Triumphs and (almost) Tragedies
Sep. 24th, 2004 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_vultureAnd it came to past that the vulture survived yet another week within the British school system...
This has been a very eventful week! It's a bit much to organize into any kind of chronological order so I'll simply go with stream of consciousness on this one.
I'll begin with the 9s from Hell. Something said during the year meeting (form tutors from the same year) reminded me that I have to give 'em a carrot. Yep, I've been wielding a mighty big stick, but hadn't been giving them enough carrots. So the next day, we began preparation to play a game of "call my bluff." The kids, during their reading period, where asked to find an obscure word and jot down the dictionary definition for it, as well as two fake definitions. The next class, they were split into teams (Sinister and Dexter (none of 'em have yet to earn the reward slip for telling me why I named 'em such)) and they went head to head, trying to earn points by guessing the right definition. 'Twas a lot of fun, if overly loud.
Other things have happened with this group, as well. The head of year visited my class in passing and, being annoyed with this group for the many, many concern slips they were receiving, ripped them a new one. Now, I've seen people have a go at students, and have done so myself with reasonable effect, but this woman was a force of freaking nature! *bowing in awe and respect!* She made it very painfully clear that this class was not to get out of line and that, if I gave her even the slightest hint that certain individuals were giving me a problem, they would be spending a long and unpleasant period of time with her.
Between the recent carrot and the threat of unholy wrath, I felt that I could get the 9s back on track the next lesson. Before starting it, I expressed very clearly that a number of individuals really needed to be mindful of their behavioiur or I would not hesistate to eject them from my class. All but one seemed to respond fairly well. That one was given a number of chances but wound up spending the last of it outside of my class. And before leaving, I informed that I would be speaking to the year head about him. He was NOT impressed.
We will now take a break from the 9s to deal with the non-stop talk marathon that was the year 8 parent-teacher meeting. Courtesy of an inspection the term before, the parents of the previous year 7s didn't get the opportunity to speak with instructors about their children's standings at the end of term. So I got to spend about three hours going over the reports with them on Wednesday night. I wound up being quite spinny from the constant social contact (all that after a day of teaching is quite over stimulating for an introvert!). It gave the opportunity to meet many of the parents and to spend a little time getting to know many of my 8s better. 'Twas great, given that my 8s are easily my favourite classes to teach! The topper for the evening, though, was a visit with singular major trouble maker out of the 8s I teach. I was concerned that this kid was going to be a pain for the semester, but, as of late, he's been improving and actually *gasp!* showing me some measure of respect. And that evening, he and his parents unintentionally handed me a massive gem. His parents began speaking of the reward slip he received for an essay he had written in class. It was a hundred word essay assigned as punishment for anyone who forgot to bring their reading book to class.
*cha-ching!*
That idea has been brought into play over the last couple days, with great effect! And I also used the essay idea as something to give ejectees from my year 9s to do while they sit outside of my class.
Having returned to the 9s, I should explain the fate of the lad who'd been giving me so much grief. After strategizing with the head of year, I simply approached him after the class had lined up for entry, explained that his behaviour had made him unwelcome in my class, and told him to go to see the head of year. He spent the class doing a bunch of grammar work that awaited him while I had a *gasp!* REASONABLE PERIOD with the rest of the class. Only two of them wound outside of my class writing essays on the topic of potatoes (expandable to yams and sweet potatoes, as need warranted).
Triumph!
Another gem (this one of my invention) came about when dealing with a class of 7s that were getting far too noisy during group work. Despite a number of measures, including assigning a "volume monitor" for each group, I finally got fed up with them and announced that the loudest group would be remaining after school to clean up after the rest of the class. THAT worked!
Triumph!
It hasn't all been fun and games, though. My form group decided that this week would be the one to fall apart in. I've spent much of my free time trying to counsel a bully victim, consoling a number of hurt souls (verbal wounds from other classmates, the passing fo an uncle, and other matters), trying to deal with problems they've been causing in other classes, and spending much of yesterday in dread as I discovered from his cousin that my favourite student ("Robby" from the previous posting) had wound up in an incident, the previous evening, that left him in hospital. The impression I was given was that he was serious condition. Thankfully, after phoning his family later that evening, I discovered that the said impression was false. He was back from hospital the evening afterwards and was in class today. I cannot say anything about the details of this, but I did get to spend one of my free periods "counselling" him (actually, it started off with questioning him about a class that went sour earlier that day and wound up being a gab session (the science class he missed was a fair price to pay for the bonding that occurred (most kids just don't have enough adults in their lives that they can relate to))).
(almost) Tragedy!
Speaking of the class that went sour, I had a visit from a learning assistant who came to complain about a complete meltdown that had several of my form actually INSULTING an instructor. This was the final straw. I hadn't realized, until then, just how much their incrementally worsening behaviour was getting to me. Today, inspired by the example given by the head of year ealier this week, I gave my form group a verbal reaming the likes of which I had never given before. They earned it, they needed it, and, by the Gods, I delivered it!
(I will admit that I found the experience quite cathartic...)
Tragedy?
Yet, despite my authoritarian approach to managing my classes and my occasional verbal tirades, conversations with parents and students alike point to the possibility that I may be one of the favoured teachers of the school (at the very least among the 7s and 8s).
Triumph!
The school week ended on a very pleasant noted. I was in late after school (again) marking some work when I heard a tapping at my window. 'Twas one of my year 7s. She and a number of friends were attending a youth rec centre (sadly, I never had the energy to investigate it in the time I've been here), saw me in my class, and stopped by to say "hi". That was incredibly sweet of them! That prompted a visit to the rec a short time later where a number of them learn the hard way just how good I am at foozball (silly grin!). There were many laughs and smiles to be had, especially when the girls attempted to teach me how to play ping pong. I suppose I'd best research the rules in case I am ever inclined to stop by the centre again some evening.
Triumph
This has been a very eventful week! It's a bit much to organize into any kind of chronological order so I'll simply go with stream of consciousness on this one.
I'll begin with the 9s from Hell. Something said during the year meeting (form tutors from the same year) reminded me that I have to give 'em a carrot. Yep, I've been wielding a mighty big stick, but hadn't been giving them enough carrots. So the next day, we began preparation to play a game of "call my bluff." The kids, during their reading period, where asked to find an obscure word and jot down the dictionary definition for it, as well as two fake definitions. The next class, they were split into teams (Sinister and Dexter (none of 'em have yet to earn the reward slip for telling me why I named 'em such)) and they went head to head, trying to earn points by guessing the right definition. 'Twas a lot of fun, if overly loud.
Other things have happened with this group, as well. The head of year visited my class in passing and, being annoyed with this group for the many, many concern slips they were receiving, ripped them a new one. Now, I've seen people have a go at students, and have done so myself with reasonable effect, but this woman was a force of freaking nature! *bowing in awe and respect!* She made it very painfully clear that this class was not to get out of line and that, if I gave her even the slightest hint that certain individuals were giving me a problem, they would be spending a long and unpleasant period of time with her.
Between the recent carrot and the threat of unholy wrath, I felt that I could get the 9s back on track the next lesson. Before starting it, I expressed very clearly that a number of individuals really needed to be mindful of their behavioiur or I would not hesistate to eject them from my class. All but one seemed to respond fairly well. That one was given a number of chances but wound up spending the last of it outside of my class. And before leaving, I informed that I would be speaking to the year head about him. He was NOT impressed.
We will now take a break from the 9s to deal with the non-stop talk marathon that was the year 8 parent-teacher meeting. Courtesy of an inspection the term before, the parents of the previous year 7s didn't get the opportunity to speak with instructors about their children's standings at the end of term. So I got to spend about three hours going over the reports with them on Wednesday night. I wound up being quite spinny from the constant social contact (all that after a day of teaching is quite over stimulating for an introvert!). It gave the opportunity to meet many of the parents and to spend a little time getting to know many of my 8s better. 'Twas great, given that my 8s are easily my favourite classes to teach! The topper for the evening, though, was a visit with singular major trouble maker out of the 8s I teach. I was concerned that this kid was going to be a pain for the semester, but, as of late, he's been improving and actually *gasp!* showing me some measure of respect. And that evening, he and his parents unintentionally handed me a massive gem. His parents began speaking of the reward slip he received for an essay he had written in class. It was a hundred word essay assigned as punishment for anyone who forgot to bring their reading book to class.
*cha-ching!*
That idea has been brought into play over the last couple days, with great effect! And I also used the essay idea as something to give ejectees from my year 9s to do while they sit outside of my class.
Having returned to the 9s, I should explain the fate of the lad who'd been giving me so much grief. After strategizing with the head of year, I simply approached him after the class had lined up for entry, explained that his behaviour had made him unwelcome in my class, and told him to go to see the head of year. He spent the class doing a bunch of grammar work that awaited him while I had a *gasp!* REASONABLE PERIOD with the rest of the class. Only two of them wound outside of my class writing essays on the topic of potatoes (expandable to yams and sweet potatoes, as need warranted).
Triumph!
Another gem (this one of my invention) came about when dealing with a class of 7s that were getting far too noisy during group work. Despite a number of measures, including assigning a "volume monitor" for each group, I finally got fed up with them and announced that the loudest group would be remaining after school to clean up after the rest of the class. THAT worked!
Triumph!
It hasn't all been fun and games, though. My form group decided that this week would be the one to fall apart in. I've spent much of my free time trying to counsel a bully victim, consoling a number of hurt souls (verbal wounds from other classmates, the passing fo an uncle, and other matters), trying to deal with problems they've been causing in other classes, and spending much of yesterday in dread as I discovered from his cousin that my favourite student ("Robby" from the previous posting) had wound up in an incident, the previous evening, that left him in hospital. The impression I was given was that he was serious condition. Thankfully, after phoning his family later that evening, I discovered that the said impression was false. He was back from hospital the evening afterwards and was in class today. I cannot say anything about the details of this, but I did get to spend one of my free periods "counselling" him (actually, it started off with questioning him about a class that went sour earlier that day and wound up being a gab session (the science class he missed was a fair price to pay for the bonding that occurred (most kids just don't have enough adults in their lives that they can relate to))).
(almost) Tragedy!
Speaking of the class that went sour, I had a visit from a learning assistant who came to complain about a complete meltdown that had several of my form actually INSULTING an instructor. This was the final straw. I hadn't realized, until then, just how much their incrementally worsening behaviour was getting to me. Today, inspired by the example given by the head of year ealier this week, I gave my form group a verbal reaming the likes of which I had never given before. They earned it, they needed it, and, by the Gods, I delivered it!
(I will admit that I found the experience quite cathartic...)
Tragedy?
Yet, despite my authoritarian approach to managing my classes and my occasional verbal tirades, conversations with parents and students alike point to the possibility that I may be one of the favoured teachers of the school (at the very least among the 7s and 8s).
Triumph!
The school week ended on a very pleasant noted. I was in late after school (again) marking some work when I heard a tapping at my window. 'Twas one of my year 7s. She and a number of friends were attending a youth rec centre (sadly, I never had the energy to investigate it in the time I've been here), saw me in my class, and stopped by to say "hi". That was incredibly sweet of them! That prompted a visit to the rec a short time later where a number of them learn the hard way just how good I am at foozball (silly grin!). There were many laughs and smiles to be had, especially when the girls attempted to teach me how to play ping pong. I suppose I'd best research the rules in case I am ever inclined to stop by the centre again some evening.
Triumph
no subject
Date: 2004-09-26 10:08 am (UTC)You know, reading this has reminded me of a number of things about teaching, and why I liked so many of my teachers.
Whether you're doing well at your job or not, it's obviously never "just a job" for you. I go to work each day, and some days I try to do a do good job and sometimes I merely glide through it, but I have no major emotional attachment to my work. It's just a job.
But you clearly care a great deal about teaching effectively, and about your students (even the troublemakers). Even when you're struggling, I am sure that the fact that you're not marking time to the end of the day shows to your students. Caring goes a long way for making a positive impression on everyone.