The View from the Blackboard

To those who have stumbled upon my writing: Welcome!

I started this web log to let off work-related steam without burdening my family or friends, or getting myself canned. Having a private place where I could safely tell true, ugly stories about my students and coworkers made teaching less painful. Of course, I left out the many lovely stories I also could have shared.

As the school year progressed there were more bad days, and more good ones. But spring got hectic (as it usually does), so I focused on handling the work rather than complaining about it.

I recommend scrolling down to the last entry and working your way up.

Happy *summer*!

Current Mood: refreshed

For the first time in my teaching career, I have a student this year who cannot remember how to spell his own name. For instance, sometimes his surname has 6 letters, and other times it has 8.

Current Mood: mellow

The assignment was to spend the next month reading a biography for a book report. I took the seventh graders up to the school library and allowed them to choose books from the school's ample biography section. "There's nothing good here," Melanie whined.

"Okay, Melanie," I said, "why don't you visit your local library or a book store and find a book that interests you? Then let me see it and I'll let you know whether your book will work for this assignment."

All the other students had chosen books that had chapters and at least 175 pages. Melanie showed up the following Monday with a 100-page book (about half the pages were filled with pictures) on Hillary Duff. It had the age level 9-12 noted on the back cover. I told her that this book would not do.

The next day Melanie brought me a typed note from her mother. "Melanie chose a book that interests her and is appropriate for her age, according to the librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. I trust that you will respect her choice and not remove the fun from this reading assignment."

"Dear Mrs. __________, I wrote back. "I am glad that Melanie found a book she thinks will be fun to read. But I want the students to read books that will challenge them."

The following day I received a second typed letter. "Melanie WILL BE doing her book report on the Hillary Duff biography, as we have no time to revisit the library."

So I want to the public library on Melanie's behalf after work and checked out a dozen books that I thought might interest her. The next day she chose one and seemed genuinely excited about reading it.

BUT Melanie's mother still had an axe to grind. She called Mr. Principal and threatened to take the issue to the school board if Melanie wasn't allowed to read the Duff biography. Mr. Principal, always afraid of losing a student's tuition dollars, ordered me to be agreeable.

What has Melanie learned from this? For one thing, she learned that she doesn't need to respect the authority of her teacher. Her mommy can get the rules changed to make things go Melanie's way. She has also seen that acting difficult brings positive results. And, most saddening to me, that a juvenile book is just as worthy as a challenging one.

Current Mood: enraged

Today, following a disciplinary incident, the vice principal vented her frustrations to me. She referred to the girl mentioned in the previous post as a "bitch."

How unprofessional was that?

Current Mood: shocked

I don't tolerate students using "gay" as a pejorative in my classroom. Some of the students want to discuss this policy and the "unnaturalness" or "immorality" of homosexuality. I don't get into the trap of expressing my political views, but simply say that sexuality is a defining characteristic, like one's height or skin color, and teasing a person for any one of those traits would be unkind.

One eighth grade girl still lets the word slip occasionally. In a friendly discussion with her mother yesterday, I found out why: The woman, a fifty-year-old professional, said to me, "Taking the students to a museum on every field trip--that's so gay!

Current Mood: pensive

Frequently this happens: I talk to a parent whose child is lagging behind due to some major cognitive challenges, which have gone undefined because of the parents' unwillingness to admit there is an issue and start the testing process. The poor kid is struggling to achieve, yet earning straight F's. I suggest possible disorders and urge the parents to seek help.

At the end of the conversation, the mom or the dad says, "Don't let Mike slack off. He's smart but so darn lazy."

Current Mood: sad

On Monday I'll start "To Kill a Mockingbird" with the seventh graders. This will make four readings in the last four years for me, and for the first time I am dreading it.

Teaching: A surefire way to strip the fun from your favorite books!

Current Mood: melancholy

I'll betcha every teacher in New York City is hoping the snow pours down all night. We appreciate snow days at least as much as the kids do.

Current Mood: hopeful

Here's an idea for publishers of textbooks used in middle school classrooms: Always put a boring full-page illustration on page 69. Otherwise, the teacher will at some point have to say, "Turn to page 69," and two minutes of class time with be lost to hormonal giggles.

Current Mood: creative

The mother of a seventh grader called me today. She had been upset to learn from Jimmy's midterm report that he had flunked three spelling tests.

"I want you to send me a note every time he fails a test and then call me to let me know that you sent a note," she demanded. And because this conversation hadn't gotten crazy enough, Jimmy's mother added, "Of course, I don't hold you entirely responsible for those grades."

Current Mood: weird