MTC First Year Summer Survival Kit

Ben has requested that we blog this month about what incoming MTCers should know about the program before they arrive. So here's my compilation of a combination of some very good advice and some very important truths I've come to realize in my nine months in the program:
1) It will be said to you a thousand times during your two years, and it will be true each time -- this is the hardest thing you will ever do. The hours suck, the stress is at times unbearable, you feel separated from your friends, family, and at times the rest of the world, and you're doing a thankless job for (mostly) ungrateful people. But it's worth it. Even though I complain probably more than my fair share, it's still somehow worth it. Even when I go through the three months without a real bright spot, the one student who comes to me and tells me my understanding while his father attempted suicide and his mother was evicted helped him out erases the previous months.
2) You can't do it alone, and don't try. One of the biggest assets of the program is the people involved. Take advantage of them. Go to the socials. Play frisbee (although be prepared to bring your A game). Live with roomates (for God's sake, please don't live by yourself -- anything to curb the depression that will inevitably take place). Talk to Ben, Dr. Mullins, or other people who have experience. Keep in contact back home.
3) This job will consume every ounce of you. I can remember having nightmares before I even started teaching about losing control of the class. Nine months later, I still dream about my students. Even when I'm on vacation, I can't ever fully relax because I'm worried about how I can get studens who are failing to pass or I'm worried about how I'm going to keep my students awake and interested during Macbeth. It never leaves your thoughts.
4) Laugh. A lot. You have to. The girl who cusses you out to your face -- that's funny in retrospect. All the crazy things you'll here come out of your kids' mouths is funny, although it may not appear that way until afterwords. The vulgar notes you take up, the inefficiency of your administration, the modeling squad show that the students will miss 4 days of your class for -- while all of it is frustrating, aggravating, and completely ridiculous, if you can't laugh at it just a little bit, then you won't survive. Which leads to the next piece of advice...
5) Don't think of it as survival. You are in control of your classroom. Your rules are not inane, stupid, too hard, or unreasonable, despite what your students say. If you let them know about it, then stick to it. If you go in thinking "I have to survive" then you're looking at things the wrong way.
In all, think of it as any other experience. Go in impressionable and flexible, but stern. Have fun with it -- remember, they're just kids.

At a loss

So one of the students that I took up to Ole Miss in the fall came to talk to me after school the other day. He missed the first two weeks of this semester because he was sick and he missed all of last week, so he was trying to get caught up. He explained to me some of the home problems he had been having lately: He went to Texas for Spring Break to see his sister and his neice and nephews, but was called back to Jackson because his mother was evicted from her house and was apparently sleeping on the couch in the front yard. His father had walked two days to Jackson to be around his family so he could commit suicide. My student had to talk his father through the aftermath. He's also worried about his mother because she's having an affair with a married man, but whenever he tells her she's in a bad relationship, she yells at him. He originally planned to move to Texas after this year to start fresh (because of his grades and some problems he's having with people that live around him), but now he found out his sister (the only stable relative in his life) is being shipped to Korea. He said he and his brother like to get out of the house as much as possible because their mother cusses them out a lot, and so they hang out with an older crowd. He admitted they're both on drugs, although he's quitting because he plans on going into the army. He feels pressure to keep working at his job to help his mom out with the bills, but he really doesn't need to because his grades are slipping. He's worried because he has his sister to pay for a lot of his possessions, but she's leaving, his mother can't, and he doesn't know if he continue helping support himself, his mother, and his little brother. He's seriously considering dropping out, although he was one of 3 students to test higher than a 12th grade reading level.
I didn't know what to do or say except tell him I'd work with him and gave him my numbers at home and my cell so he can call me if he needs to talk or wants advice. I was at a loss for words, trying not to show emotion so that he wouldn' t either.
It's so hard to hold him to the same expectations academically in my class (which now seem so trivial, comparably) knowing this about him.

More Confusion

My school is so disorganized at times. Recently, the administration has been calling the students from certain classes to lunch 15 minutes early every day. That means I have to start cutting my lessons short every day during 2nd block. There's no explanation why it's being done, but I can assume it is an effort to move the lunch line faster so we can have more instructional time (ironic, I know). We are also losing more and more time as state tests approach. In one particular class, I had a student miss five straight class periods (2 weeks straight on our schedule) because she was in "Tutorial." The students in this class are Honors students and very few, if any, were in any real danger of failing the state test, which is considered by far the easiest of the four. I think I created an enemy with the teacher when I wrote a letter to the administrator letting her know that these students were missing my class consistently and not turning in any of their makeup work (the students assumed since they weren't in class, they didn't have to do it). The most recent example is our exam schedule. We were told Friday afternoon after school (when everyone was leaving) that we needed to look over next week's exam schedule. Because district nine week tests are being given, the administration decided to readjust the schedule for the entire week. I consider myself of moderate intelligence, but I have no idea how the hell I am supposed to read this schedule. It's extremely hard to plan for the week when I don't know when, if, or for how long I will see what classes. To compound the problem, each of my classes are at different points in the curriculum. Due to remediation days (yes, we have entire days where the SATP students are in the auditorium for 6 hours doing remediation), basketball playoffs, and one of my personal absences, each of my classes is doing something different, making it very tough to figure out what to do to get them caught up and finished with the information before Spring Break. I guess all I can do is wait it out and count the hours down until Friday.
On a lighter note, I'm so excited about 4th term. I may be completely off-base here, but my understanding is that 4th term consists of sitting with your homeroom for hours on end completing makeup work and crossword puzzles while different students come in and out of tests. I know it sounds like I'm a little too excited about the lack of learning I'm anticipating, but I'm so tired of planning all the time (and the grading that comes with it), that it will be so relaxing just to sit and listen without instructing for a while. I really hope no one bursts my bubble by telling me I've been competetly misinformed, but that's my plan for the next nine weeks. Well, that coupled with the occasionally student-teacher basketball game.... which reminds me, I need to start practicing.

Too lax?

So lately I've found myself having some interesting confrontations with some normally good students. These students aren't necessarily being disruptive or disrespectful, but they are exhibitng some odd behavior. I'd probably have to attribute it to my repoire with the students: I still feel like I'm being firm, but I'm becoming more and more of a smart-ass. Just making wise comments all the time. I can't help myself. But I think one of the effects is I'm indirectly telling my good students, hey, it's okay to slack off and goof off a lot as long as Mr. P's in a good mood. I'll give you an example. The following as an essay a student turned into me recently. All English students in my district were required to write about "An Embarrasing Moment." This student, who I can only describe as Dwight from "The Office," is normally a good, motivated, albiet a little strange, Honors student. Needless to say, I was shocked and even more amused when I received his essay (all grammatical errors have been left unchanged, and I have included what I wrote on his essay):

As I search the archives of my memory, I can only recall my most embarrassing moment. I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

It all started during Thanksgiving Break. I was going to KU’s SuperStore to buy a new outfit when I saw Mr. Pollard. I walked over to him and was surprised to see him dressed like a pimp. “Mr. Pollard, is that you?” “Stevie, nice to see you player,” he said. “Mr. Pollard is the name I use when I am in school dog, but outside of school I go by another name,” Mr. Pollard said. I asked, “And what name is that?” He said, “A Pimp Named Slickback!”

I said, “Alright Slickback!” “No, it is a A Pimp Named Slickback!” “That is what I said,” I said. He said, “It is A Pimp Named Slickback.” I said, “Alright, you are a pimp and your name is Slickback,” now aggrevated. So I walked off, bought my outfit, and went home.

Later on that day, I was playing some basketball with my boys. My team was in the lead by then points and only needed on more shot to win. Then it happened: A Pimp Named Slickback showed up and distracted me. That was the opening Paris, who was on the opposing team, needed. He came up behind me and pull down not only my pants, but my underwear too. Everybody on the court saw what my private parts looked like. I was so embrarrassed, I could not take it. My anger for both Slickback and Paris consumed me like wildfire. I pounced on Paris with vengence in my eyes, and merciless beat Paris senseless. I took all the guys to pull me off of Paris. I then stormed off towards Slickback, and punched him out. I figured he was angry at me for not getting his name right. At the end of the day, I was more embarrassed than angry for one reason: everybody including the girls saw what my private parts looked like. Then my phone rang. It was everybody from the basketball court saying it was cool and promising not to tell anyone what happened. The girls did say I had a nice looking package though.

The End

Stevie –

This is very creative and amusing; however, I’m not quire sure this is appropriate for and English class, especially the last line.

I don't know if I'm going to continue with my current attitude in class or not; I really don't think my classroom management has become less consistent, but incidents like this make me wonder if I'm not sending the wrong message.