Since nothing much happened last week, instead of doing a day by day summary, I'll just briefly summarize the week:

Monday, October 15th
I ended up going to bed at 3pm, so I was really out of it this morning. I almost missed my train. Only comment today was Sticky finger's slumber party. She is laughing making invitations on scrapes of paper after I took her other invitations. She is really starting to get on my nerves.

Tuesday, October 16th
A major multinational company did a community service program in our school. Company workers volunteer to teach lessons about communities. After a 10 to 12 minutes lecture on the value this multinational company serves, then the volunteers got started. I wasn't too thrilled with the "intro" but I have to say that I enjoyed the program. I think some of the ideas were a bit over my students' heads, but the exposure was good for them I think. Also, it was an (almost)all day event, so it was a relatively stress-free day. All I had to do was to keep my kids from getting too hyper.

Quick summary. The program brought about 3 volunteers to each of the 3rd grade classrooms. Each 45 minute lesson consisted of a different aspect of community. Of the 3 volunteers that came to my room, one guy seemed to have been the seasoned pro (or the guy in charge). Mr. Tie seemed to have done this a few times. He seemed very comfortable. The other two were younger analysts. Princess didn't do much but assists Mr. Tie, she did do a lesson, but I can't seem to remember anything. I only remember how she kept to the side staying in the background. Junior (no tie) was a bit nervous throughout, both assisting Mr. Tie and when his turn came to present.

Every now and then, the teacher in me had to interrupt the presentations of all three because my kids were getting a bit too excited and to (try) clarifying something. Normally, I tend to be a bit passive, but for some reason, I was more aggressive (for lack of a better word) than usual. I apologized each time I interrupted a presenter. I think Mr. Tie liked that I was keeping my kids (relatively) on task and focused. Every time, I cut a presenter off to remind my kids to tone it down, I would apologize, but Mr. Tie would say, "no, no, please keep doing that". I got the impression that some of his experiences volunteering "in the city" were not pleasant experiences. All in all, I think I got a good group of volunteers. Ms. Across the Hall (another third grade teacher) felt her volunteers were a bit too green and really didn't handle her group very well.

During the ending, the school had a surprise fire drill. How do you know when it is a surprise fire drill? Admin will call to let you know. :)

After the fire drill, Mr. Tie asked me if it was okay to wrap up the presentation. He had certificates and toys for the students. It was last minute, but Mr. Tie gave me certificates for the students. He had wanted to give the certificates out, but the certificates didn't have the students name on them. I told him that I would write the students names while he wrapped up. I wrote the names on the certificates and the certs. were presented to each student with the toy. All in all, I thought it was a nice day. Ms. Across the Hall told me her volunteers left the box of toys and the certificates for her to hand out. I had to smile. My kids this year are a handful (although nothing like last year's group), but they are relatively nice...when they want to be. It was a positive experience.

Wednesday, October 17th
Hyper day to the max. Today, I had a flashback to last year. Last year, I would have a super hyper day where the students were just so, so, so, much too, too, too, hyper. It was like most of them were strung out on a sugar high...all at the same time. Last year, Wednesday...(every Wednesday) was that day. This year I am hoping this will not become a regular thing. Anyway, today my students were so hyper that neither rewards or punishment worked. Finally, I had to threaten to do an after school detention. And of course someone had to push and force me to mean what I said. That honor went to little ms. cackler. She doesn't laugh, she cackles like a little witch in training. A loud top of her voice cackle. over any and every misfortune that is not hers. She can be nice and polite when she wants to be, but too often she has a mean spirit about her. She takes great pleasure in other people's misfortunes:

someone stumbles, she cackles
someone's pencil point breaks, she cackles
someone scores low on a test, she cackles (even when she scored lower)
someone's book drops, she cackles
someone can't find something, she cackles
someone reads too low, she cackles

It is never good enough to just laugh, she has to cackle...loudly. She dances to her own music...literally.

The positive of the Cackler is that she does have good moments...few, but they are there. It is those good moments that proves...so far, that every child does deserve and education...when they want one. Sorry, I got sidetracked.

Anyway, the cackler was in one of her evil moods. She likes to spread that evil around. When she wouldn't stop disrupting class, and when my threats only resulted in, "so, I don't care", and, "so what". I had had enough. I locked up her coat and backpack. I dismissed the class, and brought back the Cackler. She continued to be disruptive, and she was the only student in the room. I added 5 minutes for each disruptive, or defiant act. I ended up keeping her til five. Oh, just a little clue to the background. Originally, she told me she could not stay because she had to take her little cousin home. I told her to call her mother to let her mother know. She told me her mother wouldn't answer the phone, so she would have to leave a message:

"Mom, I'm not going to after school. I'm taking my little cousin home." click (she hung up). I might be a bit out of touch, but I was a bit shocked by the message (including the tone and the authority she put into it). This was an 8 year old girl basically telling her mother what she (the girl) was planning to do. Well, since she was supposed to be in the after school program anyway. I kept her in detention. Did it change her behavior? No, she ended up doing detention with me again the very next day.

Anyway, the since I ended up keeping the cackler in til 5pm, I escorted her out the front door. Seeing the other kids (from the after school program) being dismissed reminded me that I was supposed to go to Sticky fingers' mother's place of business. Sticky fingers was actually more disruptive and disrespectful for most of the day, but the Cackler was more defiant. When I saw Sticky fingers, I remembered that I'd threaten to go to her mother's business, but I did the detention with the Cackler instead, so to make up for not going, I was determined to speak to her mother...again. I spoke to the mother. She seemed annoyed at me for bothering her...again about her daughter's behavior. I thought when I I explain the pencil sharpener incident, she would be on my side. No, I was wrong.

Earlier today, Sticky fingers was being loud and disruptive. I was about to send her to another room or lock up her backpack. (I don't remember which). Anyway, I noticed she is holding a green pencil sharpener. I look to see if my sharpener is on my desk, and no it's gone. I'm angry that she took my sharpener without my permission. After I ask her if that is my sharpener, she looks me right in the face and says, "yea". Then she takes her ink pen and tries sharpening it with my sharpener, not once taking her eyes off me. To be honest, I had a very violent thought, but instead I turned over her desk dumped everything on the floor. I took everything that wasn't school related and locked it in my closet. I then told her to clean the mess (I made). Unfortunately, being the wimp that I am immediately after telling her to clean up the mess that I made dumping the contents of her desk on the floor, I felt guilty for losing my temper. Luckily, the guilt came after she started picking up the mess.

Anyway, after telling the mother about my day with her daughter, she gets angry. She starts shouting "throw everything away", "just throw everything away". I reminder her that one of the contents was a cell phone that kept going off (and she refused to give it to me -- so I took it). The mother told me to throw it away also. AP2 was on the steps standing next to me, so she heard the whole conversation. Then, things to another turn into Bizzaro world.

While I was finishing up my conversation with Sticky finger's mother, there was a problem with an ice cream truck. The school is on a small two-way residential street. There is very little room for cars to go passed if a car (or a truck)stays idle. The guy in the red sports car says something, then AP2 apparently makes a snide comment. The guy in the red sports car starts shouting at her. Now, AP2 is about yeh high to a leprechaun's knees, but she has a mouth on her (not to mention a tattoo or two). She can be very nice, but get on her wrong side, and she knows how to talk the talk. Anyway, the guy is yelling at her for a snide comment she made -- I was involved with my parent conversation, so I honestly don't know what she said. but she did not back down for a minute, so the guy parks, gets out, and continues yelling at her. And yes, she continues yelling at him. If the guy wasn't doped up on steroids, then he could have very well been doped up on something else. He was big. He's yelling at her about knowing how much money she makes, and how he makes more...but not hustling (he pointed out several times). She's yelling at him to about how he knows nothing about her and he needs to take his behind back to (I don't remember the particulars). The guy now has gotten out of his car comes up to the stairs to get up in her face. AP2 doesn't blink, bat an eyelash or backs down. Now, the scene is the ice cream guy is watching out the truck window, and parents with their kids are also watching the shouting match. The math "coach" is also watching, but he seems to be enjoying the show. As Mr. Sports Car continues to get angrier and angrier he continues to move closer to AP2, but AP2 just won't shut up, and the "math coach" looks like he is not going to assist. Not wanting violence (actually hoping a fight doesn't breakout), I start inching between the two. Being Mr. Polite not wanting to interrupt either, I'm not being very effective (or is it affective). Finally, one of the school guards comes out, Mid to late something woman, who in her own right also has an aggressive side. And can be loud when she wants to be. I was surprised quiet she was a easy-going. "Sir, sir, just calm down". I was impressed. She was far more affective than I was. I was just feeling too stupid for words. I'm almost as big as a house, but about as soft as a jellyfish (without the sting). To be honest the only thought running through my mind was I was going to be one of the wimpy guys who throws himself on the landmine to save the loudmouth one in the company who was the one who tripped the booby trap in the first place.

Anyway, after the shouting stops, then people start coming out. They all (strangely enough) pretty much said the same thing, "what's going on. I heard shouting". One of the last ones to arrive, the 20 something school security guard. The one I've mention as the tackler in previous entries. Finally, the principal came out,and yes, she too heard the shouting. Apparently, she has told the ice cream lady not to park on the corner because it is a safety hazard. She even mentioned that the angry guy could call and report the ice cream truck lady so that she (the truck lady) can be fined. Then, when the guy leaves (and the ice cream truck also), everyone jokes about what a jerk that guy was carrying on like that in front of the children.

Well, That's it for now. It was way longer than I was planning. I can't believe I spent a couple of hours on this. I really need to get my act together.


Post Date - Sunday, October 21, 2007 2:16am