I started out the day of April 12 realizing that I had lost my wallet. I still went to my observation time, but in a somewhat bad mood. Well, every day after lunch the kids in the whole school watch a news report that's made for junior and high school students--this one had a portion about the war in Iraq. A couple of students were messing around during this, and the hairs on my head flared up. I wasn't mean, I don't think, but I had a clearly offended tone while I told them to watch because this is an issue dealing with the war that their country is in right now. That it's kind of important. It was all in the tone. Once that outburst was done, I was better, but I feel a little bad that I said it while in a mood. Self-control is very important when dealing with Junior Highers.
The rest of the day went well, though. They had a poetry contest in the school or county or something, I don't know. So, kids were working on poems to enter and all of them could have entered, too, they did so well on their poems. Mrs. Garcia said that she starts poetry during CSAP week because it's funner for the students after taxing their brains for hours. I was very impressed with some of the poems, most actually, and had a good time reading them. I organized the entries and graded some other papers that day, too.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Truancy Court
On March 20, I got to attend a session of truancy court. They held it in the school because it was CSAP week and kids couldn't be in both morning court and testing at the same time. It lasted for only an hour and it was very interesting. There were quite a few teachers there who came to speak on behalf of students whether to confirm their truancy/behavior or to affirm that the students were doing well.
There was one particularly serious case in which a young man was in danger because of gang action; it was very hard to see; this young man was in the middle of a mess that his parents put him in--and what can we as teachers do? I wanted to take him home with me and adopt him, but of course that could never happen with all the students that need a good home.
Overall, the court was very challenging and eye-opening to another facet of a teacher's job.
There was one particularly serious case in which a young man was in danger because of gang action; it was very hard to see; this young man was in the middle of a mess that his parents put him in--and what can we as teachers do? I wanted to take him home with me and adopt him, but of course that could never happen with all the students that need a good home.
Overall, the court was very challenging and eye-opening to another facet of a teacher's job.
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