I really like my kids, for the most part, this year. (Okay, I hate my Seventh Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself but there are kids in there I like - it's just the combination of kids which make me crazy).
Their parents, on the other hand, are making me insane.
Case in point. We have a kid I'll call Absent Boy, because, you guessed it, he's absent all the time. He misses every test. He misses every benchmark. He's usually gone on Fridays and often times he's gone on Mondays. When he comes back he's healthy as a horse, nary a sniffle or a sore throat in sight. In short, he basically tells his mom when he wants to come to school and she lets him get away with it. He was absent yesterday, the day we had our two hour delay, and when one of the teachers asked him why, he said, "Well, there was a two hour delay and we didn't know if they'd cancel, and mom didn't know how she'd get me to school, so I didn't come". (Did this lady never hear of a bus?)
Absent Kid has a whopping 37% in my class and he's pretty much doing the same in all his other classes. He's a bright kid, when you can get something out of him, which isn't often. He is on an IEP as a special education student, but seriously, he does well on the things he does. He is capable. As a sped kid he can turn in late work (never does) and in my class he gets a homework helper which basically is an answer key to help him do his homework. All he has to do is copy it and turn it in. But he doesn't. He has, in fact, informed his sped case manager and the enrichment teacher that he's not bothering to do much in seventh grade since he'll get passed anyway because he's on an IEP. He won't even turn in things we do in class.
We have tried to get his mother to come in for a meeting. She'll agree to a meeting, then five minutes before she is to show up, she'll call and cancel. Today, yet again, she pulled this stunt. So we have yet to get her in here (she also apparently doesn't show up at IEP meetings either.)
This kid is running the house. If we wanted any more evidence of this, Mr. Math ran into Absent Mom (how appropriate) and Absent Boy at a local fast food join yesterday. Absent Boy didn't see Mr. Math at first and was running around being a brat and talking back to his mom. She told him he couldn't have something and he went off and slapped her in the face! And. She. Did. Nothing.
Apparently this is her coping mechanism...to do nothing. The kid talks back...she does nothing. He fails his classes...she does nothing. He whines and complains and wants to stay home from school...she does nothing.
But I'm the one being held accountable.
Showing posts with label Brats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brats. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Old Habits are Hard to Break
Yesterday I took a quick glance at my email and saw one from the Guidance Goddess with the subject line of "Bully Boy".
Uh-oh.
I opened it up. All it said was "He's back!"
Oh crap.
I quickly forwarded it to The Team and they pretty much had the same response. Bully Boy was, to be honest, responsible for about 25% of the discipline referrals on our team, and with him gone, things were a lot calmer. Amazing how one kid can really stir the pot.
But he was back. And usually when a kid returns, he's put back on the same team with the same schedule. Figures. Just when my Fifth Period was actually getting somewhat sane and they were able to sit through an entire class period without a ruckus.
So, during lunch, Mrs. Social Studies, Ms. Language and I went to find out what was going on and to beg, if need be, that he be put on another team. He was back, with mom, and they were both living with grandma. Apparently they had been tossed out of their apartment in the nearby city (I'm not sure where the information came from but the words "meth use" or "meth manufacture" were mentioned and neither would surprise me considering his parents' history). And, surprisingly, Mr. Enforcer actually did put him on another team. His idea was that Bully Boy had pretty much tormented every kid in our area of the school and putting him on a team that was in a more enclosed area, like Mr. Social Studies and Mrs. Bunny's team, would be ideal. It could be watched more closely.
We groveled at Mr. Enforcer's feet and praised him to the heavens for this wise act.
We then informed his new team not to worry, it would only be a matter of time before he'd be in ISS or suspended. We did warn them to keep their eyes on him at all times (remember, he's a thrower) and to make sure he is nowhere near smaller kids or sped kids. We also warned them that lunch could be an issue as he likes to mess with kids then, as well, especially with slaps to the back of the head. Obviously, this team was less than thrilled. However, considering that our team is leading the entire school with discipline referrals and seats in alternative school, it's time to spread the wealth around.
So today, twenty-four hours later, we are walking our kids back from lunch and as we go by Mr. Enforcer's office (which is right smack in the middle of our team area), we see, of all people, Bully Boy sitting in his office.
Amazing! It only took a day and a half before he'd landed in trouble.
He apparently decided to pick on one of their smaller, and I mean small kids, a little thing who may weigh sixty pounds if he's lucky. It happened at lunch and the end result is he got mad at the Little Tyke, and smashed his hand on the table. Mr. Duck and I saw the videotape (amazing how Bully Boy always gets into trouble right in front of a camera) and it's the same mean kid I knew from before. He even has the same mannerisms of looking all around him for an authority figure to make sure they aren't watching before he launches his attacks. Apparently he keeps forgetting about the cameras that keep filming his misdeeds.
Of course Mr. Enforcer couldn't get a hold of a parent or adult at any of the phone numbers listed on the emergency card to inform them that he'd be in ISS for five days.
Some things never change.
Uh-oh.
I opened it up. All it said was "He's back!"
Oh crap.
I quickly forwarded it to The Team and they pretty much had the same response. Bully Boy was, to be honest, responsible for about 25% of the discipline referrals on our team, and with him gone, things were a lot calmer. Amazing how one kid can really stir the pot.
But he was back. And usually when a kid returns, he's put back on the same team with the same schedule. Figures. Just when my Fifth Period was actually getting somewhat sane and they were able to sit through an entire class period without a ruckus.
So, during lunch, Mrs. Social Studies, Ms. Language and I went to find out what was going on and to beg, if need be, that he be put on another team. He was back, with mom, and they were both living with grandma. Apparently they had been tossed out of their apartment in the nearby city (I'm not sure where the information came from but the words "meth use" or "meth manufacture" were mentioned and neither would surprise me considering his parents' history). And, surprisingly, Mr. Enforcer actually did put him on another team. His idea was that Bully Boy had pretty much tormented every kid in our area of the school and putting him on a team that was in a more enclosed area, like Mr. Social Studies and Mrs. Bunny's team, would be ideal. It could be watched more closely.
We groveled at Mr. Enforcer's feet and praised him to the heavens for this wise act.
We then informed his new team not to worry, it would only be a matter of time before he'd be in ISS or suspended. We did warn them to keep their eyes on him at all times (remember, he's a thrower) and to make sure he is nowhere near smaller kids or sped kids. We also warned them that lunch could be an issue as he likes to mess with kids then, as well, especially with slaps to the back of the head. Obviously, this team was less than thrilled. However, considering that our team is leading the entire school with discipline referrals and seats in alternative school, it's time to spread the wealth around.
So today, twenty-four hours later, we are walking our kids back from lunch and as we go by Mr. Enforcer's office (which is right smack in the middle of our team area), we see, of all people, Bully Boy sitting in his office.
Amazing! It only took a day and a half before he'd landed in trouble.
He apparently decided to pick on one of their smaller, and I mean small kids, a little thing who may weigh sixty pounds if he's lucky. It happened at lunch and the end result is he got mad at the Little Tyke, and smashed his hand on the table. Mr. Duck and I saw the videotape (amazing how Bully Boy always gets into trouble right in front of a camera) and it's the same mean kid I knew from before. He even has the same mannerisms of looking all around him for an authority figure to make sure they aren't watching before he launches his attacks. Apparently he keeps forgetting about the cameras that keep filming his misdeeds.
Of course Mr. Enforcer couldn't get a hold of a parent or adult at any of the phone numbers listed on the emergency card to inform them that he'd be in ISS for five days.
Some things never change.
Monday, March 02, 2009
A Perfect Gift for a Student Teacher
This is Mrs. Jayhawker's last week. She's phasing out of teaching and is spending more time observing me and some other teachers at work. It's been a really good experience for both of us - she's awesome and if she wasn't moving Up North after graduation, I'd love to have her on board here at The School. Too bad Mr. Jayhawker is getting transferred.
Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Duck and I are taking her out to dinner on Thursday to celebrate, and I've knit her a lovely lace wool scarf that she will need when she relocates Up North. However, that may not be the gift she appreciates the most. That gift she got today.
Sassy Girl is back - yes! - in ISS for the rest of the week.
Sassy Girl is probably one of the most annoying kids we have this year. I wouldn't mind her being annoying if she was quiet, but unfortunately, she's one of the loudest girls I've ever seen. She shouts out constantly. Walking in a room is a production for her. She has a little group of friends who think she's funnier than all get out when she sashays into the room, but for the most part the kids roll their eyes and just wish she would Shut The Hell Up. She is, of course, in My Fourth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself, along with her little group of friends, and if you can get through the period without wanting to kill her, it's a good day. For her, it's all about the seventh grade social scene.
Mom, of course, has stood us up for two parent meetings that we called and scheduled. Now, she won't answer the phone or return messages. She doesn't want to hear it.
Anyway, Sassy Girl apparently really got mouthy during Mrs. Language's class and so Mrs. Language wrote her up. Mrs. Squirrel, worked the referral and of course Sassy Girl pulled her stunt that Mrs. Language was - gasp! - lying about the whole thing.
Now, granted, Sassy Girl isn't that bright to start with, but this goes beyond stupid. For one thing, she tried this stunt just a few weeks ago when she said Mrs. Jayhawker was lying, so Mrs. Squirrel had Mrs. Jayhawker come in and basically tell her side of the story, and the long and short of it was that Mrs. Squirrel gave Sassy Girl absolute grief about lying and put her up in ISS for three days (of peace and quiet). Every time a kid says that a teacher is lying, Mrs. Squirrel will find someone to cover our class, and we'll go in her office and tell our side of the story. As Mrs. Squirrel says, "it never works out good for the kid, and they end up with lying to compound their sins."
Please note that we are blessed - blessed - with administrators who have our back and who believe us.
So, Mrs. Language goes in, tells the story and in a matter of minutes, Sassy Girl is a wailing, sniveling mass of tears, snot and what not in front of Mrs. Squirrel's desk. Mrs. Squirrel is looking disgusted at the scene, tells Sassy Girl to "Dry it up!" and get her books and bounces her out to ISS.
And these three days of peace away from Sassy Girl are probably the best present Mrs. Jayhawker could wish for.
Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Duck and I are taking her out to dinner on Thursday to celebrate, and I've knit her a lovely lace wool scarf that she will need when she relocates Up North. However, that may not be the gift she appreciates the most. That gift she got today.
Sassy Girl is back - yes! - in ISS for the rest of the week.
Sassy Girl is probably one of the most annoying kids we have this year. I wouldn't mind her being annoying if she was quiet, but unfortunately, she's one of the loudest girls I've ever seen. She shouts out constantly. Walking in a room is a production for her. She has a little group of friends who think she's funnier than all get out when she sashays into the room, but for the most part the kids roll their eyes and just wish she would Shut The Hell Up. She is, of course, in My Fourth Period Class From the Very Depths of Hell Itself, along with her little group of friends, and if you can get through the period without wanting to kill her, it's a good day. For her, it's all about the seventh grade social scene.
Mom, of course, has stood us up for two parent meetings that we called and scheduled. Now, she won't answer the phone or return messages. She doesn't want to hear it.
Anyway, Sassy Girl apparently really got mouthy during Mrs. Language's class and so Mrs. Language wrote her up. Mrs. Squirrel, worked the referral and of course Sassy Girl pulled her stunt that Mrs. Language was - gasp! - lying about the whole thing.
Now, granted, Sassy Girl isn't that bright to start with, but this goes beyond stupid. For one thing, she tried this stunt just a few weeks ago when she said Mrs. Jayhawker was lying, so Mrs. Squirrel had Mrs. Jayhawker come in and basically tell her side of the story, and the long and short of it was that Mrs. Squirrel gave Sassy Girl absolute grief about lying and put her up in ISS for three days (of peace and quiet). Every time a kid says that a teacher is lying, Mrs. Squirrel will find someone to cover our class, and we'll go in her office and tell our side of the story. As Mrs. Squirrel says, "it never works out good for the kid, and they end up with lying to compound their sins."
Please note that we are blessed - blessed - with administrators who have our back and who believe us.
So, Mrs. Language goes in, tells the story and in a matter of minutes, Sassy Girl is a wailing, sniveling mass of tears, snot and what not in front of Mrs. Squirrel's desk. Mrs. Squirrel is looking disgusted at the scene, tells Sassy Girl to "Dry it up!" and get her books and bounces her out to ISS.
And these three days of peace away from Sassy Girl are probably the best present Mrs. Jayhawker could wish for.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Just What Part of "No" Do You Not Understand?
We have had a student this year whose arrogance knows no bounds. He's big, loud, and announces to everyone who will listen that he's going to be President one day. Even his mother got after him during a parent teacher conference (when I mentioned that her little darling doesn't like to turn in homework or study for tests), and asked him "how are you going to be President if you can't pass seventh grade?" The fact that none of the teachers can stand him, and that all the kids hate him, hasn't quite registered with him. The fact that he is, at thirteen, a pompous ass could have some bearing on this.
Pompous Ass thinks he's perfect (I'm sure mom has fed into this delusion). The fact that he's loud, refuses to raise his hand and wait to be called upon, will argue with anyone (including adults), and can't shut up is just the tip of the iceberg. This kid is a permanent resident of Isolation Island in most of his classes. Every time he opens his mouth the kids roll their eyes at the ceiling and make faces.
The one thing he is good at, if you need a character that is somewhat of a pompous ass, is drama. He played a professor in the winter play with such a broad fake British accent that it kept the kids in stitches the entire day. He thought he was worthy of an Oscar. The kids thought he was trying to be funny and he couldn't understand why they didn't take him seriously.
He wanted to run for Student Council and handed off the recommendation form to all of his teachers. He has 35 discipline points and I asked him if he'd read the directions at the bottom that stated that he could have no more than 15. He told me that those were "just simple misunderstandings." Right. I looked and they were for rude and disruptive behavior. None of us recommended him. (My comment was along the line of "Run Away! You will regret the day you ever let this kid run for student council!" and I was told I was too nice.)
He wanted to run for President of Junior Civitan but was told, again, that he had too many discipline points, and besides, they'd had to evict him from the club in both sixth and seventh grades because of his behavior.
Oh yeah, he didn't tell kids he was running for President of Junior Civitan...he told he was going to be President of Junior Civitan. He forgot about this little thing called an election where he would have to convince his peers to vote for him.
So anyhow...last week he started asking those of us on the Team about when our academic awards party was going to be. Each team puts together a party for the team's best kids, and each team decides on what their parameters are going to be. A lot of the sixth grade teachers invite all the A students or all the A & B students. Seventh grade tends to recognize the A students. Our team has always been a bit more selective and has invited the top echelon of A students, along with a most improved student, and our two "Stars of the Year" which are kids who are good students, but also just good all around nice kids. This year I noticed I had six kids at 98% or above for their yearly average, so that was where my cut off point was. Many of the other teachers on the team had a similar cut off point.
Pompous Ass Boy first approached Mrs. Math and asked when the party was going to be. She told him he didn't need to worry about it as he hadn't made the cut off point and it was invitation only. He then proceeded to ask Mr. Social Studies, Mrs. English and Miss Reading the same thing. On Friday it was my turn. Like Mrs. Math I told him that it was invitation only and that as far as I knew, he didn't get an invitation.
Today I was the lucky teacher who got to hand out the invitations to the seventeen kids we're inviting. I made sure that the kids knew that it was a real honor to be invited, and that it was for our very best students. One of the kids who was sitting near Pompous Ass Boy got one and Pompous Ass Boy just about had his eyes bug out of his head.
But that wasn't the end of it.
He comes up to me a few minutes later and asks me about the party.
"What about it?" I ask. "It's invitation only and I didn't have an invitation for you."
"Are you sure there isn't some mistake?" he asks. "I mean, what's the criteria for the award party?"
"Well, for me, it was a yearly average of 98% or above, and you certainly didn't have that in science."
"Really?" he says. (Like he didn't know...hum, maybe those B's and C's did count for something, eh?)
"Yes, really," I answer.
"So I can't come?" he asks again.
"No, you can't. You did not get an invitation. Only students who got an invitation can come. Maybe next year if you listen more and work harder you may make the cut and get invited to your 8th grade team party."
I thought we were done. We weren't.
He blinked and then said...."So I really can't come?"
Okay, by this time I was about ready to reach over and shake him until his teeth rattled. This kid just does not get that he's the only one in the world (with the exception of his mother, perhaps) who thinks he's just perfect. He just does not get it.
"You are not, as usual, listening," I said. "You are not invited, therefore, you cannot come. You did not earn an invitation."
He finally turned around and walked to his seat and continued to work on his project with his teammates. However, I have the feeling we haven't heard the last of this.
Any bets on if he tries to sneak in to the party on Wednesday???
Pompous Ass thinks he's perfect (I'm sure mom has fed into this delusion). The fact that he's loud, refuses to raise his hand and wait to be called upon, will argue with anyone (including adults), and can't shut up is just the tip of the iceberg. This kid is a permanent resident of Isolation Island in most of his classes. Every time he opens his mouth the kids roll their eyes at the ceiling and make faces.
The one thing he is good at, if you need a character that is somewhat of a pompous ass, is drama. He played a professor in the winter play with such a broad fake British accent that it kept the kids in stitches the entire day. He thought he was worthy of an Oscar. The kids thought he was trying to be funny and he couldn't understand why they didn't take him seriously.
He wanted to run for Student Council and handed off the recommendation form to all of his teachers. He has 35 discipline points and I asked him if he'd read the directions at the bottom that stated that he could have no more than 15. He told me that those were "just simple misunderstandings." Right. I looked and they were for rude and disruptive behavior. None of us recommended him. (My comment was along the line of "Run Away! You will regret the day you ever let this kid run for student council!" and I was told I was too nice.)
He wanted to run for President of Junior Civitan but was told, again, that he had too many discipline points, and besides, they'd had to evict him from the club in both sixth and seventh grades because of his behavior.
Oh yeah, he didn't tell kids he was running for President of Junior Civitan...he told he was going to be President of Junior Civitan. He forgot about this little thing called an election where he would have to convince his peers to vote for him.
So anyhow...last week he started asking those of us on the Team about when our academic awards party was going to be. Each team puts together a party for the team's best kids, and each team decides on what their parameters are going to be. A lot of the sixth grade teachers invite all the A students or all the A & B students. Seventh grade tends to recognize the A students. Our team has always been a bit more selective and has invited the top echelon of A students, along with a most improved student, and our two "Stars of the Year" which are kids who are good students, but also just good all around nice kids. This year I noticed I had six kids at 98% or above for their yearly average, so that was where my cut off point was. Many of the other teachers on the team had a similar cut off point.
Pompous Ass Boy first approached Mrs. Math and asked when the party was going to be. She told him he didn't need to worry about it as he hadn't made the cut off point and it was invitation only. He then proceeded to ask Mr. Social Studies, Mrs. English and Miss Reading the same thing. On Friday it was my turn. Like Mrs. Math I told him that it was invitation only and that as far as I knew, he didn't get an invitation.
Today I was the lucky teacher who got to hand out the invitations to the seventeen kids we're inviting. I made sure that the kids knew that it was a real honor to be invited, and that it was for our very best students. One of the kids who was sitting near Pompous Ass Boy got one and Pompous Ass Boy just about had his eyes bug out of his head.
But that wasn't the end of it.
He comes up to me a few minutes later and asks me about the party.
"What about it?" I ask. "It's invitation only and I didn't have an invitation for you."
"Are you sure there isn't some mistake?" he asks. "I mean, what's the criteria for the award party?"
"Well, for me, it was a yearly average of 98% or above, and you certainly didn't have that in science."
"Really?" he says. (Like he didn't know...hum, maybe those B's and C's did count for something, eh?)
"Yes, really," I answer.
"So I can't come?" he asks again.
"No, you can't. You did not get an invitation. Only students who got an invitation can come. Maybe next year if you listen more and work harder you may make the cut and get invited to your 8th grade team party."
I thought we were done. We weren't.
He blinked and then said...."So I really can't come?"
Okay, by this time I was about ready to reach over and shake him until his teeth rattled. This kid just does not get that he's the only one in the world (with the exception of his mother, perhaps) who thinks he's just perfect. He just does not get it.
"You are not, as usual, listening," I said. "You are not invited, therefore, you cannot come. You did not earn an invitation."
He finally turned around and walked to his seat and continued to work on his project with his teammates. However, I have the feeling we haven't heard the last of this.
Any bets on if he tries to sneak in to the party on Wednesday???
Monday, September 24, 2007
When Good Kids Go Bad...or the Tale of Pout Boy
We have a kid on our team I'll call Pout Boy. He's a good kid, from a very solid, good family with parents who care and who want the best for him. He's very capable of being a solid B student, if not better, and is usually pleasant and respectful.
However.
Pout Boy wants to be bad. Pout Boy, within minutes of arriving at school on the first day, gravitated towards the kids on our team who are not, even in the best of times, good influences. He wants to hang out with the kids who are on the road (if they aren't there already) to careers in gang-banging. His idols are the kids who are non-academically promoted, kids who end up in alternative school, and kids who find themselves expelled.
So, he hasn't been doing homework, for anyone, isn't studying for tests, and basically is failing this grading period. He and his buddies are also tardy to classes (by quite a lot, which prompted us to have the SRO do a cruise of the boy's bathrooms to make sure they weren't up to some mischief.) All of which prompted Dad to come visit Friday (without Pout Boy's knowledge) to find out what's going on.
Dad apparently saw quite a lot and what he saw didn't make him happy. At all. So, again, without Pout Boy's knowledge, he had the Guidance Goober work with Pout Boy and requested that his schedule be changed so he has no classes with his new found friends, and we had his locker moved to another location as well. Guidance Goober did his best but Pout Boy just didn't see what the big deal was, didn't care that he was failing, and generally didn't seem to care that his parents were at their wits' ends.
Dad didn't want Pout Boy to know it was really his idea about the schedule change, and didn't say a word to him about it over the weekend. Pout Boy arrives in my homeroom, Guidance Goober calls him to his office to let him know his new schedule and all hell breaks loose. Apparently Pout Boy was rude and disrespectful to Guidance Goober, and proceeded to spend the entire day being disruptive, rude, and disrespectful to anyone and everyone. He told Guidance Mom that he thought his teachers had all conspired to mess with him and he hated us one and all.
He was, in a word, MAD. Furious. Absolutely beside himself because his schedule got changed. Now, in my five years at The School, I've seen a lot of schedule changes, for a variety of reasons, and I have never ever seen a kid make such a big nasty deal about it. Honestly, by the time he arrived back in my fourth period class (about 4 hours after he found out his schedule was changed) he was still furious. He slammed his books down, sulked, pouted, refused to work, rapped his pencil on the table loudly, refused to stop when I asked him to (he was driving his new table mate, Bird Boy - I've never seen this little fellow ever sit in a chair, he always perches - batty). The third time he refused he got a behavior note. When it still didn't stop, I made him stand in a corner where he pouted the rest of the period.
All he had to say for himself was "I don't care." Every warning was met with "I don't care." I finally told him, "Frankly, I don't care if you're mad at the world either, but you have no right to rob your classmates of a chance to review for their test because you're having an attitude issue. You're nothing but a time thief if that's how you're going to behave." What I really wanted to saw was, "Oh, grow the hell up and get over it. "
I then proceeded to email his father, which was met with another "I don't care."
We have a meeting, again, with Dad tomorrow. It should be interesting to see how that goes. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if his parents didn't pull him out and either home school him or send him to a private school, just to get him away from the types of friends he's so bound and determined to associate with.
I do have to give my Fourth Period class credit, however. They were not impressed with his antics and looked at him with these expressions of "Jeez, get over it and grow the hell up," when he was doing his sulking, pouting, and pencil rapping. If he thought he was being a big, cool, bad boy, then he failed miserably.
However.
Pout Boy wants to be bad. Pout Boy, within minutes of arriving at school on the first day, gravitated towards the kids on our team who are not, even in the best of times, good influences. He wants to hang out with the kids who are on the road (if they aren't there already) to careers in gang-banging. His idols are the kids who are non-academically promoted, kids who end up in alternative school, and kids who find themselves expelled.
So, he hasn't been doing homework, for anyone, isn't studying for tests, and basically is failing this grading period. He and his buddies are also tardy to classes (by quite a lot, which prompted us to have the SRO do a cruise of the boy's bathrooms to make sure they weren't up to some mischief.) All of which prompted Dad to come visit Friday (without Pout Boy's knowledge) to find out what's going on.
Dad apparently saw quite a lot and what he saw didn't make him happy. At all. So, again, without Pout Boy's knowledge, he had the Guidance Goober work with Pout Boy and requested that his schedule be changed so he has no classes with his new found friends, and we had his locker moved to another location as well. Guidance Goober did his best but Pout Boy just didn't see what the big deal was, didn't care that he was failing, and generally didn't seem to care that his parents were at their wits' ends.
Dad didn't want Pout Boy to know it was really his idea about the schedule change, and didn't say a word to him about it over the weekend. Pout Boy arrives in my homeroom, Guidance Goober calls him to his office to let him know his new schedule and all hell breaks loose. Apparently Pout Boy was rude and disrespectful to Guidance Goober, and proceeded to spend the entire day being disruptive, rude, and disrespectful to anyone and everyone. He told Guidance Mom that he thought his teachers had all conspired to mess with him and he hated us one and all.
He was, in a word, MAD. Furious. Absolutely beside himself because his schedule got changed. Now, in my five years at The School, I've seen a lot of schedule changes, for a variety of reasons, and I have never ever seen a kid make such a big nasty deal about it. Honestly, by the time he arrived back in my fourth period class (about 4 hours after he found out his schedule was changed) he was still furious. He slammed his books down, sulked, pouted, refused to work, rapped his pencil on the table loudly, refused to stop when I asked him to (he was driving his new table mate, Bird Boy - I've never seen this little fellow ever sit in a chair, he always perches - batty). The third time he refused he got a behavior note. When it still didn't stop, I made him stand in a corner where he pouted the rest of the period.
All he had to say for himself was "I don't care." Every warning was met with "I don't care." I finally told him, "Frankly, I don't care if you're mad at the world either, but you have no right to rob your classmates of a chance to review for their test because you're having an attitude issue. You're nothing but a time thief if that's how you're going to behave." What I really wanted to saw was, "Oh, grow the hell up and get over it. "
I then proceeded to email his father, which was met with another "I don't care."
We have a meeting, again, with Dad tomorrow. It should be interesting to see how that goes. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if his parents didn't pull him out and either home school him or send him to a private school, just to get him away from the types of friends he's so bound and determined to associate with.
I do have to give my Fourth Period class credit, however. They were not impressed with his antics and looked at him with these expressions of "Jeez, get over it and grow the hell up," when he was doing his sulking, pouting, and pencil rapping. If he thought he was being a big, cool, bad boy, then he failed miserably.
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