the students that forgot theirs) is a losing endeavor. They're just making them wear a hand-written name badge.
DeleteWe have had ID badges at my company for years, and it's a process if you forget your badge to get into the building. Plus, if you take it off and leave for, say, the rest room, you can't get back into the main working area without it. (I did that once!). In our world, getting used to ID badges is a necessary skill.
ReplyDeleteIt is. I told them that.
DeleteMy daughter Erin is in the first weeks of school and changes are always being changed again. I hope her classes and such mellow out so that lessons are being taught.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a bit crazy at the beginning of the year.
DeleteYou would think they could just have a code on their phones like we do at work!
ReplyDeleteWithout those ID cards, etc, a peer counselling session would have been quite interesting, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThey had just the basic bookwork, so the class would have been way less exciting.
DeleteLOL. "Snafu" is the word of the year. I hope that doesn't turn out to be the case!
ReplyDeleteI don't want to jinx anything. This past week was kinda calm. Only one little glitch. But we'll see.
DeleteAnita Joy writing...I don't know of any school here that requires students to wear a name badge of any sort. As an aside, I am now able to comment as myself on another blogger blog, but yours still eludes. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteStrange. Yeah, the ID thing has been tried before. It failed. There are Reasons why they're attempting it again, but I don't foresee this working in the long run.
DeleteAnother great day in the bureaucracy. of the American school system.
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteThat's hysterical that the kids who got ID's hated having them, but the ones who didn't get them were all upset. Cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteMe too. I thought those that didn't get IDs would be relieved. but no.
DeleteHmmmm … I don’t know how I feel about kids having to wear name badges. It all sounds too Fort Knox to me.
ReplyDeleteForgot to sign in, LOL
DeleteThat's a fight with the district and the administration. Above my pay grade.
DeleteIn school, we didn't have it.
ReplyDeleteAt work, we don't wear unless we are at a place where we have to wear for security reasons.
Losing an official ID is a pain, a pain to get a replacement. The worst part is giving a declaration that it's indeed lost. Because, of their fear that you are trying to get a duplicate to keep the original even after you have left the organisation and misuse it.
Security reasons are why it's become a thing. And those security reasons are a long story that I've only heard third-hand.
DeleteCan they personalize their lanyards or add anything? Surely that would help with a few attitudes. ~grin~ I sure hope your school year improves.
ReplyDeleteYup. They can totally use their own lanyards. Some have already added buttons to theirs. And there was talk of giving the seniors their very own "class of 2027" lanyards.
DeleteSounds like a classic school snafu — the kids who got IDs hated them, and the ones who didn’t were upset! Hope the rest of the year is a bit smoother.
ReplyDeleteTypical teenagers.
DeleteI can't imagine being a young person and having to keep up with an ID as well as laptop or whatever and books (do they still have books?) and all.
ReplyDeleteEach class has a class set of computers, so the kiddos don't need to bring their own. Same for books. Perhaps we're doing them a disservice as they have gotten out of the habit of keeping track of their things.
Delete