So I didn't post much (at all) during my Christmas break, mainly because I didn't have that much to post about (honestly how exciting is it to hear me talk about how my dad and I went to every place you can purchase a tool of some kind within a radius of about 20 miles? Or how I managed to assemble a Weber grill? Or how I still woke up at 5:00 every morning but managed to take a nap? And how many bowl games I managed to watch?). We had a delightful time off, I did very little school work, went and saw the latest Harry Potter movie, read, knitted, napped and enjoyed my time away from the classroom. Hanging out with Hubby, Dad and the felines was a great deal of fun.
But today, we're back. Actually teachers came back yesterday and did in-service most of the day (which was actually interesting and informative) and Mrs. Eagle and I managed to get everything copied and prepared for the rest of our heredity and genetics unit. Whoo-hoo! Love to be prepared. Considering that we couldn't even remember if we'd done lesson plans before we left for break (we did), that's a plus.
We gained (so far) a new student, a sixth grader who's being promoted into seventh who is a good student, a polite young man and an absolute delight. What a relief. I'm used to getting kids that no one wants.
The other good news is we lost one. Yes, Very Mean Bully Boy, came back today to officially withdraw. He will still be doing his 30 days in alternative school but when that's done, he'll be in another school across town. Let's give mom credit for moving him out of that horrid gang-and-thug-infested apartment complex down the road and shifting them across town to a better neck of the woods. However, they are both in for a rude awakening because the folks at the school across town aren't used to dealing with thugs like VMBB and and he's certainly not used to them. He is, however, no longer my problem and I can enjoy doing hall duty without worrying about who his latest victim is going to be.
The kids, by the way, were relieved. It was like a different atmosphere today.
And today, Mrs. Eagle, Mrs. Hummingbird and I debuted for a few of our classes the New Science Notebooks!!
The good news is we didn't fall flat on our faces.
We've been kicking around the idea of doing science notebooks for a year or so, but really didn't get too motivated until we went to the NSTA conference and hit up some workshops on them. We decided to go ahead and "test drive" them for two of our classes, our 3rd (lots of sped kids) and our 5th (lots of bright kids) and see how they go. The Principal found the money in the budget to buy composition books for the kids and we also got a few new pairs of scissors, as well as some liquid glue (glue sticks, we were told, don't work as well). The idea is to work out the kinks this year, then go ahead and start the year off with them next year.
The kids seemed to like them except for a few who see a composition book and assume they'll be doing nothing but writing in them. Oh well. We'll see how it goes.
The other good thing? I only had 4 kids forget their locker combinations - that's pretty darn good!
Showing posts with label Bullies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bullies. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Friday, December 17, 2010
A Big Sigh of Relief
The Team did receive a wonderful gift today from The Enforcer when he sent Very Mean Bully Boy to alternative school.
We were ecstatic.
However, not nearly as ecstatic as the kids on the team.
Very Mean Bully Boy is incredibly smart (seriously, he could earn straight A's if he so much as tried) but is so busy being mean and hateful that he's usually failing all his classes. The more I observe this kid (and believe me, during hall duty we're watching him like a hawk because he cannot walk down a hall without tripping, kicking, or hitting someone) the more I've come to the conclusion that his goal in life is to inflict pain and humiliation on others. He does not come from a home with positive role models - he idolizes the uncle he is named after who happens to be in prison for first degree murder. What he really needs is a lot of therapy to get rid of his anger, and some really positive male role models, but he's pretty much exhausted our resources.
And what bothers me the most about him is how he's a threat to the other kids. The tipping point finally came this past week when my sub reported he'd hit a girl in class coming back from a fire drill (and I had witnesses that, for once, we willing to talk), he pushed another girl down in music class, he threatened another girl at lunch, and he hit another girl in math. And that was a typical week for him. He's been suspended, in ISS, you name it, but he finally hit the number (and we had an opening) and off to alternative school he'll go.
For a while, at least, my other kids can walk to the drinking fountain without fear of getting hit or tripped, and my seventh period may actually become somewhat productive (it's hard to teach when you're trying to keep a war from breaking out between Very Mean Bully Boy and Everyone Else.)
Sad to say, but not a single kid in the building will miss him. Hopefully someone, somewhere, can connect with this kid. But I'm starting to wonder.
We were ecstatic.
However, not nearly as ecstatic as the kids on the team.
Very Mean Bully Boy is incredibly smart (seriously, he could earn straight A's if he so much as tried) but is so busy being mean and hateful that he's usually failing all his classes. The more I observe this kid (and believe me, during hall duty we're watching him like a hawk because he cannot walk down a hall without tripping, kicking, or hitting someone) the more I've come to the conclusion that his goal in life is to inflict pain and humiliation on others. He does not come from a home with positive role models - he idolizes the uncle he is named after who happens to be in prison for first degree murder. What he really needs is a lot of therapy to get rid of his anger, and some really positive male role models, but he's pretty much exhausted our resources.
And what bothers me the most about him is how he's a threat to the other kids. The tipping point finally came this past week when my sub reported he'd hit a girl in class coming back from a fire drill (and I had witnesses that, for once, we willing to talk), he pushed another girl down in music class, he threatened another girl at lunch, and he hit another girl in math. And that was a typical week for him. He's been suspended, in ISS, you name it, but he finally hit the number (and we had an opening) and off to alternative school he'll go.
For a while, at least, my other kids can walk to the drinking fountain without fear of getting hit or tripped, and my seventh period may actually become somewhat productive (it's hard to teach when you're trying to keep a war from breaking out between Very Mean Bully Boy and Everyone Else.)
Sad to say, but not a single kid in the building will miss him. Hopefully someone, somewhere, can connect with this kid. But I'm starting to wonder.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
It's Not Black Friday But It's Darn Close
Part of our School Wide Positive Behavior Support program involves rewarding the kids with a "School Buck", for doing the right thing and being "responsible", "respectful" and "engaged". When we hand out a School Buck we have to be specific about what they are getting it for. For example, we had a video today and I handed out Bucks to kids who were actively watching the video (engaged) and taking notes. My mom said she thought it was as if were bribing the kids to be good, but I see it more like teaching them basic economics - you do your job and you get paid. And it's amazing how the kids react when they get them. I've handed out Bucks for kids who've helped others with their lockers, picked up trash from the floor in the classroom, and kids who come in and get to work even before the bell rings.
The kids can use these School Bucks to buy supplies in their classrooms - boring stuff like pencils, erasers, pencil grips, and highlighters. The highlighters have been a huge hit in my room, and I must sell a pencil or two every class period. The cafeteria even got into the program and is selling slushies at lunch so the kids can have a treat now and then.
And this week we had the opening of The School Store.
The faculty got a tour of the store last week, and I've got to be honest, it's impressive. It's in one of the older classrooms right by the front office, and has great displays of stuff a typical middle school kid would like - everything from boring school supplies like sheet protectors and trapper keepers to posters to silly bracelets, stuffed animals, pillows for the stylish bedroom, t-shirts, snacks, and soda pop. It is all arranged attractively, and behind counters which are staffed by administrators, folks from guidance, and teacher volunteers. The store is open in the morning during homeroom, and after the kids are dismissed in the afternoon. We can also make appointments to take our classes there, as long as we call and they can get someone to help staff it. We each got two special blue hall passes so we can give these to kids in the morning and they can go shopping.
And boy, can these kids shop!
The demand for these two hall passes in the morning is amazing. Today I had four of my homeroom kids standing with me during hall duty, waiting for their classmates to come back with the Store Pass.
"Hurry!" they screamed, as they saw a classmate come around the corner with the pass and a handful of purchases. Goofy Boy came up to us and tiny little Helpful Girl just about took his head off as she grabbed for the pass, removed it from his neck, put it on and dashed off to the store.
"Man, I thought she was going to take me with her," he said with a smile as he showed off his bottle of Coca Cola. I couldn't have agreed more. And she wasn't the only one who was waiting impatiently for that Blue Pass.
The number of kids walking briskly by my hall duty station, wearing the Blue Pass, and heading to the store was pretty large - but then again, if you consider that each homeroom teacher received two, that's a pretty big number of kids. Big enough, in fact, that they had to turn away kids yesterday morning as it was too crowded.
I decided to check out the store yesterday afternoon to see how it was going, so after the kids were dismissed I headed over.
Oh. My. Gosh.
The room was packed with kids standing three and four deep to buy a soda, a snack, a poster, anything they could get their hands on. They were waving their School Bucks around so that it looked like the trading floor of the Stock Exchange on a really busy day. That, and a bit of Black Friday mixed in for good measure. It was insane!
But man, it's nice to see these kids enjoying the rewards that they've earned.
On an aside, I'm enjoying hearing their talk about their School Bucks. There was a big conversation in my seventh period about which kid on the team they thought had the most School Bucks. Most kids by now have at least a few (if they haven't already spent them all - some of them spend them as fast as they get them), but a few of them are hanging on to their Bucks to buy one of the big tickets items (MP3 players for example) at the store. It so happens that one of the kids who save up their Bucks is in my seventh period.
Mean Girl didn't have a pencil, and was whining because I wouldn't just give her one.
"Well buy one," I suggested to her, "that's what your School Bucks are for."
"Well, I don't have any," she whined. I'm not surprised. This is a kid who even wrote on her student information form that she was "mean sometimes," who's nose is in everyone's business, who's perpetually sour-faced, and bothering other kids. She also won't do a lick of work, and considering her behavior most of the time, I'm hard pressed to find something to give her a Buck for.
"Well, maybe if you did some of the things like you're supposed to, like being responsible, being respectful, and being engaged, you'd earn a few," I said.
At about this time, Quiet Boy who sits at her table (I figured he was the one person in that class who could ignore her as he doesn't talk to anyone,) reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ziplock bag that is CRAMMED FULL with School Bucks. This kid is rolling in the dough! Absolutely rolling in it! Even my eyes pop out when I see the stash that he's earned, but then again, it isn't surprising. He's a hard worker and a super nice kid.
By this time the whole class has spied his roll of cash and they are staring in awe. He slowly opens the bag, peels off a Buck, then another, and asks if he could buy two pencils. Mean Girl's mouth is about ready to touch the top of her shoelaces by this time. I take his Bucks, and hand him two newly sharpened pencils. He inspects the points, lays one down by his books and then hands Mean Girl the other pencil!
Mean Girl is stunned.
And of course I had to prompt her to thank her benefactor.
And as for Quiet Boy? I gave him another Buck for being nice and buying his most unpleasant table mate a pencil.
The kids can use these School Bucks to buy supplies in their classrooms - boring stuff like pencils, erasers, pencil grips, and highlighters. The highlighters have been a huge hit in my room, and I must sell a pencil or two every class period. The cafeteria even got into the program and is selling slushies at lunch so the kids can have a treat now and then.
And this week we had the opening of The School Store.
The faculty got a tour of the store last week, and I've got to be honest, it's impressive. It's in one of the older classrooms right by the front office, and has great displays of stuff a typical middle school kid would like - everything from boring school supplies like sheet protectors and trapper keepers to posters to silly bracelets, stuffed animals, pillows for the stylish bedroom, t-shirts, snacks, and soda pop. It is all arranged attractively, and behind counters which are staffed by administrators, folks from guidance, and teacher volunteers. The store is open in the morning during homeroom, and after the kids are dismissed in the afternoon. We can also make appointments to take our classes there, as long as we call and they can get someone to help staff it. We each got two special blue hall passes so we can give these to kids in the morning and they can go shopping.
And boy, can these kids shop!
The demand for these two hall passes in the morning is amazing. Today I had four of my homeroom kids standing with me during hall duty, waiting for their classmates to come back with the Store Pass.
"Hurry!" they screamed, as they saw a classmate come around the corner with the pass and a handful of purchases. Goofy Boy came up to us and tiny little Helpful Girl just about took his head off as she grabbed for the pass, removed it from his neck, put it on and dashed off to the store.
"Man, I thought she was going to take me with her," he said with a smile as he showed off his bottle of Coca Cola. I couldn't have agreed more. And she wasn't the only one who was waiting impatiently for that Blue Pass.
The number of kids walking briskly by my hall duty station, wearing the Blue Pass, and heading to the store was pretty large - but then again, if you consider that each homeroom teacher received two, that's a pretty big number of kids. Big enough, in fact, that they had to turn away kids yesterday morning as it was too crowded.
I decided to check out the store yesterday afternoon to see how it was going, so after the kids were dismissed I headed over.
Oh. My. Gosh.
The room was packed with kids standing three and four deep to buy a soda, a snack, a poster, anything they could get their hands on. They were waving their School Bucks around so that it looked like the trading floor of the Stock Exchange on a really busy day. That, and a bit of Black Friday mixed in for good measure. It was insane!
But man, it's nice to see these kids enjoying the rewards that they've earned.
On an aside, I'm enjoying hearing their talk about their School Bucks. There was a big conversation in my seventh period about which kid on the team they thought had the most School Bucks. Most kids by now have at least a few (if they haven't already spent them all - some of them spend them as fast as they get them), but a few of them are hanging on to their Bucks to buy one of the big tickets items (MP3 players for example) at the store. It so happens that one of the kids who save up their Bucks is in my seventh period.
Mean Girl didn't have a pencil, and was whining because I wouldn't just give her one.
"Well buy one," I suggested to her, "that's what your School Bucks are for."
"Well, I don't have any," she whined. I'm not surprised. This is a kid who even wrote on her student information form that she was "mean sometimes," who's nose is in everyone's business, who's perpetually sour-faced, and bothering other kids. She also won't do a lick of work, and considering her behavior most of the time, I'm hard pressed to find something to give her a Buck for.
"Well, maybe if you did some of the things like you're supposed to, like being responsible, being respectful, and being engaged, you'd earn a few," I said.
At about this time, Quiet Boy who sits at her table (I figured he was the one person in that class who could ignore her as he doesn't talk to anyone,) reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ziplock bag that is CRAMMED FULL with School Bucks. This kid is rolling in the dough! Absolutely rolling in it! Even my eyes pop out when I see the stash that he's earned, but then again, it isn't surprising. He's a hard worker and a super nice kid.
By this time the whole class has spied his roll of cash and they are staring in awe. He slowly opens the bag, peels off a Buck, then another, and asks if he could buy two pencils. Mean Girl's mouth is about ready to touch the top of her shoelaces by this time. I take his Bucks, and hand him two newly sharpened pencils. He inspects the points, lays one down by his books and then hands Mean Girl the other pencil!
Mean Girl is stunned.
And of course I had to prompt her to thank her benefactor.
And as for Quiet Boy? I gave him another Buck for being nice and buying his most unpleasant table mate a pencil.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
One Bad Apple
Anyone in education will tell you how amazing it is that one kid - one! just one! - can change the entire group dynamic of a class, or even a team of kids. A class will have one personality when this kid is there, and completely different when this kid is gone.
The Queen Bee Bully is such a kid.
She has been, quite honestly, probably the biggest pain in our neck all year. She is the sort of kid who can find the weak point in others and exploit it. She loves to cause drama. She loves to stir up trouble. She has an opinion - usually not nice - about everyone and every thing and isn't shy about expressing it. She was in our remediation class (she's smart as a whip but won't do work) until we saw that she was in there for the sole purpose of tormenting the other kids. Since she had all her work done, and was passing (at that time), we exited her and I told guidance that we wouldn't let her back no matter how much her aunt demanded it. Those kids needed to be in a classroom without this little snot bothering them and causing disruptions every five minutes.
Her aunt, bless her heart, is amazingly patient, but also doesn't realize that it's about time that Queen Bee Bully realizes that her actions have consequences. She wasn't happy when we said that we wouldn't escort her from class to class so she wouldn't get in trouble in the hallway. She's old enough to know better, and they certainly aren't going to hold her hand and escort her throughout the 8th grade, so she was going to just have to do her best and deal with the repercussions of her actions. Time to grow up.
Eventually she earned herself a trip to Alternative School (for tormenting Little Big Boy and getting into a fight at lunch). The team all breathed a sigh of relief and I'm including the kids here. It was like a different world with her gone. You could almost feel the tension float away. The kids were thrilled that she was no longer lurking around, talking trash, and generally making life hell.
Anyhow, according to our calendar, she was due back this week. However, we had five days of flooding and were hoping that meant she wouldn't be back for another week. She also owed a few days for being suspended (again, for fighting) from alternative school. So, if we were lucky, we might see her for a week.
We weren't lucky.
She showed up again Tuesday and the drama started before third period was over. She was up to her old tricks, the kids were upset, and the nice, smoothly functioning team of kids was in an uproar. You could feel the tension on the team now that all the kids knew she was back. If anything, she came back with a worse attitude than she had when she left.
She's in my Fourth Period Class of Malcontents, and as soon as she walked back in the room and sat in her isolation seat (cannot sit with others, big surprise), I had kids demanding to be moved away from that part of the room as she was trying to get them to pass notes to other kids. Great. I rearranged everything and now she's on her own little island.
And we had so much fun when she was gone.
However, she got mouthy with Mrs. Social Studies, started threatening another girl with a fight in the bathroom, and we walked her over to The Enforcer and he said he'd put her in ISS for the rest of the week. Thank goodness. He also said her aunt was supposed to come next week and withdraw her as they were moving to another state. We can hope.
I feel bad for her because this kid has not had a good home life. She's never lived with her mother (I don't think she knows who dad is) and is raised by an aunt. She has BIG issues. However, when it comes down to it, I'd rather see her gone than see the other 94 kids on my team all twisted up in knots because of her antics. I absolutely despise bullies, and I don't care if they big, little, male, or female. And this kid is, without a doubt, one of the nastiest bullies I've ever run across.
So hopefully she will leave next week and we can end the year on a calm note.
Hopefully.
The Queen Bee Bully is such a kid.
She has been, quite honestly, probably the biggest pain in our neck all year. She is the sort of kid who can find the weak point in others and exploit it. She loves to cause drama. She loves to stir up trouble. She has an opinion - usually not nice - about everyone and every thing and isn't shy about expressing it. She was in our remediation class (she's smart as a whip but won't do work) until we saw that she was in there for the sole purpose of tormenting the other kids. Since she had all her work done, and was passing (at that time), we exited her and I told guidance that we wouldn't let her back no matter how much her aunt demanded it. Those kids needed to be in a classroom without this little snot bothering them and causing disruptions every five minutes.
Her aunt, bless her heart, is amazingly patient, but also doesn't realize that it's about time that Queen Bee Bully realizes that her actions have consequences. She wasn't happy when we said that we wouldn't escort her from class to class so she wouldn't get in trouble in the hallway. She's old enough to know better, and they certainly aren't going to hold her hand and escort her throughout the 8th grade, so she was going to just have to do her best and deal with the repercussions of her actions. Time to grow up.
Eventually she earned herself a trip to Alternative School (for tormenting Little Big Boy and getting into a fight at lunch). The team all breathed a sigh of relief and I'm including the kids here. It was like a different world with her gone. You could almost feel the tension float away. The kids were thrilled that she was no longer lurking around, talking trash, and generally making life hell.
Anyhow, according to our calendar, she was due back this week. However, we had five days of flooding and were hoping that meant she wouldn't be back for another week. She also owed a few days for being suspended (again, for fighting) from alternative school. So, if we were lucky, we might see her for a week.
We weren't lucky.
She showed up again Tuesday and the drama started before third period was over. She was up to her old tricks, the kids were upset, and the nice, smoothly functioning team of kids was in an uproar. You could feel the tension on the team now that all the kids knew she was back. If anything, she came back with a worse attitude than she had when she left.
She's in my Fourth Period Class of Malcontents, and as soon as she walked back in the room and sat in her isolation seat (cannot sit with others, big surprise), I had kids demanding to be moved away from that part of the room as she was trying to get them to pass notes to other kids. Great. I rearranged everything and now she's on her own little island.
And we had so much fun when she was gone.
However, she got mouthy with Mrs. Social Studies, started threatening another girl with a fight in the bathroom, and we walked her over to The Enforcer and he said he'd put her in ISS for the rest of the week. Thank goodness. He also said her aunt was supposed to come next week and withdraw her as they were moving to another state. We can hope.
I feel bad for her because this kid has not had a good home life. She's never lived with her mother (I don't think she knows who dad is) and is raised by an aunt. She has BIG issues. However, when it comes down to it, I'd rather see her gone than see the other 94 kids on my team all twisted up in knots because of her antics. I absolutely despise bullies, and I don't care if they big, little, male, or female. And this kid is, without a doubt, one of the nastiest bullies I've ever run across.
So hopefully she will leave next week and we can end the year on a calm note.
Hopefully.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
He's Baaaaack!
I was cruising through Guidance the other day (it is, after all on the way to the bathrooms and mailboxes) when the Guidance Goddess flagged me down.
"Mr. History is going to want to talk to you," she said. "Bully Boy is back."
This stopped me in my tracks.
"He's back?" I asked, although it didn't surprise me. I figured he'd come bouncing back one of these days, I just prayed it would be after he'd done his time in seventh grade and wasn't my potential problem anymore. After all, he'd bounced back twice last year.
"Yes, he enrolled yesterday. He's apparently now living with Dad and Dad's girlfriend."
"Really?" I raised my eyebrows at this one. "So now Dad wants him?"
"Apparently so. Dad's Girlfriend has a daughter in 8th grade as well, and from what I can tell, this girlfriend has managed to put a foot up his ass. Which he needed. However, Mr. History will still want to talk to you."
He better. This kid is a holy terror.
Some of my former students, now 8th graders, managed to come by and fill me in with this joyful news later on in the day. They were less than thrilled. This kid is so mean, and so hateful, that even the other bullies can't stand him. The 8th grade populace was not happy to see this one bounce back among their midst.
Unless Bully Boy has been completely reformed (doubtful) Mr. History and his 8th grade team are in for a quite a journey.
And just remembering some of his stunts is starting to give me hives.
"Mr. History is going to want to talk to you," she said. "Bully Boy is back."
This stopped me in my tracks.
"He's back?" I asked, although it didn't surprise me. I figured he'd come bouncing back one of these days, I just prayed it would be after he'd done his time in seventh grade and wasn't my potential problem anymore. After all, he'd bounced back twice last year.
"Yes, he enrolled yesterday. He's apparently now living with Dad and Dad's girlfriend."
"Really?" I raised my eyebrows at this one. "So now Dad wants him?"
"Apparently so. Dad's Girlfriend has a daughter in 8th grade as well, and from what I can tell, this girlfriend has managed to put a foot up his ass. Which he needed. However, Mr. History will still want to talk to you."
He better. This kid is a holy terror.
Some of my former students, now 8th graders, managed to come by and fill me in with this joyful news later on in the day. They were less than thrilled. This kid is so mean, and so hateful, that even the other bullies can't stand him. The 8th grade populace was not happy to see this one bounce back among their midst.
Unless Bully Boy has been completely reformed (doubtful) Mr. History and his 8th grade team are in for a quite a journey.
And just remembering some of his stunts is starting to give me hives.
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