An Open Letter to Louis C.K.

Dear Louis C.K.,

We don't know each other, but I heard that you sent some tweets about the Common Core State Standards. More than heard about them, actually.They're everywhere! I'm guessing you might be surprised by the response. I'm guessing that many things are being said about your tweets--hailing them, using them as leverage, attacking them. In fact, I saw all of that and more on your Twitter feed--it's trending!

I went to Twitter looking for more information about your thoughts. Your tweets that day hit a nerve with me (and a gabillion other people). I suppose, in all honesty, I was irritated by them. You see, I typically agree with the things you say. I find you funny and usually just right enough to make people uncomfortable--pulling the curtains back on a social issue that needs airing. I am honest enough with myself to know that when something sticks in my craw, I have more to learn. 

I stewed on it for the last week, read articles, editorials, Facebook posts, heard jokes about it on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, read your Twitter feed, and finally figured out my issue. 

This whole thing is just one sound bite. One sound bite that has the ring of truth because it is your experience as a parent of children in public schools. One sound bite that has been strung up on flag poles across the nation (nations, even) to leverage the agenda of... any group with an agenda it would seem.  Part of me hopes you're irritated by that, too. Instead of opening up a conversation, looking at all the sides, intelligently examining the specifics, the mudslingers are on a tear and your face is on the flag.

I don’t sling mud. I don’t insult what I don’t understand. I spend time reading all sides of an issue before I assert an opinion. Sometimes, I don’t pick one clear side because the information provided is too shadowed by rhetoric. Considering all of that, weighing all of the issues, I do support the Common Core State Standards. I support the intent of the standards themselves--absent the ever present conspiracy theory. I agree that what we have done in the past has not developed the learners we need. I have read the CCSS in detail, across grade levels, even the appendices (more than once, even) and it is a simple truth--there is good to be found there. I agree with you, we can’t expect something new to be perfect, and the CCSS isn’t perfect. I don’t expect a set of standards to be the panacea for a centuries-old system that no longer serves the needs of our society. I expect a set of standards to be exactly that—a set of standards. Standards are simply an end-goal, a level of quality, a guideline. As a set of standards, I support the Common Core.

The CCSS didn’t create high-stakes testing. High-stakes testing has been here for over a decade. It is a separate issue and worthy of discussion in its own right, but not on the coat tails of the CCSS. That limits the conversation to one iteration of the problem, misplaces the responsibility, defeats the purpose of the argument.

The CCSS didn’t write New York State Assessments. I've chosen not to research who did write them, but I know a set of standards didn’t do it. If the assessment is poorly written, poorly implemented, or used unfairly, that is also worthy of discussion. This is true for any assessment written by anyone. If it is a poor assessment, implemented poorly, or leveraged inappropriately, that is a concern. 

The CCSS didn't implement themselves. Poor implementation is a concern.. New York implemented early and quickly. We can learn from that. We can also learn from states and districts that are implementing differently. 

The CCSS didn’t teach your children math that made them cry. It is my guess that it was a deeply passionate, caring teacher trying his or her best to teach a wholly new focus on math without adequate preparation.  The new math standards are wildly different than what we’ve done in the past. And it's about time. In the same breath that someone blasts the CCSS math standards, they also accuse the public education system of keeping our children behind other countries in math. If you read the standards, the background of the standards, the thought behind the changes, the pedagogy at work there, you will see that the authors agree. What we have been doing isn’t working. This is an attempt to change that. A change of this magnitude is going to take time, high-quality teaching, sound pedagogy, and support. If teachers in a particular state or district are not getting the support they need, that is yet another worthy discussion.

I want to chat with you Louis C.K.—hear more about the specific concerns you have, share some insights into the standards themselves, look for ways to leverage the strength of your voice with the strength of my experience to affect positive change for all students. I don’t have a political agenda, an ad campaign, a book to sell, or a fan base to please. I have nothing to gain personally from supporting or denouncing the CCSS. What I do have is a deeply rooted passion for education. I work every day to provide quality education for all learners. It is what I was meant to do. I have seen waves of change in education, and it is this current wave—the wave that includes a set of standards focused on learning behaviors over stacks of content—that has me hopeful.

So what do you say, Louis C.K.? Why don’t we chat about all of the sides of this issue that you inadvertently stirred up? I can learn from your experience as a parent. You can tell me what you know, what you want to know, and what the solutions might be. I can share my understandings with you, and, in the process, learn more myself. Nothing to gain but mutual understanding and movement towards a mutual goal of improved public education. Yeah?  Sound like a deal?

--a dedicated education professional

P.S.—in response to the person that is concerned with your habit of double-spacing after a period. I do it too. It’s how we were taught in high school in keyboarding class.Word processing programs do it for us now, so we are, in effect, making three spaces when we try to double-space. That doesn’t stop me. I just use the "find and replace" option after I type to take them all back out again. I support you in your double-spacing.

[Friday Free-Day] Yo! Snaps

I'm puttering around this post trying to figure out how to describe what became, this Spring, a phenomenon in my classroom. It's quite near indescribable, but it's also amazing and worth sharing.

Where to begin...?

On a Tuesday I "threw a snap" to one of my students. It's something I used to do with my friends growing up.  It makes little sense in the real world, but every once in awhile I have a student that identifies with it.  In this game you pretend to throw, bounce, dribble, and catch a pretend object.  Each time the pretend object is caught, or thrown, or bounced, you make a snapping noise. I found a game called snapball on Urban Dictionary.  Maybe they explain it better? Or this YouTube Video.

Anyhoo, two of my turkey-butts became enthralled with it and threw snaps at each other for the rest of the day.  Their little fingers were all red from snapping all day.

Then I was out sick for day, and I came back to brand-new, highly-developed game called "Snaps." Fifteen to twenty of my twenty-five students are throwing snaps at each other in their spare time.  They are creating "designer snaps" on paper, and then "snapping" them into play through a complicated induction snap.

For the rest of the school year, the kiddos created snaps on paper, inducted them into play, and "tossed" them back and forth throughout the day.

Here is the original page of snaps form that day.  These were later revised and entered into a "Snap Notebook" (revision!!!  of a sort).  Below are the following snaps (left to right):

Row 1: Rasta Snap, Cracked Window Snap, Dr. Pepper Snap, Bacteria Snap 1, Bacteria Snap 2, Plaid Snap, Ribbon Snap, Smart Snap, Iron Man Snap, Row 2: Crying Tree Snap, Star Trek Snap, Boss Snap, Asterisk Snap, Yellow Snap, Rainbow Snap, Quest Snap, Ninja Snap (?), Teeth SnapRow 3: Tiger Snap, Firework Snap (?), Pizza Snap, Boss Snap #2, Striped Snap, Abstract Snap, Church Snap, Cat Snap, Two-tone Snap

 True, it became distracting at times.  Truer still, it was a wonderful learning opportunity that completely tickled my fancy.  When I sat back and looked at it from a different perspective (a la Monopoly with my favorite San Diego Area Writing Project Fellows), I found ways to incorporate all different things into what the muffin-heads were already highly motivated to do:

• learning, discussion and practice using implicit and explicit rules
• Naming, grouping, and defining snaps
• using Google Hangouts to share our snaps with a fellow teacher in a neighboring district (so much fun that was!)
• using planning tools and the classroom Ipod Touches to design an app to share our snaps
• understanding and dealing with our disappointment when time and technology interrupted our app-making plans
• art (drawing snaps takes effort!)
• imagination and creativity
• fine motor skills and gross motor skills
• PE (we had a rousing game of snaps outside one day--we were all exhausted)

So...  that is the Snap phenomenon.  It tickles my heart and my brain.  My turkey butts are amazing!

[Student Stories] Going Invisible

I have a couple of students with Autism or Autistic-like behaviors (an actual thing when the diagnosis isn't clear on an educational level).  Without going into a long discussion (yet*), let me oversimplify by saying that some students with Autism struggle with social skills, understanding social cues and non-verbal communication, and it is quite quite common for a student with Autism to be very literal in their thinking.  The teaching standards for Language Arts in the middle grades in my state include lots of figurative language.  Good expository and narrative writing includes lots of figurative language. I am constantly trying to teach these kiddos nuance, metaphor, allusion, and a sense of themselves outside what they can see and hear. Or, failing that, how to navigate the world around them.  Below is a conversation I had recently with one of these kiddos.  On the surface it seems like an odd conversation.  Threaded in there though, are some beads of brilliance on his part.  Let me 'splain...

Kiddo: This week is going by slow isn't it?

Me: (sighing, rubbing my forehead) Yes, it really is.

Kiddo: Is it really, or like 8th-graders-are-literal kind of slow. [BEAD #1]

Me: (starting to smile) Nah, I think it really is.

Kiddo: (mischievous twinkle in his eye) And maybe slower because we have 8th Grade Disease? [BEAD #2]

Me: [smiling] Yeah, maybe it is.

Kiddo: And would it be better if I became invisible? [BEAD #3]

Me: Maybe if we all did, yes.

Kiddo:  See you tomorrow.

Me:  Not if we're invisible

Kiddo: Yeah.


BEAD #1--I always tell them that it's okay if they see things literally at first, because that's what 8th graders are really good at.  I play out scenarios where 8th graders are literal, and then we try to be more figurative.  He realizes that the week going slowly isn't literal, and he's turning that over in his mind.  He caught himself being figurative (yay!).  Also, we use hyphenated modifiers in our writing, and he made it clear he was using one in his talking (you have to find it yourself.)

BEAD #2--Here Kiddo is showing me that he remembers something I said.  He sees that I'm tired, that it was a rough day.  He knows I talked to the 8th graders about having 8th Grade Disease earlier, and he is trying to connect.  This is huge. He knows he was a butt-head himself earlier, and wants to fix it.  The fact that he is trying to reach out of his own head in a social way is a big step for him and a stretch. He also does it quite well, which is super-cool.

BEAD #3--Earlier that week (actually the day before, but as I mentioned, it had been a long week), Kiddo was not paying attention to our conversation about the word "uncanny" and kept talking about how being invisible would be cool.  Even after explaining that invisibility was more of a magic power or super power, he kept blurting out examples using invisibility.  Finally, I tried my "pushing-in-instead-of-pushing-out" trick (I just named that right there. Did you see how I did that?) and stopped fighting him.  I challenged him to try to put invisibility into our conversation five more times before class ended, or before I did--whichever came first (not before I ended, but before I used it five times.  Heh.  That sounds funny so I'm leaving it).  My next example sentence was "It is uncanny how Kiddo has the ability to incorporate invisibility into each of our conversations." and it went from there. Here, he is bringing up an old joke.  This is a big social skill he is learning.  Connecting to a previous conversation like that, and continuing a joke in an appropriate way. I was tickled pink. Or purple.  Or some color that you can be tickled to be.

So you see my caped friends, a ten-second conversation at the end of a long day can, in fact, be full of learning.  What a lucky duck I am to be able to experience it! It's... uncanny! Or invisible.


*NOTE--Two of my caped family members know way more about this than I do.  They study it and work with it and can explain it much better.  I am glad to try, but think I will outsource this particular topic to the experts.

[Student Story] Deceiver, Dissembler

Long ago, in the olden days of yore, in January, I posted about a liar-pants issue in my classroom (here and here).  Yesterday the same events started to unfold and ended a little differently.  I thought you might be interested as you dither on and on about if she learned her lesson or not...*

Phone-Borrower Kidlet asked to lay on the couch during break.  She curled into an awkward looking corner.  The other classroom teacher called and let me know that another student saw a Phone-Lender Kidlet (a different one than before) give his phone to Phone-Borrower. Phone-Lender was denying it.  I stood up, walked over to Phone-Borrower, held out my hand, and she put the phone in my hand.  I asked her to write down what happened, she told most of the truth, and went quietly to ISS where she served her time.

So.  Lesson learned?  Possibly.  She didn't lie this time, right?  It didn't take two days of hard-core ISS and detective work to figure it out.  AND, it was a DIFFERENT Phone-Lender this time. I'll give it a 6 out of 10 on the lesson learned scale.



*Note--In my secret super-powered brain you dither on and on about my posts.  Let me have this illusion for now.

* Note #2--BTW and FYI, while deciding on the title to this post I found the possible origin for the liar-liar-pants-on-fire rhyme.  Here 'tis.  It may not be correct, but I like the concept.  The website looks interesting too.

Deceiver, dissembler

Your trousers are alight

From what pole or gallows

Shall they dangle in the night?

When I asked of your career

Why did you have to kick my rear

With that stinking lie of thine

Proclaiming that you owned a mine?

When you asked to borrow my stallion

To visit a nearby moored galleon

How could I ever know that you

Intended to turn him into glue?

What red devil of mendacity

Grips your soul with such tenacity?

Will one you cruelly shower with lies

Put a pistol ball between your eyes?

What internal serpent

Has lent you his forked tongue?

From what pit of foul deceit

Are all these whoppers sprung?

Deceiver, dissembler

Your trousers are alight

From what pole or gallows

Do they dangle in the night?

[William Blake]

Goal Progress: 7/20

Quote of the Week #18

One of my sweet-niks will sometimes say "based on a true story" after an announcement, or a story, or something funny. It cracks me up. He does it in a kind of announcer voice, and his timing is perfect. I will finish a free lecture (I think I keep telling you I'll explain the free lecture, but then I don't.) with a kiddo that needed one, and I will hear him say, "Based on a true story."  Funny stuff.

[Student Story] Hanging on a Telephone Wire

So, I asked what you would do in the case of a set of Pants on Fire. Thank you for the suggestions and ideas. Here is what went down:

I put Phone-Borrower in a room away from everyone for awhile (if I say how long it will sound mean). I tried dialing the phone to see if she was silly enough to leave it on--no luck. I went back in and again explained the facts of the situation. Everything pointed to the obvious answer that she was not telling the truth. I never quite said "you are lying" because accusations seem to shut them down more quickly than anything else. I said that I wanted to believe her, but that the facts were not supporting her. I said she could clear her name if she would let us call her grandparents and they could bring the phone (since she was saying it was at home). This is where she started to lose ground. She didn't want us to call. She wanted to bring it the next day. I hounded her with the idea of clearing her name by making sure we had it back. She finally broke down and said someone else was holding it for her but she didn't want them to get in trouble. Eventually, we got the name of that person and we got the phone back. 

THEN I told her that she lied. I said it very clearly and showed my disappointment. I told her that the next step was to lose the attitude, stop trying to back her way out of the lie, and own up to the people that mattered. I told her that I expected her to talk to her mom that evening and own up to what she did. I made sure she knew that even in her lie other students backed her up, and she owed them an apology, too (since they would now be in trouble as well).

Did it work? Well... I thought it may have had an impact. But, the next day when she came to serve her In-School Suspension she was a jerk. I decided to be a hard-ass and put her in ISS again the next day. She started out with an attitude, but adjusted it slightly. At the end of the day it was discovered she had taken the iPod of a family member and given it to another student in our program. Yesterday, she was awful again. So no, it didn't "work." However, she is on a path of some kind and this is a step on that path. She is begging for boundaries and we are working with the family to make sure they are there when she pushes against them. I found out a little more about what might be going at home that is triggering this, and its bad enough that I can't share it here. She needs hugs and loves as much as she needs clear limits and consequences. We'll keep trying to give her both. Hey Mom and Dad--sound familiar?

As for Phone-Lender. We worked with him to call his mom and admit he had not "lost" the phone and that he had given it to Phone-Borrower. I asked him what the "valuable life lesson" was and he immediately said "don't lend out your phone." Well done my little Poodle-head. 

[Student Behavior] 8th Grade Moonies

I am the opposite of cerebral.  I am intuitive, imaginative, and impractical.  I am loosey-goosey, dreamy, and have a casual relationship with time.  BUT.  I prefer provable facts over what-ifs or maybes.  If I am going to make a statement or declaration, I look it up first.
That said,  I am fixin' to make a declaration.  Actually two. Neither one of them have any support or proof that I would consider true, scientific, or accurate.  I feel like they should, and I'm going to go out on a limb.  Actually, I'm going to put my statements on a limb.

First,

My poodle-heads have 8th Grade Disease

and,

The Full Moon is making their 8th Grade disease worse.  

This week I thought my kiddos had 8th Grade Disease.  Looking back in my archives I see that I have never adequately explained this.  I will.  Just not today.  Short version?  8th graders appear to have a genetic mutation that causes them to turn in to monsters.  I don't know if I discovered this disease, just happened to name it (quite creatively I might add), or stole it from someone smarter and wittier.  I just know it exists.  It exists and it started running wild through the ranks this week.  

It got so bad today that I had to take pause.  This didn't seem like your typical illness breakout.  There had to be something else going on.  I checked the calendar, and it appears there will be a Full Moon in one week.  A week away is kind of a stretch for the Full Moonies, I realize that.  Perhaps 8th Grade Disease is compounded by the Full Moon thereby creating a new strain of the disease?  The 8th Grade Moonies?

I sure hope so. Otherwise I've lost my touch.  With my super powers AND reality.  

[Student Story] Pants on Fire

What is the right thing to do?

Kidlet #1 is despondent.  He finally lets me know that he has let another student "borrow" his cell phone and she has not returned it for nearly a week.  He is in big trouble at home, but will only tell his mom that the phone is "lost."  He just wants the phone back.  I make a plan with Phone-Lender Kidlet that I will talk to Phone-Borrower Kidlet, but I will make sure she knows he did not "snitch."

In the meantime, I check my voice mail at work.  Phone-Borrower Kidlet's mom had called checking if she was at school the day before since Phone-Borrower Kidlet is, apparently, also Run-Away-From-Home Kidlet. When I returned her mom's call, I also found out that yes, indeed, Phone-Borrower had a phone and the number of the phone she had matches Phone-Lender's number.  Easy-peasy, right?

I talk to Phone-Borrower and she calmly explains that she did borrow the phone, but it is at home.  She is contrite, she will return it, all will be well.  I call her mom to let her know all is taken care of.  Her mom is confused though, because Phone-Borrower has just sent her mother a text message telling her that she should not have "snitched" on her.  Her mom ensures me that the text was sent and arrived in the last hour (11:41 am exactly).

I talk to Phone-Borrower again.  She swears the phone is not in her possession.  I know this trick, so I ask if it is in someone else's possession, or on campus in any way.  She swears it is not.  I ask her how the text message was sent.  She swears she does not know.  I explain how when the facts are pointing straight at you, it is best to just own up.  She stands by her assertion that the phone is not in her possession, it is not on campus, and she does not know how it managed to send a text message to her mom disguised as her.

So.  What would you do at this point?

Quote of the Week #15

Our quote this week is of the "awwwww" variety.

The counselor was playing the Ungame with a small group.  J. (of the Mr. Sketch Marker) was in the group, as was R.   It is important to note that R.'s first day of school EVER was this August.  The short version is this: he has not had any formal instruction and is just now learning the basics.   On the whole my little kiddos have quietly and supportively helped R. and his sister learn their school skills.  They have never pointed out the severe deficits in their skills, and they tactfully help out when needed without making it obvious that they are helping.  In this instance, J. had taken on the role of "question reader" when it was R's turn without any direction from the counselor or discomfort for R.  (that's "awwwww" #1).*

Counselor (reading a question from the game): "Who is your favorite teacher?"
R. (thinks for quite a while...): "Ms. M."
Counselor: "Why?"
R. with J.'s help to explain: "Because she's so understanding."

Awwwww #2.

Now, I must do a wee bit of math for you.  R. has never been to school.  The only teachers he has ever had are the ones he has this year.  That brings the total number of teachers he has to choose from to... two.  I fully realize I had a 50/50 chance here (even less if you count the phase of the moon and the shifting tides of adolescent favoritism).  What makes me happy is not the status (yes, that would be numero uno out of... dos), it's that their reasoning is something I am proud to be favorited for!

I so very much want them to feel understood. I want them to feel cared about and cared for.  I want them to know they have someone in their corner.  This does not mean I become their bestie and give them what they want all the time (or bust out Cee-Lo songs like Gwynth Paltrow). I try mightily to fight the good fight and do what is right by them whether they like it or not.  I tell them often that I love them enough to nag them if I need to, and that I am willing for them to be angry at me or dislike me if it is best for them.

So for today, bless their pickled little hearts for being able to articulate what I want so much for them to feel.

Today it feels like I'm doing my job, and that is quite a powerful feeling.


*Note--I completely understand the need for R. to read things himself.  It is a fine line we are walking to teach him the skills while keeping him equally involved in what the other kids are doing.  I feel this topic requires more depth than this notelet.  Just trust that it was appropriate for this situation.

November Is Over

But December has its issues, too.

Today included the following (remember, this is out of 22 students):

V. was assigned In School Suspension for defying another teacher on Friday and laughing, talking, and climbing a fence.  ISS at our school means the student has to sit off to the side of the rest of the class (we only have a room to use part of the time and a staff member to sit in it the other part of the time).  V.  didn't want to be in ISS, and didn't want to work, and didn't want to remain upright and off of the floor.  This was an all-day issue evidenced by multiple phone calls, visits, and reminders to V.  With 30 minutes to go V. decided he should go home.  He wanted to call his guardian.  I explained that he could, but that when he did he'd have to explain the actual reason he wanted to leave (to get out of ISS) and that I didn't think it was his best plan.  He called anyway.  No such luck on the home-going and now V. has given away the fact that he was misbehaving.  Much sighing and floor-rolling commenced.  Data entered into computer.

J. #1 was assigned ISS for laughing and fence-climbing (see above).  His ISS was only for half of a day because when he was told to stop laughing and fence-climbing, he did (more or less).  Turns out J. didn't want to be in ISS either.  He took fewer reminders though, before he got the hint.  BUT, the first period he returned to class he decided to pull his pants down (shorts on underneath--don't freak out) and waddle around like an old man for the guest teacher.  Back to ISS he went.  This led us to a phone call home.  The phone call home involved multiple people because his guardians do not speak English.  J. was quite surprised to hear this call would be made and immediately regained his composure (What???  When does THAT work with my kids?)

J. #2 does not like to work.  So he didn't.  This is an all-day affair.  It also includes J. wandering around the room looking for toys to play with while he does not work, said toys being removed from his reach, and more wandering.  It also includes discussions, detention, ISS, and phone calls home.  No change in behavior.  Many emails to parents, therapist, and staff to schedule a parent conference--again. Data entered into computer.

Another student came with an injury that required a phone call to Child Protective Services.  This is a serious determination to make on my own, and required many phone calls and emails.  It also means I have to find a 30 minute period of uninterrupted time during which to call.  This is rarely possible and required the juggling of cats.  Then there is a form to fill out and a fax to send.  Sending the fax calls for leaving the room which did not happen between the hours of 8:30 and 4:15.

Grades are due.  Many emails and phone calls were made in order to get them out today.  Also, probation letters written and signed by the principal for our two students receiving D's and F's (Yes, only two!!! It's possible I work harder than they do to earn them, but I'm trying to teach them what success feels like.  More on that another time)..

J. #4 and C. forgot how to add and subtract.  Both have lower than average IQs, but both are entirely capable of adding.  J.#4 told me she couldn't do the following problem "What is 200 more than 8900?"  Then she couldn't do "What is 1 more than 37?"  J. #4 knows how to add.  We've been working on it for a year and a half.  C. forgot, but then remembered.  Then C. forgot how to convert decimals to fractions, so we reviewed that, too.

The district writing assessment is due this week.  The little Piggies know how to do this, but freaked out when it was time to do the assessment.  They forgot everything they knew, told me they couldn't do it, hated reading, hated writing, didn't know how to write, didn't know how to read.  Much pep-talking and reminding ensued.  They remembered some of it. This will continue tomorrow.

J #3 refused to read today (see above).  Refusal is mildly acceptable, but constantly talking to the Piggies trying to read was not.  He was eventually sent to another room to complete the reading but refused all day.  All alternate assignments offered also refused.  Detention assigned, data entered into computer. Emails sent to coordinate meeting to discuss his behavior plan which does not appear to be the magic fix (sarcasm here).

C. was rude during her lunch detention today. Discussion with C.  Further lunch detention assigned. Data entered into computer.

The 8th grade Piggies came down with 8th grade disease today and were rude to the guest teacher this afternoon.  Campfire was called.  Pep talk ensued.  Day improved.

New photography unit started today.  The 6th and 7th grade Piggies were not able to listen, so little progress was made.  Will try again tomorrow.

Multiple students earned PE detention.  I held it in my room during my prep period. This means no bathroom break, but it provides opportunity to try to get into the heads of the detainees. Small dent into psyche was made  for J #2 and V #1. Am quite certain psychic dent pops back into place the minute they leave the room.

M. ripped a hole in her sweatshirt at PE.  Taking it home to sew it for her.

V. #2 came to "help out" after school because this is where she gets her human interaction for the day (not at home).  I found something for her to do.

And, *sniff sniff* I have a cold.

The point today?  Any time you read about how education is failing our kids, remember what it is our society is asking education to do these days.  I love my little piggies, I even love them on days like today.  Their issues don't make me angry at them, they make me worried for them.  So that is the point.  That, and I'm tired and think sympathy would be extra-special nice.  That, that, and I think y'all might want to wish a teacher well this holiday season.  They're bustin' their butts out there!

Whoopsie

This caped teacher does not know the strength of her powers.  Earlier this week I said this:

"Our kids this year are not your typical punk kids.  We have many fewer gun-totin', teacher-hitting, drug-using turkey-butts than in the past.  This year our kids border on sweet (key word--border), just don't fit in, and just... need."

I should not have taunted karma in this way.

Yesterday, one of those bordering-on-sweet-needy kids lost it.  She lit out on another student, shoving a staff person on her way, and repeatedly kicked and punched him (the kid, not the staff person).  She wouldn't stop.  Screaming, swearing, dodging furniture as he tried to get away (and the teacher tried to help him get away).  He got up and ran down the hall to the office and she followed him.  In the end, she had injured four other staff members and was in the back of a police car kicking and screaming.  

Oh.  My. Goodness.  She just... lost it.  All we know is this...

• The child she went after had been almost hit by another student the day prior for being... irritating.  
• The child she went after can, indeed, be irritating.
• She has had similar issues in the past.  It appears this happens when she hasn't taken her medication. There is no way to determine this though. The parent does not share this information.

What I can guess is...

• The teacher was out of the room for a minute, and the two other staff in charge are more quiet-voiced and less assertive when it started.  This may have allowed the other child to be more irritating, but that is just a guess.
• She has trouble moderating her moods (statement of the obvious, I know) and her social skills are still at the chasing-boys-at-recess level.  That day she had some big emotions (fear and relief) related to a classroom project she was working on, and that may have put her off-kilter.
• The other student has a remarkable propensity to bother other people.  We had been working almost constantly with him to curb that. Even with a staff member right next to him all day he was poking, kicking chairs, stealing pencils, etc.  I had to stop and count to five several times working with him.  He could test the patience of a stone statue.

So.  The lessons today?  Do not tempt fate by making sweeping statements about the sweetness of your little poodle-heads. Apparently karma has a wicked sense of humor.

Next lesson, while it is true that physically restraining kids only leads to escalating the behavior, there are times when the behavior has reached a point that there is no other choice.  This is a mental battle for me. I fully embrace the idea of not restraining kids. I see it escalate them and know it is not helpful.  In situations like this though, there really is no other choice.  By the time they attempted to restrain her, it took four adults and at least two of those adults were injured.  Debriefing the event, the only thing that could have been done differently was back at the beginning.  When she first got upset, whatever happened right before that--that's the key.  I don't know what that was.  It was not my classroom.  I still feel like I should have done something to stop it, but I know I couldn't have.

Lastly, do not underestimate the power of middle school mood swings. They can really mess you up!

Peace out my caped friends.  It's time to place my thoughts elsewhere and recoup my strength for next week.

Mums the Word

Well my dears, school started nigh on three weeks ago and I have been... mum.

"Seal up your lips and give no words but mum." 

--Bill Shakespeare

It's not that it's a secret exactly.  It's just that if you were to ask me how it is going, I would say, "Mmmmm" and then lose track of the conversation almost immediately.  This is not, as it can be, because my brain is empty.  This is, as it can also be, because it is so FULL!  There is so much this year!  It all happened so quickly, and there is so much to say.  Any one story links to tens of others and then I am struck... mum.

So, where to start?  How do you eat an elephant?  I'll just begin. Or take a bite.  Or something.

Our kids this year are not your typical punk kids.  We have many fewer gun-totin', teacher-hitting, drug-using turkey-butts than in the past.  This year our kids border on sweet (key word--border), just don't fit in, and just... need.  They need so much! Example?

In one of my classes you will find...

-A student with seizure disorder and severe attention deficits.  It is unclear when he is having seizures and when is just isn't listening.  He is learning at grade level though, and is bored easily.

-Two students who have not been to school for over 6 years (if at all) and cannot read, can barely write, and are learning to add.

-A student with serious mental health issues including a perception that we are all out to get him and he must plan his retaliation attempts well ahead.

-A student with Autism who cannot comprehend how to navigate the middle school social whirl (who can?).

-A student with a hearing loss and Tourette's Syndrome.  He also has attention issues, but it is unclear when he is not paying attention and when he didn't hear us.  Chicken or egg?

--A student working at 8th grade level in all areas that just needs to "serve her time" with us.

Add in 5-10 other students with a variety of seemingly lesser needs, and I feel like a whirling dervish.  I'm feeling pressure to simultaneously teach two kids to read (to READ for goodness sake!) while another student needs to be challenged with interesting literature and in-depth writing instruction.  One kiddo is spinning on the floor in a distracted state of... distraction while another has his head buried on his desk in despair because someone rolled their eyes at him (have you SEEN how often middle school kids roll their eyes?).  One girl is kicking the chair of a boy she likes while that same boy can't hear me--or just isn't paying attention.

And... I just adore them!  I can't find my own tail end to save my life, but all day I see so clearly that they just need to be taught.  I feel like I have been running at full speed for the last three weeks and the only thing to do is keep running.  So... hang on to your capes my super friends!  This is going to be a fun year!

Nesting

Amid the hurley-burley of the new school year each little Lovie shakes out their feathers, stands up on their wobbly legs and knobby knees, and begins to explore their newest nest.   We watch them.  Let them try out their squawks and their chirps.  Let them tear through the day or tiptoe.  Let them push away our attempts to connect or to teach, or both.  Let them stand closer, move further away, and stand closer again.

All of the Lovies have come despite the fact that our school buses were cut from the budget.  Many are walking, some are on public transportation, and many parents have moved their schedules around to get them here.  We've tracked down bus passes for the poverty-stricken families, and researched bus routes for the less able.  They are here though, and hoping to stay.

We assess them, ask questions, try to learn about what they need, what they bring to us, and what they hope to take with them when they go.  Some are bigger versions of themselves these first few days.  Louder, more forceful, more likely to be the smart ass or to argue.  Some are smaller versions of themselves.  Quiet, taking up less space, unwilling to take a step out.  Both are finding the balance between who they are and who they will be in this classroom this year.

Some have come back from last year.  They came in with confidence and smiles, pointing out how they have changed over the Summer.  Some are taller, leaner, more serious.  Some are still goofy, silly, ready to have fun.  They look around the room and point out what has changed or stayed the same.  They dutifully report to the new ones that "this shelf used to be there" or "that is where the collection of blue things always is".    They ask for familiar performances of hiccup cures, magically changing white folders to "yellow," and the swiftness with which a caped teacher might don her cape.

The visitors start to arrive.  First two boys from the previous two years who were kicked out of their high school summer school, but plan to "get it together real soon." Then two more who were successful in summer school, but are nervous about high school starting.  The next day, a boy that has been in juvenile hall and came to say hello.  He leaves with a quiet "thank you."  They are all tall, and confident, and proud.  Eager to use our first names in conversation, but slipping immediately back to Ms. right afterwards.  Quiet, looking for familiarity, checking to see if the nest they built in previous years is still there.  It is, it just looks a little different.

All of this... it is an amazing way to earn a living.

Taking Credit

I received an email from a former student this morning.  She is a-maze-ing.  I told her I will be taking credit for that.

Just to ease the minds of folks who might think I actually think I mean that, I don't. In reality,  I will only take credit for realizing she is amazing.  In my made-up world of super-hero teacher things, I will pretend I created her amazing-ness.  See how this works?

Anyhoo (remind me to share the story of my Nana and the word "anyhoo"), here is a small portion of her email.  This is the part where she compares me to two other teachers:

"...up there with the sassy anthropology teacher who threatened the class on a daily basis and the apparel design professor who reminded me I was not hot shit on a daily basis (she would use those exact words, too.) Those [kids] are super lucky. I would tell them myself, but I would probably terrify them. In all reality, I am a beast. "

Now.  It appears I am in the company of teachers that are threatening students and telling them that they are not as amazing as they are.  Hmmmm.  Analysis time.  Of course I prefer to focus on two things.  First, I am  indubitably sassy.  This is a fair comparison.  Second, from her email I can see that this young woman is clearly in tune with herself, intelligent, and on a fulfilling life-path.  THAT is the very best thing to see.  To hear now that any one of my little chic-a-dees are happy, healthy, and moving forward is the greatest thing about this job.  It doesn't matter how that happened.  YEAY to you J.!!!


**Note--I must admit to one small failure on the part of this young lady.  As her Spanish teacher, I always hoped she might have learned... you know... Spanish.  It appears that, when in danger of incarceration by the Mexican authorities, she was only able to pull out the following phrase, “Bailo en el baño con un mono feo.”  While I am tickled by the thought of dancing in the bathroom with an ugly monkey, and the fact that she used correct grammar to communicate this idea, I am a little concerned about her safety.  I am also now forced to admit that I may well be one of the Spanish teachers I heard tales about.  Sigh.

Fly Right

Today is the last day of school.  There are many things I would like to post--photos, the end-of-the-year slideshow, the quilt.  Most of it I can't show because it has identifying information on it.  

Instead, I will wish my little 8th Grade turkey-butts success and joy on their next adventure.  It is bittersweet to watch them go.  

The bitter part is mostly fear for their future.  They may not be ready.  They may not know everything.  They may fall on their little faces and not be able to get back up. 

The sweet part has some to with the fact that they have been crrrraaaayzeeeee  the last month or so and I'm barely hanging on.  The other half of the sweet part is that they have had small glimpses of light this week, and I feel like they may be ready to fly.  They just might enter high school with the skills they need and the desire to use those skills.  

Fly strong and fly right my kiddos...

"Boss"

A Vignette...

The Scene: A classroom of middle school trouble-makers working on computers.  All is quiet (Really!  It was!  It was freetime so they were plugged-in and all quiet-like!),  Except, for R.  He has the hiccups...

Ms. M: Who has the hiccups?

Various Voices: R... It's R... R. has the hiccups.

R.:  Me... hiccup

Various Voices: You should cure them... R.--she can cure hiccups... Dude, cure his hiccups... It's one of her superpowers.

Ms. M: I can, but R. doesn't believe in my powers, so they don't work.

R.:  (scoffing noise) I believe.  Cure 'em.  

Another Student:  You really have to believe R.  Or it doesn't work.

R.: I believe!

Ms. M: I think, perhaps, I need my cape for this to work today.  You're a tough one R.(expectant silence whilst I don my cape and glittery red mask)* Are you ready? (Magic hiccup cure ensues...)**

R.:  ... (no hiccup)...  (mutters) Thanks.

Ms. M: (removing cape and mask, dusting off hands) That's how it's done my friends.

(smattering of applause... work resumes.)

*Blessings and many thanks to some fellow cape-wearers for the gift of this cape and mask.
 

 **Yeah,right! Like I was going to tell you the cure--it's totally a secret!

Averted Eyes

M. is crying.  I am pretty sure it is my fault.  Before you get your knickers in a bunch, though, I will tell you that he is upset because I held him responsible for his actions (or lack of action, to be more specific). He is sitting in the center of the room, at his desk, snuffling.  Red face, runny nose, miserable eyes. 

The other turkey-butts are sitting on pins and needles, pretending they don't see or hear him.  Let me remind you that these are middle-schoolers.  Not only middle-schoolers, but middle-schoolers that have been removed from regular schools for not doing the right thing.  Let me also remind you that middle-schoolers are mean and vengeful little creatures (in case you forgot the horror of your own middle school years).  When they smell blood, they, like Jaws, have the genetic predisposition to attack mercilessly.

But they are not attacking.  They are swimming warily around him, averting their eyes, and letting him believe he is snuffling in private. 

It's sweet. In a vengeful-creature-shows-moment-of-kindness sort of way...

Hat-Trick

This week was tough.  TOUGH, I tell you.  This caped teacher doesn't know how to explain it without taking hours and hours, but suffice it to say that the hat-trick of rampant Eighth-Grade Disease, one very troubled child, and shared issues of the foster care  and education systems, had me beat down to a pulp by the end.  

What does a super teacher do when they are all pulp-y on a Friday?  Hit the ground running on Monday, I guess. Stay-tuned.  There were many wonderful moments this week as well.  I will find them in my memory and share.  

The List

As I sit here watching these little turkey-butts take their state-mandated tests, I am reflecting on the various issues that have brought them to me.  Here I will list phrases used on our placement information sheet and the number of times each is used if more than once, or if privacy allows.  This is out of twenty students--some have more than one of the listed concerns:

--behavior (9)

--anger (3)

--social skills (3)

--diagnosed ADHD--medicated (4), unmedicated (3) 

--Special Education Services (some)

--Behavior Support Plan (2)

--county health services (1)

--outside counseling services--current (2), lapsed (4)

--low academics (6)

--low grades (9)

--English Language Learner (4)

--504 Plan (2)

--GATE (1)

--father in and out of rehab

--administratively placed due to incident throwing rock at teacher

--in new foster home (first time placed with all siblings), visitations with mom

--defiance and disrespect (4)

--anxious about assignments (2)

--refused to complete over 90% of assigned work

--tardies and unexcused absences (3)

--claims gang affiliation (3)

--administratively placed for buying/possessing marijuana 

--both parents deceased within last few years

--administratively placed for two incidences involving possession of a razor at school with intention to use it on a student

--lives in a group home

--administratively placed for possession of drug paraphernalia

--concerns regarding abuse in the home (3)

--impulsive--medicated (1), unmedicated (2)

--on probation due to break and enter and drug possession 

--lack of interest in school, highly sexualized

--theft 

--father seriously ill

--threatening behavior toward other students 

--selective mute

--difficulty focusing--no diagnosis (2)

--mother supportive, father in and out, 

--retained then socially promoted, physically mature, emotionally immature

--placed in foster care due to neglect, is now back home

--mother seriously ill

What troubles me most as I created this list is the inner battle I have with myself.  I don't want to describe my students by their issues.  I could easily create a list twice as long with their strengths.  I lean on their myriad strengths all day every day. Realistically though, it is not those strengths that brought them to me.  This list of concerns is still a day-to-day reality for each of them.  I can love them, teach them, and build on their strengths  (and call them George?). I can be positive, caring and supportive, but this list will still slap them in the face when they go home.  So do I play "Pollyanna" and ignore the list?  

My choice?  I spend the large percentage of each day focusing on the strengths and skills they have, they need, they might be able to develop.  I keep in mind, however, that there are always mitigating factors. While they are not excuses, they are reality.  I don't pity them, judge them, or pretend to know what they have gone through, but I keep this list in mind when making decisions each day.  That's where I am in the inner battle as of this day. 

Chip-Eater

When she was told her daughter had been acting disrespectfully in school, being sassy, and not following the agreements we had made at conferences, the parent said, "Oh.  Well, you know, she HAS been eating a lot of chips lately."

This Super Teacher has no response to that.