Teaching on the South Side: Who Decides These Things?
I used to have a student in one of my English classes, we’ll call him Kirk (rhymes with jerk), who was constantly disruptive. He would ask to go to the bathroom every five minutes, and complain loudly when I explained that I was not going write him a pass. Whenever I would let Kirk go to the bathroom, he would stay gone for at least ten minutes, wandering the halls, disturbing other teachers. Every day he would ask, and every day I would explain why I wasn’t writing him a pass today, or ever, for that matter, and every day he would complain about my class, about me, about school, in loud and offensive language. Sometimes I would write him up. Sometimes I would plow on with my lesson.
Eventually, he got so bad, and complained so much to the counselor, that she switched him with another student in Julie's English class. I felt bad that Jules now had to deal with this horse’s ass, but he was out of my hair—and hey, maybe he would do better with a female teacher.
No such luck.
After being in Julie's class for one week, during which she once spent 20 minutes of class time just working with him (after which he again refused to do any work, repeating the same pattern he had set in my class), Kirk threatened Julie's safety. Apparently, he had been mouthing off loudly, and when Julie told him to stop, he said something like “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you on the street.” It was a blatant threat, and he admitted that it was a blatant threat. Julie called security, security called police, Kirk was hauled away in a police cruiser, and Jules went to the police station to press assault charges.
We thought Kirk was out of our hair for good.
We were so naïve.
After a few days of suspension, Kirk is back in school, mouthing off and refusing to do any work, as usual.
Eventually, he got so bad, and complained so much to the counselor, that she switched him with another student in Julie's English class. I felt bad that Jules now had to deal with this horse’s ass, but he was out of my hair—and hey, maybe he would do better with a female teacher.
No such luck.
After being in Julie's class for one week, during which she once spent 20 minutes of class time just working with him (after which he again refused to do any work, repeating the same pattern he had set in my class), Kirk threatened Julie's safety. Apparently, he had been mouthing off loudly, and when Julie told him to stop, he said something like “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you on the street.” It was a blatant threat, and he admitted that it was a blatant threat. Julie called security, security called police, Kirk was hauled away in a police cruiser, and Jules went to the police station to press assault charges.
We thought Kirk was out of our hair for good.
We were so naïve.
After a few days of suspension, Kirk is back in school, mouthing off and refusing to do any work, as usual.
posted by Christopher at
11:24 PM
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