New Kid's Follow-Up Suspension Meeting

After New Kid was suspended (http://pigtailedteacher.blogspot.com/2010/05/where-to-start.html), a meeting with his mom was scheduled. The original incident happened on Thursday, so New Kid did day one of in-house on Friday (and missed the school walk-a-thon). He was supposed to do day two on Monday...the same day as his mom's meeting with the principal, the school psychologist, the school part-time counselor, resource teacher, school nurse, and me, but he didn't show up to school and neither did his mom.

No phone call, no e-mail, nothing.

"How are we suppose to help support your child when you won't support us, Mom?!?!"

We had the meeting without Mom, and we're finally talking about what's the right placement for this kid, especially for next year. We decided to invite a behavioral specialist into my classroom to observe the student, a higher-up in the special ed world was called for consultation, a new behavioral plan was put into place for him, and several other things were discussed. I did my best not to get overwhelmed and cry in front of my co-workers, but I think everyone in the meeting knew I was upset and concerned about the well-being of the other students in my class (and for myself!)

When New Kid came back on Tuesday he did his second day of in-house suspension (while missing a field trip to the theater) and then he started two weeks of supervised recess...that means he gets to walk around with the recess supervisors and watch the other kids play. I'll be giving you all more details about that next time!

-Pigtailed Teacher

Where to Start?

I've been MIA for three weeks, so it's hard to decide where to start.

How about New Kid's two day, in-house suspension?

On April 21st, a Wednesday, I went to an all-day training with my principal and four of my co-workers. According to the note my sub left me, New Kid was a complete jerk to her, had a meltdown, refused to go to the office, etc. As my sub put it, "I felt like I had been drug behind a truck."

So when I returned to class on Thursday, I met with New Kid to discuss the consequences, including the fact that he probably wasn't going on the field trip with us the next week. He was a little upset, but seemed to understand. From there though, the day went downhill. Fast.

Here's what I wrote in my journal: "New Kid acted up a little during writing, then a bunch more in math-knocked his pencil box [over] in the process & he got got very angry & I sent for the Crazy Counselor [who was filling in for the principal while she was out of the building for two days]. Crazy Counselor let him play a "video game" [to calm him down]." Then, as I was bringing the kids in from lunch recess, New Kid bounced a ball off the wall above the doorway. Right after I told him not to do that, as I turned to walk back to the front of my line, he bounced the ball off the back of my head!!!

"I whipped around & told him I was so mad, rushed to the office, threw the secretary in with my class & had a breakdown in the back office." My head was fine, but I was so mad and frustrated that I couldn't help but cry.

Long story short, New Kid got in-house suspension for two days, missed the field trip, had to write me an apology and we scheduled a meeting with his mom for the following Monday. Next time I'll tell you about the meeting and the flying scissors.

More From My Teacher's Diary

The week after spring break proved to be something of an anomaly for me...New Kid was out for three days in a row!

On the first day both Highlights and he were gone. What a difference those two make!!! During math time I had all my kids on task, working quietly in pairs, spread out around the room, with soothing, classical music playing in the background. It was so picture perfect I had to run across the hallway and get one of my coworkers. She took one look around the room and nodded her head in approval.

When I filled her in on who was absent, her own eyes lit up with understanding...her naughty boy, who has behaviors and academic problems similar to New Kid, had just gone home sick.

We smiled, high-fived, and went on to enjoy a calm and productive afternoon with our kids.

Even though I did enjoy my time without New Kid immensely, it did make me a little depressed. As I wrote in my teacher's diary, "(It's) sad that they make such a negative difference. I gave the class an extra 15 minute recess and they were so happy." I can't normally do that sort of thing when New Kid is around and most of my class does deserve fun, little surprise like that.

Oh well, only nine weeks left...let the countdown begin!

Crabby, Crabby Teacher

Yup, this week I've been a crabby, crabby teacher. I'm chocking it up to a combination of stress, random parent meetings, rowdy kids, PMS, an old cat who wants to play at five in the morning, loads of papers to correct, more stress, starting to feel slightly under the weather, stupid (before school!) staff meetings, etc...the normal sort of teacher crap. And even though I knew I had been snapping at the kids a little more than usual, I thought I had been pretty good about hiding my bad mood from my third graders.

I guess I was wrong. :)

My co-worker came in right after school and asked if there was a specific reason why two of my boys left the room singing, "Highway to Hell."

I guess I'm not the only one feeling the stress. :)

Spring Break

For the past nine days I've completely enjoyed not being a teacher. I've thoroughly devoted myself to sleeping in, going to the movies, reading for pleasure, going to happy hours, writing letters, watching mindless tv, napping with the cat, hanging out with friends and family, and getting things done around the house. Not teaching even makes things like doctor visits, trips to Costco, and vet check-ups not so bad.

Now, at 8 o'clock on Sunday night, I'm pulling out my "bag of good intentions" to make sure I at least have a rough idea of what I'm teaching tomorrow.

Sigh.

At least I only have ten more weeks until summer vacation...unless I decide to teach summer school, that is.

Oy vay.

More From My Teacher's Diary

Here are some things I've written recently in my daily planner/teacher's diary:

• "(New Kid's) meltdown continues...talking back all day..."I don't want to. I don't have to. No." Crawling under the tables. Not doing his work. So, after giving him choices and him not talking to me, I decided to call home. He cried, he yelled, and I listened to "Birthday Sex, " on his mom's phone. Refused to leave the room, so I had to call for the principal. He was out for over an hour."
• "Kids were very chatty today-sort of like rainy day recess w/out the rain."
• "Deer in Headlights did talk to his mom, but he's still a liar. Told the librarian he was talking about bleach." (And not b**ch...whatever!)
• "Took away New Kid's Ipod."
• "At Highlight's home, the gentleman (on the phone) didn't want to take my phone number." (I wonder why she never called me back? Hmm...)
• "Had a drink at dinner."

MLK Artwork

As part of our month long, integrated unit on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, I had my students randomly pick an event from the civil rights timeline and make a collage to represent their particular event...in the style of Henri Matisse (Why Matisse? I don't know? I guess because I like him and we rarely have a chance to do art and my parent art docent sucks this year...).

Anyway, here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Here's when Martin Luther King was named, "Man of the Year."





















Oh look, it's baby Martin!

















Here's Dr. King giving one of his speeches.





















Uh, I know that the guy on the far right is King and that the other guy is stabbing him (which really happened), but I'm not sure who the guy on the left is and why he seems to be holding a laser gun...

Here's Martin giving his, "I Have a Dream" speech.

This is when Dr. King and civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy were put in jail.

I think this is when Dr. King graduated high school at 15 and went to college.

This is a portrait of Rosa Parks. I think she looks rather Jamaican, don't you? :)

This is one of many times Martin Luther King went to jail. I love his mustache in this one!

Here's when Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott got married.