My Wish...

It has been a while since I've posted an entry. Lately, I been trying to avoid doing work related entries. Unfortunately, with my boring life, without work there isn't much to write about.

Below is an email exchange I had with a parent of a student in my class.
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Good Evening Ms. Mom,

Yes, you are correct about the phone. Did Anna tell you that I would have given it to her today? All day like a broken record, I kept telling Anna I would give her the phone just stop being disruptive. It wasn't once or twice, but throughout the day. From passing candy, to conversations to her friend across the room and conversation at her table conversation on line. She walked and talked the way she wanted, when she wanted. Again throughout the day. There was even a spitball incident with two names involved (mostly) Billy and Anna. Her (repeated) response to me saying "if you want your phone, then stop (this or that)" was to smile, stop (for about a few minutes) then resume. Morning and afternoon. The last straw was 10 minutes to 3pm. I needed to finish up a couple of 1 on 1 informal reading assessments. Anna should have been reading (preferably a chapter book), but in that time, Anna chose to sit next to her friend (at another table) talking (I had to stop the assessment to tell her to go back to her seat), continued another conversation at her seat (I had to stop again), She got up (she said) to get a reading response card but she had a picture book opened showing it to her friend then wanted to argue that she wasn't doing anything. When the day was finished, that's when Anna told me, "Oh, I need my phone". I got angry. I had every intention of giving her the phone despite everything she did during the day, but it was that last 10 minutes that really annoyed me. The last ten minutes told me that I was just there for her amusement.

As a teacher, I value the time when I'm teacher or helping students. I thought it was a fair (temporary) trade. Anna withheld valuable instruction time, I withheld (with many reminders) something she valued. I don't have a problem with giving Anna her phone. All I ask is that Anna not take too much of valuable instruction time.

Oh and please do not think that I'm singling out Anna. There were other distractions going on. One less distraction makes my job a bit easier. Example? Another of Anna's classmate couldn't go on the ice skating trip because of his behavior. Since he couldn't go on the trip, he was kept home and taken shopping (the very same day) for a new video game. Much of my day was devoted to dealing with him (and what he told me he will or will not do). There are other examples, but here it is 2:30 in the morning, and I'm still thinking about work and having to do it all over again in a few hours.



Regards,
Jannx


P.S. - Mentioning ice skating. I forgot about Anna's refund. Please have Anna remind me about the refund ($4) in case I forget. And of course, I will return Sironne's cell phone.


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Good evening Mr. J,

This is Anna's Mom I would like to thank you for finding the phone. I understand that she was mis behaving that is why you didn't give her the phone, but please return it to her @ the end of class tomorrow, being that it is the only form of communication I have with her when she leave school. Thank you and have a goodnight. Ms. Mom

Sent via Blackberry