Caught in the Lie

Friday. English language development (read: extra English class for students not fluent in English). Ninth grade. Sixth period.

(If the above picture looks a little familiar, that's because I was subbing for Ms. A, who I've done two long terms for, the last one last April. Now that she has her two children, she's unlikely to need another maternity leave.) 

Ms. A left me a list of her students who were on the escort list. And she had warned me (I ran into her the previous day) that sixth period was her difficult group. 

So, when Aiden asked to use the restroom, I was ready. He did not complain too loudly (although when I mentioned he was on the escort list, he played like he had no idea) when I told him he'd have to wait for security to escort him. Although, he wasn't too happy when security took a while to get to the room. 

(Students get placed on the escort list when they take too long to use the restroom. It's not that far. We tell them five minutes, but if it takes a couple minutes longer, no big deal. But some take significantly longer than ten minutes.) 

While Aiden was waiting, Khloe asked to go. I again called security, and when they finally showed up, I figured they could escort both students. It would save a trip. So, both got up and went towards the security person in her golf cart, and I saw her talk to them both. 

Four minutes later, Aiden returned. Khloe... 

Other students were in and out. Because the assignment for the day was test prep, the teacher had said for the last bit of the period the kiddos could watch a movie. I was getting things going on that when Jordan asked to go. I knew I had a girl who was waiting, so I told him to put his name on the list. That's when whoever was out got back, and Jordan convinced the girl to let him cut in line. 

It was only after the movie was going that I noted the list and realized that Jordan was my third escort list kiddo, and he shouldn't have left on his own. (He timed it for when I wasn't paying attention.) Grrr. 

Jordan was only gone about ten minutes. It was later that I talked to Ms. A. (She was on campus in a meeting.) She caught Jordan out and about. He was on his phone. (They are supposed to leave their phones in a box in the classroom, so he shouldn't have had it on him.) Ms. A confiscated his phone (and turned it into the office). 

So, I feel comfortable that Jordan got his consequence for sneaking past me on the escort thing. 

As for Khloe, she returned after more than a half hour out of class with a story about security telling her to stay in the bathroom because she was feeling sick... I didn't catch half the story, and it didn't pass the smell test. If Khloe was feeling sick, security would have taken her to the health office, and someone would have informed me of this. 

Freshmen... 

Yeah, I took note of all of this, and their teacher knows. And she's not happy about it. 

I mean, seriously, the amount of work it took them to evade security... If they only put that kind of effort into their school work. 

Second Day Drama

Thursday. Fifth period. 

So, well, um, the continuation high school starts early. Some years I get work, some years I don't. 

It was only their second day of school, so students aren't sure of their schedules. And I don't take roll first thing. I always get them going on the assignment before I figure out who is absent. Usually this works out just fine... 

So, I was looking at the roll. And I realized that I had a student who did not belong in the class. I had seen him the day before. I checked, and he was supposed to be in my sixth period. No biggie. He could explain to his fifth period teacher where he was, and if the teacher needed verification I would give it. 

Only, something else was happening at that moment... 

I was only half listening. Something something someone's girlfriend. And Travis was looking at her? Only, Travis got very upset at the accusation, because he said he knew she was dating someone, and he wasn't looking at her? I don't know, it was a ridiculous disagreement. 

But Travis.

Some people just aren't quite able to get along. You know who I mean. The kind of person who blows up for no reason whatsoever. 

On Wednesday, I had given Travis the assignment. And he complained. Loudly. The lines he was supposed to draw hurt his hand. And he was sure Mr. G wouldn't make him complete the assignment. (Continuation high school. If he didn't do the assignment he wouldn't get the credits for it. There would be other assignments he could get the credits for later.) 

I wasn't in the mood for an argument, so I moved on. Travis sat in the back far corner, and he did (or did not do) his work. Fine. 

But this time Travis wasn't going to let the whole "looking at the girlfriend" go. Andres said something that set Travis off. And Travis was getting louder and louder about it. 

At roughly the same time, I asked Andres what class he was supposed to be in. He realized he was supposed to be in my sixth period. I asked him to go to his actual fifth period. And Andres was willing to go. 

Only, Travis wasn't backing down. Travis was taunting Andres. Challenging him. Making it as if Andres leaving the class was Andres running away from him. Because Travis could take him. Travis was tough, and he would mess Andres up. 

I picked up the classroom phone and dialed security. 

Andres got up. Headed out. Travis continued his taunting. 

I told security that maybe they were settling... 

Andres left. Travis got up from his seat and followed him out. 

Nope, I told security. Fight incoming... 

But small school. The boys were facing off outside, but five other staff members (including security) were there before it came to blows. 

Whew. Fight averted. 

We shooed the students back to class (because everyone left their classes when it looked like a fight was starting) while Travis and Andres were escorted to the office. 

I did not see Travis again that day. Andres showed up on time to sixth period. 

It's been a while since I witnessed a near fight. Glad that sort of thing doesn't happen every day. 

After school and the next day I talked to other adults on campus, and I got a clearer picture of what that dispute was all about. 

Andres' girlfriend had reported to the administration that Travis had been "watching" her, and I heard he was doing other things that were making her uncomfortable. (Andres and his girlfriend have a baby daughter.) Andres had mentioned to Travis that he should stay away from her. Rather than backing off, Travis doubled down. 

And, apparently Andres was nowhere near stone cold sober that day (hence not realizing he was in the wrong class). 

Restroom Break

Tuesday. Fifth period.

It was the independent work portion of the period. I had gone over some problems (we've started the probability unit, so they were doing practice problems on things like, "How many possible ice cream cones can you make with 3 cone types, 5 ice cream flavors, and 3 toppings?"), and it was their turn to try them on their own. 

The students weren't having too much trouble with the concepts, so Ms. L and I were at the front of the room, waiting for questions. A student approached. 

"Jeff got in a fight. Now he's in the discipline office."

Both Ms. L and I looked over at Jeff's desk. His computer was open. His notes were sitting there. His backpack was leaning against the bottom of the chair. 

Ms. L: "He just left to go to the restroom..."

He hadn't been gone all that long. Definitely not long enough for either of us to be concerned. But now we knew he wasn't going to return.

Deep sigh.

(How did the student know? I assume that Jeff texted him, and he conveyed the information to us.) 

We continued on. At the end of the period, all the students cleared out. Jeff's stuff remained at his desk. 

After fifth period was lunch. Security arrived a few minutes into lunch to retrieve Jeff's stuff. (The computer belonged to the classroom, so I logged Jeff out and returned it to charge.) 

Some students give off a certain vibe. You know they're trouble. Jeff? Not so much. He's a good kid who's doing fairly well in class. So, I was shocked. But really, at that age, I shouldn't be that shocked.

A Bathroom Emergency

For my new long-term assignment, I have three periods of math (two are co-taught) and three periods of computer science. Sixth period is computer science. It was Wednesday.

Tardiness has become a huge issue on campus. (Since they did away with tardy sweep, we have students who amble in at any time during class as if they don't have a care in the world.) 

So, when Reid walked in almost fifteen minutes late, I inwardly grumbled and noted the time. (I note very late arrival times in the attendance.) 

Immediately behind Reid was Kate from security. Uh oh...

Kate asked what Reid had been doing out of class. 

Reid: "I had a bathroom emergency..."

(It's become a thing, mostly with the boys, if they've been out of class "to the restroom" for longer than reasonable and they are questioned on it, their answer is long, involved, and poop-filled.)

Reid's pause carried certain implications.

Kate wasn't buying this. Reid hadn't asked to go to the restroom, so he was considered tardy. (If a student asks to use the restroom during passing period, I don't mark them tardy if they get back to class after the bell.) 

And Reid hadn't been near the restrooms. He had been with several other boys, and they were peeking around corners, looking out for security most likely.

All of this was part of the lecture Kate gave Reid. That was all he got, for now. Once he was settled into class, Kate asked me his name, which I gave her. 

I don't know if Reid fully realized it, but he is now on security's radar. Certain students aren't allowed out of class during class time without an escort because they have a tendency to wander. This was step one of being added to that list. 

(I wonder if he knows Austin. If not, I should introduce them. Austin might be able to warn Reid of what happens if Reid continues down the roaming campus path.) 

Fight Fight Fight

It was the Thursday before a three-day weekend (for Veteran's Day), and so, of course there were more teacher absences than subs available. I was asked to cover a class on my conference period. As I wasn't scrambling for anything, I was quite happy to help out. (It doesn't hurt that I get paid extra for covering another class.)

I had a choice, so I picked the class that was closest to the room I was in the rest of the day. (Mr. B's classroom is kind of back of beyond compared to the rest of the campus.) It was chemistry.

It was the first class of the day. I got a chance to chat with Ms. N before she left. (She was chaperoning a field trip.) She mentioned that the class was small and her best behaved. 

I recognized a couple students from success seminar last year. (Not problem students, like Kress.) 

As advertised, they got to work and weren't an issue.

Because of the weather, I had left the door open.

It was more than halfway through the period. Suddenly, a cacophony of voices erupted somewhere outside. It was such a sudden change and loud enough that we all knew what was happening.

A fight.

I've been proximate to enough of these to recognize the sounds. As had the students. Someone noted that it sounded like a fight. After less than a minute, I heard a golf cart speed by. (Security all drive golf carts on campus.) 

The thing that I didn't expect? Not one student moved from their seats. 

We all heard it. Usually, half the class would have run to the door to look out and see if they could see what was happening. This time? Not. A. One.

I was so shocked, but I said nothing. I didn't want to give them any ideas.

The noise quieted down fairly quickly. I assume several security descended upon the fight and removed the combatants. That's generally how these things go.

The chemistry students continued to work on their assignments. (They were practicing dealing with significant figures.) 

I was so impressed by them not reacting to the fight that I made sure to mention this in my note to their teacher. They deserve kudos for things like this.

The Photo Drama, Part 2

Wednesday. Photography, period 5.

Yeah, this was the same class I talked about yesterday. There's a part 2.

For students being out of class to take pictures, I had a very long warning about Calum. I didn't really get it until I realized I had met Calum before. 

A year ago, I was doing a long-term in Success Seminar. (Remember?) Calum was in that class. He had a tendency to wander. He would disappear from class for an hour sometimes. He always had an excuse. I got included in the email from his counselor about how she was to be looped in on his wanderings as it was something they were working on.

Calum had rules for going out and photographing. He had to have a buddy go along. (She was a specific student, and this was a normal thing.) 

Calum asked to go out in the second group. He got his buddy without my having to ask, and I checked him out per normal.

When the rest of the second group had returned, I took a look at the time. Calum wasn't due back. But I kept an eye on the time, and once it had been a half hour, Calum had still not returned.

Deep sigh.

Before I could call security, Kate popped in again. (This was when she was asking about Jerry's health office wanderings. See yesterday's post.) So, I informed her that Calum was due back. She had seen him, so she went and retrieved him.

Upon his return, Calum explained that he needed ten more minutes to get the rest of the photos he needed. (Somehow, everyone else managed to get their pictures in the time frame. I think this might be a Calum problem.) I told him he'd have to do that upon the teacher's return.

I was in this class for three days. (The teacher was at an Adobe conference. Photography has gone fully digital, so the conference was professional development.) I wrote two blog posts about the same period. 

Every teacher has that one class. This was hers. (The other classes went fairly uneventfully. Even Kate said this was the one class.)

The Photo Drama

Wednesday. Photography, period 5. 

In the lesson plans, I had been warned that the students had 25-30 minutes outside of class to take pictures. I only had four cameras to check out, so only a few could go at a time. (With the length of the periods, that translates to roughly three groups every period.) But the previous classes had been fine with the time limit.

However, I had some specific instructions for period 5. I really should have known I'd be in for it.

The first group of students left to go take pictures. Three of them returned well within the time frame. Jerry, however, had not returned.

I really hate calling security. I always feel like a bit of an idiot. "I lost a student." But Jerry (wasn't sure if the student was a girl or boy as the name was on the list of who left) was over time, and it was time. Just as I was psyching myself up to do it, security walked in.

Kate was not happy to see a sub. But I was happy to see her. She asked if there was a time limit on students being out of class. I explained that I had just been about to call security for a student being over time.

We were talking about the same student.

Kate explained. Apparently, Jerry (a girl) is having issues with an ex (unclear if the ex is male or female), and while she was out of class, she was dealing with that drama rather than taking the pictures she was supposed to be taking. 

Obviously. 

When I informed Kate that Jerry was done being out of class, Kate retrieved Jerry and they had a discussion. Jerry returned to class. 

Time passed. Then Jerry asked for a pass to the health office. I was dubious, but she could have actually been feeling ill. So I gave her the pass.

Kate returned a short time later. She had spotted Jerry out of class. I explained where she went. Kate checked. Sure enough, Jerry had checked in with the health office.

Did she meet up with the ex on the way? Considering that Kate came to ask me about her because she was not headed in the right direction? Likely. 

(Jerry returned to class a short time later and did not ask to leave class again.)

Apparently, there's a bit of drama with students in this photography class. They're taking advantage of the permission to be outside. It's too bad. Photo is a great class. We shouldn't have to worry that they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing during class time.

Flushed

Thursday. I was back at the alternative education center (the place where Austin was throwing chairs). 

At the start of the day, every student is checked in. They turn in their cell phones. Security waves a wand over them to check for weapons. They remove their shoes and show they're not smuggling something in. And they turn out their pockets. 

Jaron was sporting a backpack. 

The students don't really bring stuff to school. Mr. T immediately mentioned the backpack. Jaron pulled out a gallon jug of water. As there was nothing else in the backpack, Jaron shoved the empty backpack into his drawer. (The students each have a drawer where their cell phones and other items live until they leave for the day.) 

Jaron explained that he had to drink that full gallon of water that day.

Mr. T understood. "Drug test?"

Jaron confirmed. 

I had Jaron in third period. He had the water with him, The jug was about half empty. 

(They can bring in outside drinks/water so long as they're still factory sealed. Same with food.)

Unsurprisingly, Jaron needed to use the restroom during class. 

Later, security poked his head in the door. He motioned to Jaron. It was time for his drug test. 

I guess the test is quick, as when Jaron returned, he was relieved. He had passed the drug test. 

I wonder. Was it the water that did it? Or, knowing that he had a drug test coming up, did Jaron lay off with enough time to pee clean? I didn't ask. 

Mistaken Identity?

Tuesday, fifth period. Chemistry.

In the normal chaos of getting things going at the start of the period, one of the security staff walked into the room. She pulled me aside.

Apparently, there have been some gang issues on campus, and she warned me about a couple students. She came in to ask me to keep the classroom door closed and that a couple students had been poking their heads outside when they shouldn't be.

I took note of the students she pointed out, and she left.

They were working on their final project for the year. They're doing presentations on natural or man-made disasters.

As expected, one of the students security had pointed out asked to use the restroom. As instructed, I acted as if he was on the floaters list (the list of students who have to be escorted by security to the restroom). 

He was not happy about that. "Are you profiling me?" 

How do I explain? I mean, normally I wouldn't have questioned him at all. I've had him in class before, and he hasn't been an issue. He was not actually on the floaters list. 

So, I decided I'd tell him part of the truth. (I didn't say security had identified him as gang-affiliated, only that security had asked me not to let him out of the room without an escort.) He still wasn't happy about it. He decided he didn't need to use the restroom after all. 

Did security point out the wrong student? Did I identify the wrong student? (She pointed him out as the boy with the red shoes. He was the only student at that table with red shoes.) Who knows? 

In times like these at this time of year (the students get a little crazy once they can smell summer vacation), it's best to err on the side of caution. 

(I was surprised to hear of the gang issues. I mean, in that part of town, it happens. I did know about a couple gun issues and there have been way more fights than normal lately. It's been an odd year.)

Repeat Performance

I just went looking through my blog archives for a post I thought I had written. Apparently, I did not. 

When I started covering Ms. A's English classes, I saw a few familiar faces. (Well more than a few as the eleventh graders I've had in many classes over the years.) Namely: Austin. (This is the Austin who takes forever whenever he's given a restroom pass.) 

Since the fall semester, the school has instituted a "floaters list". (This is not what they call it, but the continuation high school has a similar list, and that's what they've dubbed it, so that's what I call it.) Any student who's on the list doesn't just get to use the restroom. If they want to use the restroom, they need an "escort" (read: security). 

Students on the list have demonstrated that they spend too much time outside of class when granted restroom passes. So, they no longer get to go unmonitored. When they request a pass, I call for security. The security person goes with them and returns them to class.

I was not surprised to find Austin's name on the list. I covered his chemistry class the first time I learned of the list. And, of course Austin had to go at some point during class. (He made a fuss. I thought I had blogged about this. I guess something else more interesting happened that week.) 

The first day I covered this English class, Austin had to use the restroom. And as I was very familiar with the length of time he spends out of class, I knew immediately I had to call security. 

Austin claimed that his name was no longer on the list. I didn't even dignify that with a snort. 

What's truly funny is the security person who arrives greets Austin and Austin greets him. They are very familiar with one another, like as if Austin sees him a couple times a day. 

So, last week Austin requested a restroom pass. Of course. And, even though we had the same conversation the previous week, he claimed that he was no longer on the list. 

(Since it had been a while since I'd seen him, I did request a copy of the list. Austin's still on it. It was still the same list I had seen before. No changes had been made.)

Deep sigh. I don't know why Austin plays this game. I suppose he's bored. I guess that as I haven't seen him turn in one assignment in the three weeks I've been covering his English class. (I peeked at his grades. I was unsurprised to find that he's getting an F.) 

A Bad Friday

Friday. Seventh grade science. Fourth period.

It had already been a day. It was pouring down rain, which meant the kiddos were already cold and wet. And the rain just brings out the crazy. (It doesn't rain for us much, so that means any rainy day is an unusual day.) 

Fourth period was after lunch, so the kiddos had just spent a half hour out in the weather. (It had been pouring rain all lunch. No, there is no real cafeteria for them to eat in.) 

So, I was expecting some crazy.

Two girls needed to get paper towels from the restroom to dry off. A boy fought me on sitting in his assigned seat. They went through a box of tissues. A couple boys stepped outside to wring out their clothes.

It was about halfway through the period when assigned seat boy, Austin, was doing something very strange.

(I am having a moment with Austins. This was not chair thrower Austin nor was it forever restroom pass Austin. This was an entirely different Austin. I've had him in class before, but he didn't merit a blog mention before.) 

Austin was "smoking" (snorting?) a powder from a small strip of paper (about five millimeters wide). 

I chased him back to his seat, examining the area. What had he been doing? 

Then another girl and then another girl did the same thing. That's when I noticed the girl passing these out: Briar. 

As my warning to stop fell on deaf ears, it was time to call out for help. The assistant principal sent me security. 

"She called security," got whispered throughout the room. (What, exactly, did they expect?) The class calmed.

Sadly, in the chaos, I was unable to pick out all three (five?) girls who had been involved, but I knew Briar and Austin. 

Briar claimed innocence as she attempted to surreptitiously brush the powder from her desk. (Seventh graders aren't subtle. They think they are, but they are not.) 

Things calmed somewhat after students left with security, but they were wound up from the get-go. 

Middle schoolers and rain are a bad combination. Is a small pinch of powder in a bit of paper the thing now? I am so out of touch when it comes to drug culture.

The Screamers

On Wednesday I was asked to cover a different class on the prep period. (This is a common occurrence.) Freshman biology. (I could not escape the freshmen last week.)

A few of the students looked familiar. They had Ms. O for geography. This sort of thing happens a lot, too.

When I'm only covering one period, everything is a bit of a scramble. I had to wait for security to unlock the door. The students and I get in the room together, so I'm scanning a lesson plan and trying to get them seated and settled at the same time.

This bit is easier with older kiddos. Middle schoolers (and freshmen are, for all intents and purposes, middle schoolers) are so hyped up with any change that this circumstance invites bedlam. And this group was difficult on top of that. I had covered the class once before, and their teacher warned me.

So, really, this next bit should not be a surprise. But then again, I did not see this particular disruption coming.

A scream erupted from the back of the room. But it wasn't a scared scream. Or a surprised scream. Nope. It was the sort of scream one would hear in porn. Followed by a slap.

via GIPHY

I'm scanning a lesson plan, finding the papers to pass out, looking for a roster to take toll with, and figuring out the video. (They had a video to watch with questions to complete.)

I growled at them to cut it out. They did it a couple times more. Once I had gotten class fully going and I could watch them, it stopped.

Until I glanced away.

The next scream was designed for the jump scare.

And I was done. I called security.

Oh, you should have heard them as I called. "She's calling security?!?" They were shocked. Yet, they were the ones who took it that far. 

I didn't know who (if I had caught them at it, it would have been a different story), so I kicked out the four boys in the vicinity of the sound. They all claimed it wasn't them, but they wouldn't identify a culprit either.

They didn't think I was serious. For a while, they didn't move. But security was there, and he was taking them whether they wanted to go or not. Eventually, they did go.

Alas, they returned a half hour later. Sigh.

They were laughing. Apparently, they apologized profusely to the administrator they talked to. But they were obviously not sorry.

On the bright side, they didn't scream again.

The Wait

Freshman math (formerly algebra 1). Special ed. Third period, Tuesday.

Because it was a "special day class", I had an instructional aide. She warned me that group could be volatile.

They came in, all eight of them, popping off to each other. Someone said someone's hair looked weird. Dan was fixated on his shattered Samsung mini tablet. All I wanted was for them to settle down.

They did, kind of.

But then, someone said something, and Grace was ready to beat up Thomas over it.

The IA went to defuse the situation, attempting to send Grace to another class where she wouldn't be irritated by Thomas. Grace refused to leave.

(Later, the IA told me Grace explodes regularly. Asking her to leave was sending her to a room where she would be able to calm down, rather than remaining in class where someone else would bait her to explode again.)

Time to call security to escort her out.

So, I called. And we waited. And waited. And waited.

The IA stationed herself between Grace and Thomas. I doubt anyone got much of their worksheets done.

It was odd. Security usually shows up pretty quickly. But this time, fifteen minutes later, at just about the end of the period, he arrived.

At least it didn't come to blows. It was a near thing.