Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday, friday

My most...um...vocal and obnoxious student is a junior who continually talks, wisecracks, and even sings during class. When I attempt to address his behavior, or ask him to step outside to talk with me, he becomes even louder as he protests and argues.

There is a coterie of loud and disruptive students who sit together in my 3rd period U.S. History class. Before I began today's lesson, I requested they keep the noise down, so I didn't have to separate them. After the I started my lesson, I addressed them again, asking them to keep quiet.

A few minutes later, I attempted to move my perpetually loudest student away from his clique. He instantly began protesting extremely loudly while also becoming disrespectful and he refused to comply. I pulled him out of the classroom, and took him to the nearby assistant principal's office and left him there while I went back to continue the lesson. A few minutes later, the student was at the door to tell me the AP was back, and wanted to see me. I excused myself, and went to the office. I explained the situation, and frustratedly ended up waiting at least 15 minutes before I was able to get back to my classroom. I was concerned about my students.

When I returned, I saw my fears were well-founded. The roll of toilet paper that was in the room for students with runny noses was strung across the top of the room, ending on my TV. The trashcan had been emptied on the desk, and lotion had been squirted onto the floor. The class silently, expectantly, watched me.

I flicked on the light. I pulled the tissue from the ceiling. I began removing the trash from my desk, and mopping lotion off the floor. Two or three students moved to help me. When I was finished, I apologized to those in the class who might want to learn, whose education had been stolen from them today.

And I was *not* happy. But hey- sometimes, you eat the bear. I have a feeling some of my students are about to hit one of life's extremely steep learning curves.

3 comments:

Don said...

One old trick is to move other people away from the attention whore rather than giving him an excuse to start an argument over whether he should move--or letting him get up and act the fool while protesting that he's only following your orders.

I can't believe your administrator pulled you out of class and left those kids alone. You're lucky there wasn't a campfire in the middle of the room when you got back!

Old NFO said...

Agree with Don- leave him with NO close people, and make sure they know why they are being moved... Admin was out of line to pull you out. That was stupid...

phlegmfatale said...

Hang in there. You have have some decent kids in that class who want to learn, and they're the ones you're there for. You're a good man, John.


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