School Daze

When I was substitute teaching, I made the comment to a friend that I didn't even remember having a sub in school - except for one time in 5th grade when our teacher had to leave early every day for a period of weeks. The vice-principal - whose name I can't remember but I can picture him clearly in my mind - came each day for the last hour and closed the blinds, turned off the lights, and read us "Wind In the Willows."

The book didn't seem as charming and compelling when I perused it as an adult. Or when I tried to interest my own children in it. But I loved it in 5th grade. Maybe it was the dim room and the vice-principal's very dramatic voice and intonations.

But I digress. My friend said, when I made my comment, "Oh Barbara, don't you remember how we used to make that one sub cry?"

I was flabbergasted. I had no memory of it at all.

And so when I observe middle school students daily, I wonder if my memory is very selective.

For example, my room was moved from the main hall to the edge of the lunch area. I hate this location - I truly do - hate's not even a strong enough word - I despise it!

Why? Because when I come back from lunch each day, I have to step over a trail of tossed baby carrots (why the cafeteria gives little bags of carrots to students is beyond me - all they do is throw them at one another), smashed plastic containers of salad, rivers of chocolate milk and half-eaten hamburgers, burritos and pizza slices.

These kids just leave or toss food on the walk way in front of my room. I really don't remember kids doing that with food. But maybe I never went in the lunch area where kids did that.

And so many kids just don't do their work. You say, "Do you have your homework?" And they say, "No." And you say, "Why?" And they say, "Because I didn't do it." End of conversation. At least a third of my students say that on a daily basis. We use all kinds of behavior modification techniques - I randomly give treats to those who do their homework. Or punishment to those who don't. Nothing changes.

My friends all did their homework - maybe I just didn't hang around the kids who didn't do it. I don't remember teachers asking for it either though - maybe I just tuned out when the teacher harassed those slackers who hadn't done their work.

(Which reminds me of a story I've told many times about a 2nd grade teacher Harry F. had. I thought she was terrible - we were new to Monrovia so I didn't feel brave enough to go complain so I worked in his classroom all the time to be sure he wasn't ever the victim of her wrath! A few years later I was in Ralph's and ran into someone who also knew her and we talked about how the district had put her in an "office job" since she wouldn't retire. We went on about how bad she was. Later Harry said to me, "I liked Mrs. Atwater." And I said, "But she yelled and screamed at kids in class." And he said, "Only the ones who deserved it!")

And kids routinely are out of school for a week or even two weeks at a time - to go to Europe or Arizona or Mexico or Disneyland - you name it. They are out random days too - for all kinds of strange reasons. (I know I will incur the wrath myself of some parents who do this - I used to do it myself, but think differently about it now that I am on the other end.)

Nobody did that when I went to school. But maybe the rich kids I didn't hang around with did.

I guess I'm saying that maybe things haven't really changed all that much. Maybe school has always been like it is now. Maybe I'm just more aware. Maybe I'm just looking at it from another perspective.

And that is probably the truth. For example, I used to keep Bonny home from school to babysit sometimes. She always assured me that she wasn't missing anything important at school and I was usually desperate. Now, I regard kids who are absent for any reason as a pain in the neck!! It is the biggest hassle to put together make-up work for absent students - and my classes are small. It must be a real headache for general ed teachers who see 150 students a day.

And it is so discouraging to see a student who is failing or getting a D just because he or she doesn't do their homework. It makes me want to do away with homework and just grade kids on what they do in school! (But the truth is, we don't have kids long enough each day to teach them all they need to know - they have to do some of it on their own.)

But I can't think of any good excuse for throwing food around. I have complained about it a lot - now I think I am going to take pictures of it and send them to OSHA or something.

That might do the trick!