Hope Renewed is Strength Uncovered

“I’m too tired to work Mr. Seegars.”
“What?”
“I’m too tired. I’m not doing any work.”
“Umm, that’s not really an option. You are here to work, and I know you can do it.”
“You cannot tell me what my body can do.”
“Do you need to go to the nurse?”
“No. I just don’t want to work.”
“That is not going to work. You have 20 seconds to start writing before I start dialing.”

In my math study skills class, I had a student decide that he was having a bad day (at 9am, mind you), and that he did not feel like doing any work. That did not go over quite so well with me. After a number of measures that ended with him being removed from class for a few minutes and then brought in at the end of class so that he could hear me call his mother, he still refused to control his temper while I discussed with his mom possible days for him to stay after school for detention.

In the same class, I danced toward a student as her cell phone went off. The dance peaked at a smooth outstretching of my hand in order to collect the phone. At the same time, I was teaching students how to identify polynomials, and while trying to relate the term “poly” to polygons in order to help them understand the definition of polynomial, I heard a voice in my head saying, “What in the world are you talking about?” Yeah. I definitely could have planned that better. Luckily, I realized the students were not getting what I was saying, and I explained it in a different, more understandable manner. However, crucial time had already been lost.

As I went to go talk to a student on my caseload in order to gain some information, I walked into a classroom. When I stepped into the classroom, another student remarked with disgust, “I hate that man. He sent me to the office.” This was the guy who told me to shut up weeks earlier when I was standing in for another teacher. The teacher in the current classroom told him it was inappropriate for him to say that, and I just smiled and said, “Have a great day!”

Now, in my last period class, social skills, things got interesting. For the warm up, I asked students to explain their favorite extracurricular activity and why they liked it. After prodding some students to participate, one girl finally said she liked football the most. “Why? I asked. She smiled and stated, “Cuz the sexy boys are hitting each other.” Needless to say, I was slightly taken aback. “Ummm, we don’t need to say it like that, do we?” Her response: “I also like seeing those ugly boys get knocked around.”

“Okay, thank you very much. We are going to move on to the next person now.”

Then, the students were working on another exercise in which they had to list one social skill that they thought that they could improve upon as well as one positive thing about a partner. I asked them to share these with each other. Then, I asked them to say out-loud their positive statement about their partner. The funniest moment was when a girl said that her partner was handsome. At the time, he was combing his hair, so I told him that his looks, apparently, were not what he needed to work on. “Therefore, you can put the comb away, please. Thank you!”

He and I had a few moments that period. He decided he wanted to argue with people, so I had to move him into the “my partner” space. Basically, he had to sit right next to me. He had some words to express how he felt about that, and I just asked him to write them down so that I could read them later; whatever it was, I did not want him disrupting the class. He declined to write his comments down, citing that I might use them in court against him.

I still like the kid a lot. He has so much potential, and can really be involved sometimes. We are just going to have to figure out how to control that anger and the outbursts. It’s definitely doable.

After work, I had an observation review with my program director since she observed me today. It was very helpful, and, as always, I left feeling rejuvenated. I have a much better understanding of what I need to work on in order to lead my students to success.

Hope renewed is strength uncovered. I will get better.