I'm glad there are rotten kids, without them, I would be jobless. But I do get frustrated. I can't really help them. I get the kids for a few days at a time, if they need help with thier work, I do what I can. I always have them do papers on the whats and whys of thier behavior. I doubt I even make a major dent. They might not want to come back, and some eventually get the point, but are they really changed? I can't undo the disservice thier families have done to them. I had a kid once and his father asked me about the kids behavior. I spoke truthfully and I was happy with the behavior, but his work ethic was pathetic. His father told me that we "so called" teachers are a joke to our profession. His son just needed "motivation". Last time I checked, motivation comes from home. Education comes from school. I can't ground, scold or spank his son. He could when the failing grades started rolling in. Hell, I've had kids tell me point blank why should they comply when they don't have to do anything at home. Excellent point. They are upset that teachers punish them and "they ain't my parents, they got no right punishing me". I think the kids have a great point. If they are not being raised at home, what the Hell can I even do to get them on track? The role models in poorer communities are the drug dealers, the thugs, the welfare cases that "play the sytstem". How can I motivate the child that only sees the worst of the worst thriving? I can't. I can get them away from the kids we are reaching, so that learning can happen and pray to God that I can get through to some of the ones that come my way.
In my fantasy world, I'd love to turn the finger around on the "not my baby" parent. The parent who is too proccupied or too stupid to know what's really going on with thier precious child. I'd point my finger back and ask what did they do to curb the kids behavior. What responsibility do YOU take in raising your child? When the detention slip came home, bwhat did they do when they got hom? Did they talk on the phone? Watch thier TV? Play video games? Hop on thier bike and go wherever? Unaccepitible behavior today that goes unpunished is tomorrow's acceptable behavior. And I care about them, you cannot be a "pal" to your child. By letting a kid "off easy" you have done no favor to them.
Alright, I'm tired enough to go to bed.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Friday, April 01, 2005
I'm about to go out and waste the last day of my spring break vacation. The water and electricity should be on at my house today. I might just go eat dinner there and take a dump. Big spring break plans are only for those who are ambitious enough to do anything. I bought lottery tickets and drove around alot.
Blogging
I MUST have gotten in late. There are about 100 other bloggers who are in this little armpit of a town that will acknowledge thier location. Which means there is most likely 500 more who want that extra dose of anonimity. I guess If I want traffic, I will have to blog my fingers off.
Life, death and the gooey parts in the middle.
I was listening to the radio today and heard that not only did Terry Schivo die, but the Pope wasn't too far behind. My ex-g/f's mom is a devout Roman Catholic. Personally, I feel he should have stepped down a few years ago. He has been too frail to do anything in quite some time. But I can't really blame him. How do you retirer from being the leader of the Roman Catholic Church? Also, he might not even be able to step down. A king is king for life. I bet it's hard to get fired when you're that high up.I am interested in what kind of person will fill those shoes. I'm sure behind closed doors, a successor is being being mulled over even as we speak. They will most likely pick a person who will get more people on the bandwagon. A dynamic leader that will pull in those gone astray as well. Even though I'm not particularlly a religeous person, this is an historic time.
The whole Terry Schivo thing was interesting and sad. We have a severly brain damaged woman in hospice care for years, denied any type of rehab and finally starved to death after a very heated legal war with battles fought in many courtrooms. My whole thought is this.....If her parents wanted her alive, I think it should have been so. If her husband stands to profit from this whole gruesome incident. I think it should be all put towards her medical expenses and funeral, with the rest compensating the parents. In the end, she was in horrible shape, and I think I would rather die, but that is my personal choice, and we really don't know know what she might have wanted. In cases of life and death, always, always, always err on the the side of life. We would do this for a convicted felon, why not the innocent?
Paul went to the Devil's Tramping ground this past week, those not familiar can do a google search. In a nutshell, the DTG is an area in Siler City, NC where there is a ring of barren land that, although the rest be relatively fertile, nothing has grown there for as far back as anyone can document. Legend has it, anything left on the barren path overnight will be pushed out. Yeah, I'm not too big on superstition, but Paul scooped up dirt from the site and is going to perform a few tests and sell the rest on Ebay. I wanted to go, he wants to plan another trek after spring when the area is grown over. I assume to see a more dramatic effect.
On MLK day this year my house burned down due to a freak electrical fire. I'm fine and I didn't lose anything, but I've been staying with my parents. I should be back to my rebuilt, remodeled home in two weeks and I'm really eager to start a new chapter in my life. Kind of like the phionix that rises from the ashes reborn. Well, I'm just going to throw away all the old shit and try to keep the place clean.
The whole Terry Schivo thing was interesting and sad. We have a severly brain damaged woman in hospice care for years, denied any type of rehab and finally starved to death after a very heated legal war with battles fought in many courtrooms. My whole thought is this.....If her parents wanted her alive, I think it should have been so. If her husband stands to profit from this whole gruesome incident. I think it should be all put towards her medical expenses and funeral, with the rest compensating the parents. In the end, she was in horrible shape, and I think I would rather die, but that is my personal choice, and we really don't know know what she might have wanted. In cases of life and death, always, always, always err on the the side of life. We would do this for a convicted felon, why not the innocent?
Paul went to the Devil's Tramping ground this past week, those not familiar can do a google search. In a nutshell, the DTG is an area in Siler City, NC where there is a ring of barren land that, although the rest be relatively fertile, nothing has grown there for as far back as anyone can document. Legend has it, anything left on the barren path overnight will be pushed out. Yeah, I'm not too big on superstition, but Paul scooped up dirt from the site and is going to perform a few tests and sell the rest on Ebay. I wanted to go, he wants to plan another trek after spring when the area is grown over. I assume to see a more dramatic effect.
On MLK day this year my house burned down due to a freak electrical fire. I'm fine and I didn't lose anything, but I've been staying with my parents. I should be back to my rebuilt, remodeled home in two weeks and I'm really eager to start a new chapter in my life. Kind of like the phionix that rises from the ashes reborn. Well, I'm just going to throw away all the old shit and try to keep the place clean.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Spring break
I'm in education. What this means is that all those holidays you relished in school, are my paid holidays. A friend told me that I should plan these things out. I agree with him. I SHOULD have big plans, but instead, I'm straight sitting on my ass typing a blog.
When I say I'm in education, when you ask if I'm a teacher, technically, no. To be a teacher you need more education and licensure than I do. I am an in-school suspension coordinator a middle school. Which means I get paid to punish kids. It's not too hard of a job, so I don't feel badly about how little I'm paid. Also, the job security is pretty good. How many people do you know that want to sit silently in a small room and watch kids who are atoning for misbehavior in class for eight hours a day?
Working with kids takes something not everyone has. Especially middle schoolers. I tend see to my job as somewhat of an art. The dynamics change everyday, what works and what doesn't will change from day to day, even with the same kids. It keeps me on my toes, my objective is not to coddle, counsel, or encourage the kids in any way. My job is punishment. My goal is to make the experience so miserable, that they will choose to behave in class next time. In the modern day, that gets tricky. When I was their age, corporal punishment was still a viable method to eschew future transgressions.
One time, I got in quite a bit of trouble in 1st grade and was paddled. My teacher did NOT send me home. I finished out the day in my humiliated state. She told my Mom after school, when I got home, Mom spanked me and sent me to bed. At 7:00, step-dad came home and I got a beating only an alcoholic step parent could give. Now you may say that's plain old child abuse, I might agree with you, but I got the message and I did not get in to anymore trouble at school for YEARS.
This option is not open to me. My tools are isolation, tedious ritual, mountains of writing projects, afterschool detention slips, additional days of ISS, and climate control. And if used correctly, damned effective tools.
If it's too hot or cold, they are uncomfortable. If they have large amounts of class work, they are overwhelmed. If they have to do the same thing every time, they are bored. If they break the rules they either get another day or have to stay after school....you get the picture.
I love my job and I take great pride in my craft. This job will eventually allow me to become a teacher, which is a major goal. I really want a nice, quiet, normal life. Until that happens, I will most likely use this place as a soapbox to rant and maybe someone will listen. If not, oh well.
When I say I'm in education, when you ask if I'm a teacher, technically, no. To be a teacher you need more education and licensure than I do. I am an in-school suspension coordinator a middle school. Which means I get paid to punish kids. It's not too hard of a job, so I don't feel badly about how little I'm paid. Also, the job security is pretty good. How many people do you know that want to sit silently in a small room and watch kids who are atoning for misbehavior in class for eight hours a day?
Working with kids takes something not everyone has. Especially middle schoolers. I tend see to my job as somewhat of an art. The dynamics change everyday, what works and what doesn't will change from day to day, even with the same kids. It keeps me on my toes, my objective is not to coddle, counsel, or encourage the kids in any way. My job is punishment. My goal is to make the experience so miserable, that they will choose to behave in class next time. In the modern day, that gets tricky. When I was their age, corporal punishment was still a viable method to eschew future transgressions.
One time, I got in quite a bit of trouble in 1st grade and was paddled. My teacher did NOT send me home. I finished out the day in my humiliated state. She told my Mom after school, when I got home, Mom spanked me and sent me to bed. At 7:00, step-dad came home and I got a beating only an alcoholic step parent could give. Now you may say that's plain old child abuse, I might agree with you, but I got the message and I did not get in to anymore trouble at school for YEARS.
This option is not open to me. My tools are isolation, tedious ritual, mountains of writing projects, afterschool detention slips, additional days of ISS, and climate control. And if used correctly, damned effective tools.
If it's too hot or cold, they are uncomfortable. If they have large amounts of class work, they are overwhelmed. If they have to do the same thing every time, they are bored. If they break the rules they either get another day or have to stay after school....you get the picture.
I love my job and I take great pride in my craft. This job will eventually allow me to become a teacher, which is a major goal. I really want a nice, quiet, normal life. Until that happens, I will most likely use this place as a soapbox to rant and maybe someone will listen. If not, oh well.
First log.
My long lost friend from high school, Paul showed me this and I was ammused. I though it would be fun to banter back and forth and get on this bandwagon, alot like I got on to napster. By the time I had the computer and the connection to enjoy it. That thing was as dead as roadkill. But who knows it will be fun anyway.
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