Bob’s Blog

For the past 2 months, I’ve been at war with a student, his parents, and the entire system. We’ll call this student “Mike”.

Mike has over 80 write ups. Now that it’s said and done, it’s closer to the 90 range. Mike spent the last part of last semester in in-school suspension and wasn’t allowed in some of his classes anymore because of his behavior. His behavior consisted of more or less seeking attention, acting out, never doing his work, and constantly socializing and disrupting class. The kid cannot handle a normal class setting. A lot of these kids that I teach can’t, but this one especially.

So, in January, I’m blessed with his presence. He was moved into my room because it just didn’t work out with his last social studies teacher. Within 2-3 days, he’s already kicked out of my room because of his behavior and attitude.

This goes on for a daily basis. If he’s not kicked out of my room, he’s kicked out of another teacher’s room. The administration is not doing anything about this. Write up after write up is sent regarding this kid. So, I then decide to make it a personal mission to get this kid removed from the school entirely and I simply write him up whenever he comes to my room and kick him out as soon as he enters. If he’s caught skipping and not going to the principle’s office, that’s simply something else you can tack on.

So, he has a manifestation meeting. This more or less means this is a meeting where we determine whether or not this kid can stay inside the school. The kid ends up staying inside the school. Now, mind you…this kid has over 80 write ups and is a chronic behavior problem and cannot function in a normal classroom setting. Fine. Whatever. This is the system I work in. I’m going to keep at it because kids like him need to be in an alternative school and not a mainstream classroom.

Same ol’ story. Chronic misbehavior. Finally, some action is being taken on him and he ends up being suspended for a few days. He comes back and immediately lands 10 write ups in a 3 day period. He has a second manifestation meeting. What happens here? His parents make excuses for him. Saying he needs “time to adjust” from his recent out of school suspension. Never mind the previous 80 write ups and never mind the previous 6 months of misbehavior and overall idiocy that he displays (I don’t care if that’s PC or not. That’s the truth).

He survives the second manifestation meeting. Why? Because the parents “did not know” of his behavior. Which is crap. Because there is extensive documentation of parental contact and attempts to call. There is extensive documentation regarding his behavior and attitude. Ultimately, the parents tell the school that their son is staying. And the school caves in and allows the child to stay.

Even better? The kid was not even supposed to be in our school the first place. He slipped through the cracks and nobody in his elementary school enforced his behavior plan. He was supposed to be sent off to the alternative school back in August. Nobody paid attention, parents didn’t say a word, and he ends up in a regular classroom when he clearly cannot function like a normal human being.

At this point, I’m just irate. I’ve never been this angry before. Because this is a prime example of what is exactly wrong with the community and school that I teach in. The administration will not take care of a kid who is clearly a problem. People are not doing their jobs regarding behavior plans and are keeping them in a mainstream classroom when they clearly don’t belong. The parents continually make excuses for the kid, and the school caves to the parents because they are too afraid to put their foot down.

Mike then gets sent home for 10 days to do his school work from home. I send off his work. I, of course, don’t receive it when he returns.

Last Friday, after being in school for a whopping 3 days, he cuts my class. He asks to use the bathroom and disappears for 45 minutes. I was not in that day, and receive word of this when I return on this past Monday. I am told that morning that there is yet another manifestation meeting for him on Wednesday from his case manager (who has been a saint throughout all this).

During this final manifestation meeting, Mike gets up and walks out of the meeting. At that point, the school decides he no longer belongs in the school. It took him walking out of a meeting for it to happen. Unbelievable.

It leads to the question of what would’ve happened if this kid brought a gun or knife to school (wouldn’t surprise me) and hurt someone after the first, or second manifestation meeting. What would happen then? What if someone got hurt, or even worse, killed? Where would the blame fall?

But that’s ok though – because the parent’s “didn’t know” of his behavior.

It’s a damn joke.

No child left behind, clearly.

There’s something to be said about U2 and their music; it often puts me in a contemplative mood and it’s easy to get lost into. There is something very special about the weird atmosphere created by The Edge’s minimal delayed guitar riffs, Larry Mullen Jr.’s drumline snaps, Adam Clayton’s mysterious basslines, and Bono’s very powerful yet sometimes very incomplete lyrics.

I should be in bed right now, gearing up for that 7:30am meeting with an unruly child and a parent that may or may not show. But I can’t help but to think, get lost in some Irish post-punk, and to write.

I’ve been sitting here tonight thinking about where I was a year ago with my life and how I ended up to where I am right at this moment. My life in the past year has been a complete and utter roller-coaster. It’s been confusing and exhilerating. I have gone from my highest highs to my lowest lows. A year ago at this time, I was looking at jobs back in Cleveland and thinking about moving back because my job was completely and utterly unbearable at the time. I was getting ready to head to Savannah with my best friend at the time for St. Patrick’s Day. And in a bizarre turn of events, I had a friend from college profess her love to me, and told me she had planned on visiting me this time a year ago and wanted to have a long distance relationship.

I never did find that job and never did move back. I had a blowout with my best friend on that trip, and an even bigger blowout in the summer and we’re more or less no longer friends. And that girl who was in love with me never did visit or start that relationship with me.

Achtung Baby is better than Joshua Tree, I’m telling you.

Not that I am all complaining about my state of happiness currently. It’s just bizarre to think about the whirlwind that my life has been ever since I’ve moved down here. It feels like eons since I’ve moved here, and since all of these things have happened. Though, the one regrettable part in all of this is the losing touch of friends up north. I suppose that’s why we have internet and email. But there’s something missing lost in all this wireless communication. And no matter how hard you try to stay in touch, deep down, we all know that it’s not just the same.

Losing friends is hard business. Business that I’ve always had a hard time dealing with. Business I’d much rather not ever have to deal with.

About 4 months ago I started to date one of my closest friends here in Georgia. She was one of the very first people I met and befriended here in Georgia. I had met her at work orientation 2 days after I had moved into Great and Growing Griffin. We became close and eventually just started to date. It was never forced and it all feels very natural. She’s been my rock and has kept me afloat through a lot of the crazy things that have happened to me down here. She has improved my life 100%, no doubt about it. And I’m much happier, healthier, and positive than where I was a year ago. She makes me completely and utterly happy. I’ve never had anyone like her in my life, and I thank God everyday that she entered into my life.

Despite my social and personal life being in great shape, I cannot say the same regarding my professional life.

I’m not entirely sure what I want to do when I grow up. Today was one of those days where I was on fire. I knew the kids learned something and it was one of those days when you walk out of the building and you say to yourself, “This was good. This is what I want to do with my life.” When I can teach – I am unstoppable. I am the Social Studies Colossus; there’s no way of stopping me when I am on my A game.

However, those days are rare and too far in between. On most days I put out fires rather than teach, babysit rather than educate, and spoon feed rather than enrich. It’s a tough job and there are a lot of days where I feel like I can’t cut it.

With work, it feels like it hasn’t gotten any worse but it hasn’t gotten better. At the beginning of the year, that was fine. But at this point? I want more. I want this school to progress. I don’t want one step forward, two steps back. I demand more from the administration, the kids, and the community.

There was this study that was just released and it said that students who listen to music such as Beethoven, U2, Radiohead, and Sufjan Stevens tend to be more intelligent and do better on the SAT  than those who listen to Lil’ Wayne, T. I. and Aerosmith. Maybe that’s why the kids resent all my music…

To be honest, I can’t complain at all about my life here in Georgia. There’s been unbelievable progress from a year ago. It’s weird to think about. Sure – the job is a drag and I come home more frustrated than anything else regarding our crumbling public education system and the failures of today’s American family. But most people hate their jobs – we’re all in this together. I have good friends, an amazing supportive family, and an unbelievable girlfriend. Things have finally settled down and I feel comfortable. I can finally call this place home.

Not only is Bono saving the African children from AIDS, playing rock ‘n roll, but he’s also making the world more intelligent with his music. He’s really doing it all. I want that life. And his sunglasses.