Middle Schoolers

As some of you know I often take in middle school students who need some place to go for ISS (in school suspension).  Most of them, actually ALL of the time, until today, I have never had a problem with any of them.  These students range from 6 - 8th grade and have normally committed enough small infractions that have led to their three day suspension.  Today I had a kid who has a notorious reputation for being a punk.  With that said, I always spend time with these kids to try to get to know them, to find out what their internal issues may be, so that I can help to point them in a different direction.  This normally starts with a few questions such as, "Who do you admire?", "What do you want to be when you grow up?", "What motivates you?"  I also always ask them what they did to get ISS.  If a students "doesn't know" what they did for ISS, then they're flat out lying and you know it will be difficult, but if the kid admits what he did they are generally willing to answer the rest of the questions I listed above and they are, generally, remorseful about what they've done.  My kid today was not like this.  Today was actually his second day in my classroom and I had no problems with him at all until this afternoon.  

Our school has a closed campus, which means (among other things) you may not bring certain foods on campus...things like candy, gum, and junk food.  We have several students who bring these items on campus and they are confiscated (when found).  Today this student was feeding my first graders "hot" Cheetos while we were walking to art class.  When questioned, he lied about it and it spiraled downhill from there.

To make a very long and angering story short, as he walked by a trash can he threw something from his pocket into the trash can (I was in front of him, so I couldn't see him do this, but I heard it and there was another teacher behind him who saw him do it.)  When I asked him what he threw away, he said, "Nothing."  Knowing he was lying, I went back to the trash and picked out his full bag of 'hot' Cheetos...to which he replies TO MY FACE, "trash digger."  When I asked him again what he said (because I was in TOTAL disbelief), he gives me this cocky sideways smirk and says, "I said, trash digger."  

OH MAN!  All I can say is I had to remind myself that I do have teacher's liability insurance...but even with that insurance, I would still go to jail for spanking this kid. ;-)

Clearly the kid has some other issues besides calling me a "trash digger" and unfortunately for him now, he as MUCH bigger issues for the 5 or so infractions he committed during this whole little tirade.  He's officially out of my class for OUT of school suspension, which for him could mean retention and/or summer school.

I did take 45 minutes after this incident to try to find out what is going on at home or in his life to figure out why he's this way.  He started crying, but wouldn't really open up.  Before I had to go things were pretty much calmed down and I asked him what he would do differently if he was given another chance?  He said, "Nuthin'".  So I asked him if he wanted another chance?  His reply?  "Nope."  So there we are.  I tried!!

So - praise God for teachers...but praise God especially for middle school teachers who put up with this on a daily basis, because it just re-affirms the fact that I couldn't do it.  I will take my little 6, 7 and 8 year olds and their peed pants, snotty noses, drooling faces, germy hands, (not to mention a plethora of WONDERFUL things too) ANY day.  I know that middle-school teachers say the same about elementary age teachers, but seriously...no friggin' way.  I'll coach them, I'll mentor them, but it would take ALOT for me to ever be put in a position to have to teach them every single day.  

That was MY day! =)  and it's Friday...thank God. =)