Experience

The official first full week of school was incredibly boring for me. I only got one job, for Friday. (It was for the history class I had covered many, many times.) 

When I arrived first thing in the morning, I was surprised to learn that four teachers were out that day. But, fortunately, all had their very own sub covering the class, so it wouldn't be a mad scramble. I took note of who was out that day, as I knew what was coming.

Third period. Two boys, giggling, insisted that they needed to go to another class "to work". I inquired further, and they explained that they had a poem due in their English class. 

Ms. E, the English teacher, was one of the teachers who had a sub. 

What were the chances that they'd go to the other class--that had a sub--and actually do work? Versus, what was the likelihood that they'd go to the other class to play? (I had not met this sub before, so I didn't know how new he was.)

I've been around long enough to know that last week's instance of a student changing classes and actually doing work is not how these things go normally. 

So, I told them no. 

They protested. They said that Ms. E had sentence starters to help them. I offered to let them get those sentence starters and bring them back. No, they needed to be in the room. 

Unlikely. 

I've been doing this job long enough. I wasn't going to subject that sub to two students who could just as easily do nothing with me.

But later in the period, another student asked for something similar. He explained that once he finished his work, Mr. K usually let him go to PE as that week they were doing something with weights. Of course, the PE teacher, Mr. M, was also out. 

But... I knew the sub in PE. She's fairly new, but not new new. And I could hear the weights being used. (The weight room was next door.) 

So, I called her and asked. Mostly, students who leave to go to PE are fine, although Mr. M would know who he should say no to. She said it was fine, and I heard the weights being used, so it was probably okay. 

The boys who I denied earlier? They didn't bother to ask again. 

Did they get any work done? Unlikely. But at least they didn't have a chance to make things miserable for that other sub.

Not Antarctica

Credit recovery, seventh period. (This is the same day as I talked about yesterday on this blog.) 

Credit recovery is a class that students take to quickly make up credits for classes that they initially failed. So, everyone is working on something different.

It was a warm day as is usual for August. At least it wasn't scorching hot which is also usual for August. But, small room, 15 or so students, and the room heats up quickly. I had the air conditioning on.

We had a high somewhere in the 80s outside. Inside I had set the a/c for 75° (24°C).

"Turn off the air conditioning."

Um, no. If I turn it off, it's 80° in next to no time, and no one wants that.

I explained this to Milt. I informed him that soon the classroom would reach the temperature and then the a/c would click off.

He whined. "It's like Antarctica in here."

Soon enough, the a/c clicked off. Milt should be happy now, right? Nope.

"It's too hot in here. It's like a desert. Turn on the air."

Well, no. It was then a reasonable temperature, and there was no reason to turn the air back on. I told Milt that it would click back on when the temperature got above 75°. 

Sure enough, it did a few minutes later. And what did Milt do? I'm sure you can guess...

And so, for the rest of the period, Milt complained. If the a/c was on, it was "Antarctica". If it was off, it was "the desert". At one point of "Antarctica", I offered to let Milt work outside. He returned a couple minutes later, complaining of "the desert" outside.

I stopped responding. If a student's going to complain, sometimes they're just going to complain.

But I got to complain, after school. And when I named Milt, the office staff wasn't surprised. Apparently, he's working towards becoming a professional boxer. 

I'm glad I'm not his trainer.

Yo-Yo

The school year hasn't officially begun (it starts today, but this week's posts are from last week), but the continuation high school has been in session for about two weeks. I haven't been seeking out jobs, but when one falls in my lap, I take it.

Social studies. Sixth period. (The classes are all combined, so each class has students who are doing geography, world history, U.S. history, and government.) They had various assignments, depending upon which subject they were in.

But afternoons at the continuation high school are... um... interesting. (Read: they're way more laid back and less likely to work.)

I was walking the room, taking attendance, when I noticed a girl winding a yo-yo. From the conversation, I gleaned something...

"You've never played with a yo-yo?"

I asked the student straight out. She admitted that she had not. (It wasn't her yo-yo, but the other student was letting her play with it.)

Now, normally I'm all about "put that away" when it comes to toys. But this was a senior--17-years-old--and she had never... Okay, time to fix that.

She threw it down, and it didn't bounce back up. She was seated, so when she threw the yo-yo, it hit the floor. That would not do. I had her stand up. (She was a bit embarrassed to stand up, but no one was really paying that much attention to her.) 

She threw it, and it bounced back up. Yay. Success. 

And then she gave the yo-yo back to its owner. 

As I walked away, she was explaining to her friend how her parents had just never gotten her one. I mean, I can see that. A yo-yo isn't something that everyone experiences. I guess...

But yeah. At least she got to use a yo-yo once.

A Surprising Reputation

Thursday. Second period. I was back at the continuation high school for the first time since March. 

It was a pretty typical class for this teacher. He teaches social studies, so the class is a mix of world geography, world history, U.S. history, and government. I have covered this class many, many times. 

There was one group near the back who were having some random conversations, but mostly the class was working (or appearing to work). They all have different online assignments, but some get so sucked into their phones. 

Towards the end of the period, one of the students asked me if I had subbed at one of the other high schools in the district. The continuation high school is where the students from all the district's high schools end up if they are deficient in credits and in danger of not graduating. When they first get to the school, they all recognize me from when I subbed their "home" school. 

So, of course I had subbed at this student's "home" school. 

The boy remembered me. He then told me that the students were scared of me. 

The boy explained that when he had me in class, one of the other students had told him that I was a strict sub and that I would kick misbehaving students out of class. 

I had no idea. 

I mean, I don't often send students out. I don't have to. 

Most days I feel like a pushover. I feel like I'm letting them get away with so much. But then again, most days they're doing what they need to do and aren't being a problem, so there's no need for me to get on their cases. 

So, to hear that students fear me? I'm dubious. 

But still, it was a nice thing for him to say. 

Oblivious

Wednesday. Sixth period at the continuation high school. Social studies.

They are given five minutes of "SSR" at the beginning of each period, otherwise known as free phone time. I generally let it slide into seven or eight minutes before I call it, though. After that, they are to put the phones away and not use them for the rest of the period.

Do they? Well, not really, but most will at least have the decency to hide them.

Nylah was making no pretense.

So, I approached. I stood there, waiting. I asked her to put her phone away.

She took a phone call.

Facetime. On speaker. She was talking to someone about nothing much at all.

Again, I asked her to put her phone away. She ignored me, although to her friend on the phone she mentioned that she would call her back, and then said she wouldn't. And continued with the conversation.

"What's so funny? What are you laughing at?"

This was directed at Solomon, Malia, and Tyson at the next table over. Which just made them laugh harder. 

Nylah got even more upset. She asked the others again, and then she flounced out of the room.

What were they laughing at? That Nylah was blatantly on her phone, talking loudly, and while I was clearly telling her not to be.

Nylah returned. She was still on her phone. 

Again, I asked her to put her phone away.

Solomon, Malia, and Tyson were trying to pull it together but failing miserably. 

There was nothing more to do. I sent Nylah to the Cell Phone Park.

(The Cell Phone Park is the "punishment" for students not getting off their phones. I haven't had to resort to it before. Students sent out of class for cell phone infractions get the rest of the period to be on their phones, but then parents are called and consequences are added on. Initially it sounds like a reward, but the downsides are such that no other student has pushed me on it. All I have to do is threaten the Park, and they're off their cell phones.) 

For the rest of the period, Solomon, Malia, and Tyson could talk of nothing else. Solomon wondered why Nylah didn't realize they were all up in her conversation when she was having it in the middle of class. Malia blamed Tyson for making her laugh. Tyson said he was just trying to keep a low profile.

I was just glad that I wasn't the only one who thought that having a full on conversation in the middle of class was ridiculous. 

With the way the kiddos are on their phones nowadays, I was beginning to wonder.

The Activity

It was Wednesday at the continuation high school. Advisory. 

Advisory is a short period between periods one and two that occurs only on Wednesdays. Back in the day (I've been doing this a long time), it was the time when the students would get printouts of their graduation status. With computers and access online to their records, they don't need this information once a week (they still get those printouts about once a month), so advisory has evolved.

On this day, the ASB was conducting an activity. While I was reading the usual announcements (this is the time when they deal with administrative stuff the students need to do), the counselor came over the intercom to let us know to release the students to the quad. 

I've been at the school for games of musical chairs. I've seen some interesting games. But this was the first time the students were lined up for something and I didn't hear any sort of explanation as to what they were doing. 

They all seemed to understand the game already. 

I gleaned the rules from watching. After, I asked a student what they had been playing.

It's a game called Sharks vs. Minnows. Apparently, it's a well-known elementary school playground game. 

This is actually a good tip for dealing with teenagers: they do like doing stuff from their "childhood". (The trick is to do it with full awareness that they are Too Old for This.) 

Unlike the earlier games I had seen, this time they had plenty of volunteers. We only had one injury when a boy slipped and fell. (He complained that he was wearing Crocs which don't really work well for a running game.) 

As for the game: in the middle of the basketball court, four students lined up. They were the sharks. At the edge of the court ten-ish students lined up. They were the minnows.

At the start of the game, the minnows were to run across the court and make it to the other side. If the sharks tagged them, they were out (and became sharks, although some just stepped out of the game). They went back and forth across the court until all the minnows got tagged out. (I would have assumed that someone should win, but they had that last kiddo run across one last time. With four plus sharks, the kiddo was doomed.) 

Cute game, but completely new to me. Have any of you heard of this game before?

The Threat

School doesn't start back up until next week. But like with last Wednesday, I have a story that didn't make the blog when it happened. (Arguably, this is the more interesting story, but as I planned out the blogs for that week, I thought this might fit in during the break better.) 

I was in the social studies class at the continuation high school. (The students are getting credits in geography, history, or government, depending upon what they are deficient in.) Sixth period. 

As is usual, some of the students were having "deep" and "meaningful" conversations rather than doing the classwork. And also as is usual, I sat and listened as they considered me part of the decorations.

Mostly, the conversation was between Harmony and Isaiah. They talked about Isaiah's job (he works in a bakery making donuts), and then somehow that segued into them talking about their stealing techniques. (Isaiah was more a smash and grab.) Vaping and pot smoking came up. Harmony talked about the cooking she does. (Food. It sounds like she knows her way around a kitchen.) 

Teenage conversations (well, conversations in general) meander around like that normally. And while I wasn't too pleased at the illegalities of some of what they discussed, I wasn't taking notes. 

But then Harmony brought up a topic that got my attention.

She talked about an instructional assistant who "walks with a stick". 

Harmony said that a friend of hers had dared Harmony to trip her. Harmony was going to do it, but luckily another staff member was there. "And she looked at me as if she knew exactly what I was planning, so I walked away." Okay, then.

Only, Harmony told Isaiah that she was still planning to trip the aide the next time she saw her. 

And, I couldn't let that one slide. 

I've met this particular IA. I've worked in classes with her. Ms. E has been with the district a long time. 

It was time for me to check out for the day. Only, now Harmony was in the main office, talking to the office staff. But I couldn't leave without giving them a heads-up. If Ms. E was going to be around, I would have told her directly, but that didn't seem likely.

I quietly told the secretary that I had something I had to tell her, but it was about Harmony. I hit the restroom, hoping Harmony would leave so I could talk.

Nope. When I got out, she was still there. 

Loudly, the secretary informed me and the office staff that the counselor needed to talk to me before I left. I knew there was no reason the counselor would need to talk to me, but I played along because this was the perfect excuse to get out of the office without Harmony being any the wiser.

I explained what had happened. Sadly, this did not surprise either the secretary or the counselor. But it was something they were going to follow up on, so I filled out a report for them.

It's the end of the semester, so Ms. E won't be on campus for a while. Harmony might have been talking big for her friends. This may never come to pass. But there's no way I'm going to hear about someone plotting to injure someone else and not report it. 

Denied

Today is the first day of school. But, I write my blog posts over the previous weekend, so everything I talk about happened last week. 

The only schools open last week were the alternative education center and the continuation high school. It was just a matter of time before a working day became available, this one at the continuation high school. (It has been a while since I was last there, but not much really changes.)

Second period. As the students entered class, I overheard Natasha ask the PE teacher (Coach M) if she could go to his class instead. Coach hesitated, started to say yes if she promised to join in the game, then changed his mind when he realized that she would just sit by, and he ultimately said no.

Twenty-five minutes into class (probably not realizing I saw the previous exchange), Natasha asked if she could join the PE class. She told me Coach said she could. 

Luckily, the PE class was shooting baskets right outside my door. 

So, we both went outside. I got Coach's attention. Natasha asked to join the class. 

Coach said he already had eleven playing the game (perhaps Horse, although I can't be certain), and she'd only sit, so no. Again.

I mean, she could sit inside with the air conditioning or outside in the (muggy) heat. (She wasn't even making a pretense of doing anything in class.) If she just wanted to watch, our open windows overlooked the game.

It must be a boy. Or boys. Otherwise, why give up the a/c? I must be missing something.