An Educator Rambles

Welcome to my world

I am educator. Daily I face down 120 plus pubescent people and try to maintain control and assist them in learning. It's a war. My weapons are as follows: my voice, a piece of paper for documenting misbehavior, a walkie-talkie to use in times of emergency, the telephone, email and a face to face discussion. The odds daily are 20+ to one.

Most days I win. Although I tell the students that I always get my way, it's easy for them or hard for them; it's their choice, as a class. I do my best to be fair and honest, to listen and understand, even if I cannot change the situation. I am one of thousands who fight this battle daily, and we're not all winning.

For the most part I have been quite fortunate and have the respect of most of my students. It's that small minority of students who distress not only me, but the majority of others. It is the student with a label who has become the controlling force in the world of public education. The student who has far more legal rights to an education than anyone else. These are the students who because of their labels face few if any consequences for their actions.

Let me clarify I am not opposed to educating students with special needs. In my career I have worked with some wonderful young people who work incredibly hard, and yet just barely pass. Students who come to class, have done their work to the best of their ability, and it falls far short of the expected mark. These hard working young people are phenomenal. These are not the ones of whom I speak .

I am speaking of the student who is a constant disruption to class and yet because this person has "special needs" receives no consequence for their actions. The student who is "mainstreamed" into a regular education class, but cannot read or write. Why? Popular opinion says that I as an educator have not done my job. Let me share a real story about a real student in a real class somewhere here in the US

Adam (not his real name) is in 7th grade, for the second time. Last year he was expelled for bringing weapons to school. He has transferred to my school, in a more upscale neighborhood. He rarely comes to school. When he comes he is late, not 5 or 10 minutes, but 30. He does not bring supplies or books to class. He does not do work. He sleeps or if he is awake steals from the others close by, their pencils, pens, whatever he can get his hands one. He is blatant about it. When caught literally red handed will deny that he took the item he is holding and accuse everyone else of lying.

He will go on to his next class where he on a regular basis verbally abuses the teacher with language a polite person does not use in public. He is removed from class goes for a short alternative placement within the district. In a day or two he may return to begin his behavior again.

Our school is limited in what consequences can be applied to this student because of his educational label. So he remains free to return to class which he does with more freedom, to harass and terrorize more students.

Adam has completed only 4 or 5 assignments this school year, and I am one of the lucky ones for some teachers he has turned in nothing. He will pass this year simply because we don't want to deal with him, any longer.

I pose this question to you the reader, how long should he be retained in a specific grade? Should he be 16 or 17 on a junior high campus? Should he have been retained earlier? How many times should we retain a student who is not learning?

I realize I have rambled, but let me close with this thought. No Child Left Behind is wonderful idea on paper; but I tell you there are students who CHOOSE not to learn. I cannot force them, I can only do my best. My tools are my creativity, knowledge of my subject and my personality. My weapons of defense are my voice, paper, a walkie-talkie.