Week 6...

And yes, I will post pics of NYC...once I download them onto my computer...

So, my week...being a four day week...ceases to be exciting and adventuresome. Leigh says to me this morning on my way to school..."wow, I feel like PE is always an adventure." You better believe it!

Yup, my week started off with learning about the student's god-brother who was shot and killed. We started our tennis unit. We gave them the pre-assessment. They fought it like cats and dogs. If I had a quarter every time they said, "but this is gym!" ay ay ay! Yes, as if I didn't know it was "gym", as they call it. We took them out onto the tennis courts. We have two courts that are fenced in together that is about a block away and then one court that is down the hill a little and fenced in on it's own. So, it is very difficult to use all three because they are too separated. It doesn't really work unless you have one of us on each court. The kids are excited for tennis. They have had a good time. We are introducing a lot of new things to them in "gym". They are not used to being accountable for things in PE. So, they got their pre-assessment. We are doing a program practice sheet, which they also have never had before. There are just lots of new things for them and they are resisting it. However, I don't really care. They need to learn and get used to it. It is apart of their education and can help them into their adulthood.

We had PSATs as well. We didn't have students, so we got a lot done. We have really been working on catching back up and getting organized. since Nicole was thrown into so many things we have been behind trying to come up with a curriculum. We are really trying to get organized with grades and everything else. We are finally starting to get on top of things, which is a really nice feeling to say the least.

We had the "bathroom" incident with the mean kids and the poor girl. We had that class today again. The kids were not punished. The incident was reported to the administration and they have not followed through as of yet. Very disappointing. So, all four kids were in class today. The poor girl did not participate, she sat way up by herself, kept her headphones in and didn't look at anyone. My heart went out to her. I felt so bad for her. One of the kids started talking to her and harassing her again and making fun of her. the poor girl can't catch a break.

I have a student who is staying home alone while his mother is in El Salvador. Now, his aunt is sick, who lives alone, and he needs to take care of her and get her her medication. Anthony told me today about the candle light vigil for his friend Smoke. The vigil was great and everythign was going well up until some people from a different "hood" came. They weren' ttoo happy about the intruders participating in the vigil and so they started to fight. Apparently they kicked the blankety blank out of the intruders. As they were beating the trash out of them they other group started firing. So, on top of everything they started shooting. Luckily nobody got shot. Can you believe it! He said as proud as he could to me, they just wasted their bullets! ay ay ay! you would think they woudl learn. I looked at him with a huge look of disappointment and said, "Anthony, violence is not the answer, it is NEVER the answer."

Nicole has strained her back in someway. THey doctor doesnt' really know. It is from overuse with all that she does. She has definitely over done it since she started working at WIlson. So, she could not make it to school, to say the least, she couldn't even get out of bed. On my way to school I had to come up with a lesson plan for the health class. The class went surprisingly well. There were a lot of students that weren't there. Derrick, Antoine, and Anthony were all present...they all came in fashionably late as usual. The warm up question today was, where do you see yourself in 5, 10, and 20 years. Derrick said he sees himself being successful, with a nice home, job, career, and two kids and maybe a wife. Anthony wants to be an NFL star and successful. Interesting that the things they want are to succeed but what they realize is that their behaviors now are going to lead them to work at Derry Queen the rest of their lives, or suffer from some sort of premature death.

Derrick is finally realizing he needs this class to graduate and he needs to up his grade. Nicole has been working with him and getting him to do some make-up work. For his birthday she got him a cup-cake and he was so happy with that. He even emailed her and thanked him. He came into class today and was GREAT. I was so proud of him. He said he was going to come in, do his work, adn be good. HE was just that. He struggled a little. I had to talk to him a few times about being quiet, etc. He participated, was happy, did his work...it was great. I thanked him and told him I appreciated the way he was acting and I thought he was a great kid. Antoine stayed in class the whole time but struggled quiet a lot. He has a hard time focusing and staying on task. Everything distracts him. Anthony also can't sit still. He is somewhat of a clepto and has to touch everythinggggggggggg. he made it through the entire class as well. We had to have some serious chats, some..you are going to get written up, I am sick of speaking to you. He also participated. He wrote things on the board and he presented in front of the class. The class started out really well and then they struggled. They have a hard time to not talk. I have a hard time stopping them from talking. Then they all feel "singled out" because everyone else is tlaking. I can't talk over them. they don't hear, pay attention, or respect enough to stop. Anthony is wanting to go out for the swim team. It is crucial that he is on the team. Otherwise I feel like it will reassure his "failure, no good" stereotype of him. He has to ahve a 2.0. I don't know what his GPA is but I am pretty sure it is not close. So, it was a constant reminder that he needs to do his work and get goign to be able to get on the swim team. He stayed after class, during lunch to continue his work since he didn't do it during class. He didn't want to do it but I kept telling him and talking about these are his decisions and he needs to do this so he can have and do what he wants, so he can succeed and get out of his screwed up life. So...today...health was a struggle as usual but I feel like we are making small improvements and progress bit by bit.

PE is a different story. I yelled at my kids today several times. They drive me crazyyyyyyyyyyy sometimes.

Ms. Oates continues to talk to me about hiring me on. She wants me to get hired on as a full time sub. So come January, the next semester, I would take one of each of their classes. I woudl have 4 classes adn they would be my own, only under one of their names. That way I work everyday, full time, and am getting paid a subs pay. So, we will see how that goes.