Sex, Drugs, And Rock n' Roll (but mostly just Drugs).

I did something pretty ballsy on Tuesday, and I am so lucky it didn't blow up in my face. I was trying to get 8th period started on the topic of the history of Australia, Antarctica and Oceania. Getting 8th period started is always difficult, and usually takes 15 minutes longer than any other period. This is the class with ... 4 students with modifications, one of which is a big, Texas-sized pain in my rear end. As I was reminding JP to move back to his original seat, I told him he needed to hand over the tennis ball that he was playing with, as it would only serve as a distraction to him and the rest of the class, and would most likely spend the next 80 minutes rolling back and forth on the floor. JP flat-out refused to give the ball over, and after about a minute and a half of me stating "I am not arguing with you about this. This is not a discussion. This is not a question, but rather an order", I told him to leave.

Get out of my class.

Just go.

When he asked if I wanted him to take his work, I told him to leave. Again.

When he asked where I wanted him to go, I repeated the oder to leave my classroom. He was no longer welcome.

He packed his things quite quickly (for JP), and left.  The rest of the class worked almost silently for the rest of the class. A couple students asked if I wanted them to go look for JP, but I said no. I did step into the hall once or twice to see if he was simply sitting outside of my door, but he wasn't. He was no where to be seen. Inside, I was panicking. What had I just done?? I sent a kid to wander the halls. I could get into trouble for this. He could get into more trouble.

Shit.

Class ended, JP came back, and he had his work complete. We talked after class about how he was in serious danger of failing my class, and failing freshman year, and having to repeat. I told him that for my own sanity and well-being, I could only care if he did. He said he didn't want to repeat and so I told him he really needed to start acting like it. I was not going to tolerate blatant disrespect, and if he wanted to pass my class, he needed to act in a way that would allow me to teach, and his classmates to learn as well as him.

We will see if it happens. I really don't want to teach him again next year.

As for the drugs, a freshman is suspended and could be expelled for going off campus before school on Monday with a couple other students and getting stoned in an apartment across the street. The school called the cops and drugs were found on the other students. We're sure all of the drug tests are going to come back positive. The faculty seems split on whether or not the students should be expelled. Some say there needs to be a no tolerance policy, others say that if we expel them, some of them may never finish high school.

Wrestle with that dilemma for a while. I know I am.

I'm almost done with year numero uno. I'll do cartwheels down the hall, a la Brian Reichelt, my advising teacher during my student teaching. I'm also going to buy a car at the end of summer. I'll have saved $4,500 bucks, and can put that towards a car OR pay off one of my student loans. Hmmmm....

Remember: Work Hard. Be Nice.