I hard a particularly unruly young lady that regularly disrupted my class second semester last year. Her situation is a difficult one: 5 sisters all with different fathers and her dad is the only one that wants nothing to do with her. That's tough. She gets to see all her sisters get visits and presents from their dads and she has to go without. Every we did free writing she'd mention something about wanting her dad in her life. Her mother is disabled so the girls are mostly on their own.
The point of telling that story isn't to make you feel sorry for this girl. Make no mistake about it, I disliked this student. Still do actually. We don't say hi or smile in the halls. I'm just saying her behavior didn't come from nowhere and it made sense.
After trying to talk with her, give her choices, and enforce rules, I was still making very little progress with this girl.
Where's the positive? This girl got so out of hand one day that the class united to correct her behavior. "Shut the F**K up! All he wants is to help you learn. This is interesting. When you act like this, it only hurts all of us, your friends, not him."
I was shocked to hear this slightly profane, but very accurate comment. What came next was amazing. 4 of my boys walked over, picked this girls and her desk, walked her outside the class, took my keys, and locked her out until she was ready to learn. What a way to take agency over their education. Once they allowed her back in, she was with the program.
Sometimes good advice is better received from peers. Didn't need a referral or an admin, the students had it under control even when I didn't.
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Positive 02: Students Understanding Goals
Positive 03: Food Adventure Negative 03: Mike Miles Quits and Nothing Changes
Positive 04: Social and Emotional Health Negative 04: Trouble with TEI
Positive 05: Trustees Stop By Negative 05: Student Mother Kicked Out
Positive 06: Supportive Principal Negative 06: A Bad Spot Observation
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The point of telling that story isn't to make you feel sorry for this girl. Make no mistake about it, I disliked this student. Still do actually. We don't say hi or smile in the halls. I'm just saying her behavior didn't come from nowhere and it made sense.
After trying to talk with her, give her choices, and enforce rules, I was still making very little progress with this girl.
Where's the positive? This girl got so out of hand one day that the class united to correct her behavior. "Shut the F**K up! All he wants is to help you learn. This is interesting. When you act like this, it only hurts all of us, your friends, not him."
I was shocked to hear this slightly profane, but very accurate comment. What came next was amazing. 4 of my boys walked over, picked this girls and her desk, walked her outside the class, took my keys, and locked her out until she was ready to learn. What a way to take agency over their education. Once they allowed her back in, she was with the program.
Sometimes good advice is better received from peers. Didn't need a referral or an admin, the students had it under control even when I didn't.
Related Articles:
Why Dallas Student Emotions Matter
Helping Dallas students understand their actions
Don't make excused for Dallas Students
Top Ten Positive and Negative Moments in Dallas Education 2015
Positive 02: Students Understanding Goals
Positive 03: Food Adventure Negative 03: Mike Miles Quits and Nothing Changes
Positive 04: Social and Emotional Health Negative 04: Trouble with TEI
Positive 05: Trustees Stop By Negative 05: Student Mother Kicked Out
Positive 06: Supportive Principal Negative 06: A Bad Spot Observation
Positive 07: Department Chair Respect Negative 07: Principals Lying
Positive 08: DISD Student Has Her Baby Negative 08: Parent thinks their child is stupid
Positive 09: Thanked by a Parent Negative 09: Blamed for a DISD Student Fight
Positive 10. Alex Hales and Retired Teacher Negative 10. Promising DISD Student Gets Pregnant
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