Classroom stuff

My first period class is the class from hell. They are evil. They are the spawns of Satan. They don't care. They won't have any sort of "buy in" to what I'm doing. They have no sense of humor. They're angry, mean and going through withdrawal. They hate me, themselves, everyone else, school and well... you know. EVERYTHING. This is a purely miserable way to start the day. I'm stressed and tired before I even see a student. They suck suck suck. I have 1 kid in that room I can tolerate and then otherwise, they could all just go to prison because this group is headed there, or the cemetery in the end anyway. Let's just expedite that process, why don't we?

Yeah, well. I just don't like this class.

I kicked a kid out of there last Friday. I typically like to maintain my own classroom management; meaning, my last resort is kicking a kid out of my room. Oh well, no, not with this CLASS!!!

So, last Friday I kick out a kid. Let's call him Asshole, shall we? All of the following happened until I just couldn't take it:

• he swore
  
• he repeatedly said "I don't care. This is stupid."
• ripped the cover off his journal
• refusing to journal
• throwing a pencil
  
• faking like he was going to swear some more
• faking like he was going to hit another student
• faking like he was going to hit me...

That last one is the one that did me in. Bastard. Did I mention this all happened before the bell and about 4 minutes into class?

So Monday, the boys are coming to class. I turn my back to chat with another kid for about 30 seconds and when I walk in the room with the girls (gender separated passing periods) the word FUCK is written on my board. In HUGE letters, right in the center.

My first reaction is to make this a grammar lesson and teach them the part of speech called the interjection. Then I figured that would give them carte blanche to say it and write it all the time.

I asked nicely who did it. No one said a word but the laughter was strong. I then asked again who did it and said I just wanted to know and if the person confessed there would be no punishment. Still more laughter and no confession. So I said, "I'm cutting all the points for every boy int he room and writing additional demerits on each of you unless someone confesses or narcs." One kid said, "Dude I'm not a narc but I don't want my points taken, man. Confess."

The laughter stops but no one said a word. So I call my assistant principal. He comes to the room and I re-cap for him. He chats quietly with the kids, a knot of them in the front of the room when one suddenly bursts out screaming, "FUCK you, man. Fuck you asshole. Fuck you [insert Principal's last name here]!" Principal looks at me and says, "Ms. O' Sullivan, I think we have a winner."

He tries to extract the kid from my room and he won't go. Principal calls for back up and the discipline team shows up. I take the rest of the class to an empty room and they do their work. The author of FUCK is removed from school for 2 days.

Now Tuesday, the class was fairly calm. We do our thing and then we go to the library. Tuesday is library day. Everything, I think, went without incident, for once. Until half way through second period when I get an email from the school librarian. One of my first period kids stole magazines from the library.

She had to search lockers and find 'em and the kid had to be punished for theft. All because of my class.

Wednesday... Asshole was... well, his moniker is appropriate. He threw a pencil and refused to journal. And then he settled and started working. He lulled me into a false sense of security because 15 minutes before class ends, he starts yelling at the kid next to him, throwing crap around the room, swearing and I tossed his Asshole-ness out again.

I hate hate hate first period.

I love love love my job. I believe in Alcatraz. I just hate hate hate first period.

Author Boy should've added an "ers" to his writing on Monday- would've been accurate.

Mags