Now that I get a new set of classes for this month, I’ve got the “joy” of teaching some of the students my foreign coworker has been complaining about for the past year. While my absolute least favorite students I gave him last year haven’t returned to me, I’ve got new, annoying students for at least the next month. If they last that long.
One of the students I learned about has done an amazing job of getting every teacher in the school to loathe him in a single month. He joined for intensive classes this winter, and by the end of the first day had teachers wanting to toss him out of class.
That’s amazing considering I work with people with the temperament of Ghandi on most days. Not me, of course. I carry a large stick (literally) and do my best to scare the crap out my students on the first day. It takes them a few weeks to realize I don’t hit anyone, and by that time they are out of my hair.
Of course, this student was in a class with several underachievers. This week my director implemented a seating chart to separate the boys and girl students into alternating rows. They should act as a “cootie barrier” preventing they students from coordinating their mischievous behavior.
We’ve also implemented a new bus schedule which has not gone over well. In ever class I teach, anyone dependent on a bus has a 50% shot of arriving on time, or 20 minutes late. This will be sorted out, eventually, but right now it’s a huge headache. Students attending classes for the first time don’t know that they have assigned seating. I have to make them go to their correct seats by pointing them to a seating chart posted outside the classroom. This is doubly annoying when class is in session.
The Winter Intensive Baddie was assigned a seat next to the door, which I really have to wonder was thought of to spare back of the teacher that eventually does grab him and throw him out of class by his ears. Until that time happens, he’s able to grab the door whenever anyone comes in and out of the class.
One of my new students arrived late in a class filled with that really bad student from Winter Intensive class. I escorted this new student to the wall chart posted to the right of the door. I had one foot in the door, one out. The Winter Intensive Baddie tried to grab the door and lock me out. Instead, the door hit my foot. He continued to try to push the door closed from his seat.
This would be cute if, say, a seven year old student tried this. He’s in 5th grade. I pushed the door back open with one hand, gave him a “What the hell?” sort of glare, and went back to showing the boy the seating chart.
The boy, not knowing when a good joke has worn out it’s welcome, grabbed the door AGAIN and tried to use the door to push me out. I’m twice as tall as he is, and he thinks lightly pushing on a door with a hand is going to send me flying out of the room? Did he think that if he locked the door I’d be helpless and unable to get back into the room?I gave him an exasperated, “You’re this dumb?” look and pushed the door back open.
Normally, when a student tries to get the upper hand on a teacher, the other students appreciate the effort and laugh or smirk at the least. The entire class was giving this boy a look that seemed to say, “STOP IT MORON. YOU’RE GOING TO PISS HIM OFF.” Not even the other bad students thought it was funny.
When I finally grabbed the student from outside, I caught the door shutting AGAIN. Messing with a teacher on your first day three times? You’ve GOT to be kidding me.
“Are you in fifth grade, or does this mean you are five years old? What does this say in the attendance? Oh, this has to be a mistake. Fifth grade? Really? No way.”
This student is combative with EVERYONE. It’s pretty clear this student is trying to raise enough hell to get kicked out of school. I’ve been teaching students like this for years. If I get creative enough, he’ll WISH he was in my coworker’s classes from now on.
