No, I did not murder the children…
There are some twelve-year-old boys who are lucky to be alive today. 
Thankfully there are no newspaper banner headlines proclaiming MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER LOSES IT AND STABS CHILD TO DEATH WITH A BALLPOINT PEN. 
At our school, we have a remediation after-school tutoring program that runs once a week. It started out as a group of 5-6 students, then grew to 10 and yesterday I had about 17 students. The problem is, they started bringing their friends, some of whom didn’t need to be there. It started to change the environment such that, the students who already knew the answers were dominating the program and the socializing started to increase.
Yesterday, the arrogance level made me want to turn from a mild-mannered, docile teacher (okay, stop choking and laughing here) into Attila the Hun. Some of the yahoos would NOT shut their mouths and listen to instruction. Instead of answering questions on their dry erase boards, they started writing goofy messages and trying to impress their friends (these were students from the other teachers, for the record–my own students know me too well to attempt that sort of behavior).
But that wasn’t what really irritated me. It was the fact that they believed they should get candy just for showing up. 
In the past, I’ve rewarded my hard workers with a lollipop or a small token, and these kids were whining from the outset.
When repeated warnings did not work, I explained that I was there to help the students who needed help and who wanted to review for the quarter exam. The students who preferred to socialize would be asked to leave. Two of my little minions from Satan didn’t believe me. They continued to talk louder than me and finally, I kicked them out. They spent the remainder of the time in the assistant principal’s office.
I’ll admit, when I got home later that night, I took it pretty hard. I’m not a new teacher, and this is the first time in a long while (okay, eight years) that I’ve had to resort to such measures. Though it did improve the atmosphere of the class, it still makes you feel like a failure as a teacher when some of the kids just don’t see how their behavior is a problem. They don’t see how talking during instruction is a sign of disrespect. And they were truly dumbfounded as to why they were kicked out.
Teaching is not a vocation for people who want to earn a lot of money. We do it for the children, for the joy of watching them learn and grow. I can always count on my students to brighten my day. But by the same token, the same children can make it difficult. I didn’t sleep well last night, wondering if there was anything I could have done differently. In retrospect, probably not.
More than anything, I worry about the kids who believe they are entitled to things simply because they are there. Life is going to kick them in the face one day with a dose of reality. What will they do then?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 7:16 am | Viewed 1211 times
Sharon Says:
I really must stop reading your blog, it’s not good for my blood pressure.
I won’t delve into self absorbed, ego centric kids (down blood pressure, down!)
but I will say that I’m glad to hear you at least enforce your warnings. When my oldest son was in the third grade we had a terrible time with his teacher. Super nice lady but she had NO control over her classroom. None, whatsoever. It got so bad that my husband and I went to the principal and said if they wouldn’t switch my son out that we would pay tuition and transfer out of the district.
He changed classes and the problem was immediately resolved. Amazing what a difference a teacher can make.
Mary Says:
This is one reason I quit teaching jr. high, the other: my age. You have to be young and vibrant to put up with this.
Hang in there.
Melissa Says:
Michelle, I’m so glad that there are teachers like you who care so much. I know I couldn’t do it. The only age I’d ever think of teaching would be college. I couldn’t put up with that many kids at any age from K-12.
Michelle Styles Says:
Sending those students to the sin bin was one of the best things you could do for them. They haveto learn that there are certain lines you don’t cross, and when you do, there are consequences. Hopefully it taught them but the other children in the room an important lesson. The only failure would have been if you had NOT followed up on your threat.
Good for you.
Peggy Says:
Obviously these kids aren’t getting enough discipline at home. It really does take a village to raise a kid! Good for you, Michelle!
Amy K. Says:
Sorry you had such a rough time and troublesome kids. For what it’s worth, it sounds like you handled it well. My hat’s off to good teachers like you! I could never do it because I WOULD kill the chilluns.
Rene Says:
I don’t know how you do it, Michelle. I would be in prison by now.
Who knows? By the time thses boys graduate high school they may finally get it. Let’s hope. I’ve learned that as much as environment influences us, our genetic make up will rule the day. My stepson is an exact copy of his mother (not a good thing) even though he was raised by his father. He is almost 24, lives with his mom and doesn’t have a high school diploma. And has no interest in getting one. Drives me crazy.
Tori Says:
*hugs* Michelle! You’re so much better at this than I ever would be. I’m pretty sure I would be making that headline! At the very least I’d have been screaming bloody blue murder.
Suzanne Says:
Bummer. The hardest class I ever taught was a remedial class.
Danica Says:
Michelle, will you be my kids teacher?
Michelle Says:
Sharon–many new teachers are afraid of disciplining for fear their students won’t like them. My students don’t have that problem.
But when I was student-teaching, I found that the harder I was on the kids, the more they respected me and the more pleasant our environment became.
Rene–what’s scary is how so many kids are replicas of their parents and how rare it is to find a child who values education even when his parents don’t.
Danica–only if your darlings are sweet and lovable.
Bonnie Ferguson Says:
(((Michelle))) Teaching is such hard work and so often goes unappreciated
Crystal* Says:
They’ll learn. Finally. Hard lesson, that. That’s called parents slipping on their responsibilities.
HUGE HUGS MICHELLE! You cannot control the little minions and teach those who need it. You did the right thing. And God bless all you teachers out there who do. ‘Cause there are some of us parents that would give our eyeteeth for you.
Grins*
LauraP Says:
This is what makes you a great teacher — you care, you have the courage to discipline, and you check yourself and reflect on your effectiveness because you want to make sure these kids learn the right lessons. Trust me. Most of us parents adore teachers like you.
kacey Says:
Michelle, more teachers should discipline and follow through. And if the little darlings aren’t getting disciplined at home and think they are the center of the universe…well, someone needs to burst their bubble…:fryingpan:
Stacy Says:
(((Michelle)))
Brian Says:
I can tell you exactly what happens to those kinds of kids. They become adults who will decide that a business meeting is the perfect time to clip their fingernails. Or they not only leave on their cell phone during a meeting, they have the nerve to answer it disrupting everyone! Or they talk loudly to a neighbor during a speaker’s presentation. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have been in business/government and community meetings where adults have behaved worse than middle schoolers. You have my sympathy, but some folks are lost causes.
:batman:
Teresa Says:
Michelle, you did the best thing for your students. The ones trying to learn and the ones who needed to learn they can’t disrupt everyone else.
Missie Says:
Michelle,
I can’t imagine what it would be like to teach children that I couldn’t threaten with bodily harm. 
Hugs to you for being willing to teach other people’s children! :cheer:I homeschooled my son in first and second grade, and while it was a wonderful experience, I was glad when he decided to try school in third grade. Now here is a child I would give my life for, and teaching him sometimes annoyed the snot out of me.
When I volunteered in my son’s class last year as the reading mom to help out kids who had trouble, half the kids never did their assignments, and the other half did them, but so poorly and without parental supervision that it wasn’t even worth the time. It made me want to go kick some parental booty myself!