They’re not just there to stop fights, you know.
I’ve had students walk out of my class before, but today I noticed a twist on the old formula of “let’s get up and walk out because he can’t physically stop us.”
It’s nothing new for Jorry to get up, walk to the door—in the middle of class—look out, and then sit back down, all without apparently hearing me ask her where she is going or hearing me tell her to sit back down.
The first time she walked to the door, she looked out, and, seeing a red-shirted security guard, she sat back down.
The second time she walked to the door, her friend and partner in the walking-out-of-class game, Carmelyta, asked her “Is TJ out there?” TJ being, of course, that red-shirted security guard.
When Jorry said no, Carmelyta got up and they both walked out, completely ignoring my calls for them to get back in their seats. There wasn’t a security guard anywhere that I could see on the third floor, and there were several small groups of students just hanging out in the hallway.
It’s not that I was sorry to see Jorry and Carmelyta go. They are usually pretty disruptive. But it ticks me off that they bothered to come to class anyway, when they were just planning on leaving as soon as they could. Their antics stole several valuable instructional minutes from everyone else.
And, of course, once they flaunted not only my authority but the entire school’s authority by walking out of my room with impunity, they were soon followed by Errol. Two other students almost got in a fight, so I had to send them out into the hall—even without security there to intercept them. I can’t have that kind of hostile environment in my classroom.
By then, of course, the 90-minute period was completely shot, as were my nerves. I did what I could with the few students who actually care, but the whole time I just wanted the day to end.
And instead of coming home and relaxing, de-stressing before going back into the trenches tomorrow, I’m supposed to be planning something for the students to blow off, I mean learn, tomorrow. But when I know most of my efforts will be in vain, I can’t help but think, “What’s the point?”
It’s nothing new for Jorry to get up, walk to the door—in the middle of class—look out, and then sit back down, all without apparently hearing me ask her where she is going or hearing me tell her to sit back down.
The first time she walked to the door, she looked out, and, seeing a red-shirted security guard, she sat back down.
The second time she walked to the door, her friend and partner in the walking-out-of-class game, Carmelyta, asked her “Is TJ out there?” TJ being, of course, that red-shirted security guard.
When Jorry said no, Carmelyta got up and they both walked out, completely ignoring my calls for them to get back in their seats. There wasn’t a security guard anywhere that I could see on the third floor, and there were several small groups of students just hanging out in the hallway.
It’s not that I was sorry to see Jorry and Carmelyta go. They are usually pretty disruptive. But it ticks me off that they bothered to come to class anyway, when they were just planning on leaving as soon as they could. Their antics stole several valuable instructional minutes from everyone else.
And, of course, once they flaunted not only my authority but the entire school’s authority by walking out of my room with impunity, they were soon followed by Errol. Two other students almost got in a fight, so I had to send them out into the hall—even without security there to intercept them. I can’t have that kind of hostile environment in my classroom.
By then, of course, the 90-minute period was completely shot, as were my nerves. I did what I could with the few students who actually care, but the whole time I just wanted the day to end.
And instead of coming home and relaxing, de-stressing before going back into the trenches tomorrow, I’m supposed to be planning something for the students to blow off, I mean learn, tomorrow. But when I know most of my efforts will be in vain, I can’t help but think, “What’s the point?”
posted by Christopher at
9:50 PM
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