Another sleeping Saturday. I woke up, watched a little TV, ate breakfast, showered, and....went back to bed. I woke up again about 5pm. I did not get on the computer today. My plan was to be productive, and I knew that if I got on the computer I could kiss my productivity good by. It turned out to be a pointless attempt, I ended up doing nothing today.

After I got out of bed, I made Jell-O. I then microwaved my dinner (frozen fried chicken, frozen vegetables, and a cup of microwaved minute rice [it actual takes 2 minutes]). I watched the evening news and then the King of Queens (reruns). I then...turned off my TV to grade papers.

Yesterday? Not much to write about. Only one thing worth mentioning. One of the four grade teachers was absent, and for some reason, her students just went wild. Even in the lunch room, they seem to be off the wall. A couple of the students started to fight. I happen to be in the lunchroom because for some strange reason, I've had this strange urge to keep an eye of my students. I keep expecting them to run wild now that the heat is increasing. It is about this time of year when the standards (and the guards) start to down, and the kids will start running wild. Or it could just be my imagination.

Anyway, I was in the lunchroom doing a little detention for one of my students. I decided to try one student only detention. Unfortunately, I don't strike fear in my students. They have even told me in their own way. A group of my girls were complaining that they were afraid of the science teacher. Then one student said that she was afraid of me. I told her to stop lying, none of the students fear me, she and the other girls started laughing. I have a bad habit of saying please and thank you too much. It is hard to be frightening when you are too polite. I think my students respect me (relatively speaking), but they don't fear me. Not that they should fear me, but a little fear does go a long way. I have a bad habit of beginning or ending a sentence with "please" or "thank you", even when I am angry. Unfortunately, inner-city kids seem to take kindness and caring as signs of weakness. There is a ghetto mentality that too often permeates the classroom. I couple of weeks ago, one of my students called out, "snitches get stitches", when I asked who threw the pencil across the room. And she wasn't the one who threw the pencil. How did I know? I am discovering the art and the power of collective punishment.

Sorry, I got sidetracked...

I watched at the two boys in the fourth grade class begin their argument, while the school aid did nothing but say oh!!! Here they go. I could do a whole blog entry about this woman, but I won't.

I see the argument escalate to pushing then grabbing. I went over to them. By the time I reach them, they are already trading punches. I broke up the fight...then the security guards showed up after. Second fight I broke up. I also broke up a fight two days before during T-shirt day.

Oh, I don't think I mentioned T-shirt day. Admin. decided to have a T-shirt day where faculty members buy and wear a Senior's 2007 T-shirt. On the job, I am strictly a white shirt and black slacks kind of guy. However, I did not want to be a stick in the mud, so I wore the T-shirt over my white shirt. Yes, on a day when the thermometer was hovering around 90 degrees...without a working air conditioner in my classroom. Yes, I mentioned that I am not mentally all together.

Anyway, I broke up the fight on T-shirt day, and of course, I ended up getting splashed with chocolate milk. On my brand new T-shirt. I was annoyed. I think my cool factor went up about .03% after breaking up the fight while the school aids (and one of the school secretaries) just stood around saying, "they're fighting, they're fighting". The security guard got cheers when he came running into the lunchroom, and football tackled the boy who was fighting the girl...That is, after I broke up the fight.

Post Date - Sunday, June 3, 2007 1:02am