Thanks Admin, for Crushing my Spirit

Last week, I had a student come to class looking for a fight.  Why?  Because she had not turned in her book report and therefore, she earned a 0 and thus, an F for the 9 weeks.  Keep in mind, this was a project announced 6 weeks before, with many steps along the way.  But that's not the point.  The point is, she was mad and came into class ready to punish me.

For simplicity's sake, I think I will just cut and paste my "statement" written for Admin....

On Wednesday, November 3, 2010, J*** came to class very agitated.  Everything that I said in class was met with a disrespectful and/or combative response.  We were going to the library and so as we walked out, I asked her  if she was ok.  She told me she had nothing to say to me.  I asked if she needed to go to guidance.  I did this because after a similar incident with J*** the previous week during a test, Ms. Guidance Counselor asked me to please do this as a courtesy in the future when J*** got upset, because she has been working with J*** on controlling her emotions.  J*** refused to go.  I warned her that there would be consequences if she continued on with this behavior.  She told me that I couldn’t do anything to her and then walked ahead of me to the library.  Just in case, I grabbed a guidance pass before locking up the classroom.

When I found her in the library, instead of looking for a book, she was seated on the sofa loudly talking to three other students about the situation with the Book Report.  I leaned over and quietly told her that she needed to either go to guidance or I would call an administrator.  She stated that she wasn’t going anywhere.  I asked the librarian to call an administrator.  When J*** saw that an administrator was being called, she apparently got up and went to guidance.  By the time, Mr. Morale-Crushing Administrator arrived, J*** was gone and I briefed him on the situation.

J*** returned to class in no better frame of mind than she was in before.  Instead of doing her work, she had a printout with her grades in my class on it and was talking to a friend loudly saying “How can I have good grades in this class all 9 weeks and then fail because I didn’t turn one thing in?”  I gave J*** her work and told her what we were doing.  She resisted doing the work and argued with me.  I told her that we could talk about it after class but this was not the time or place.  J*** was very angry and aggressive.  At that point, I told her I was calling an administrator.  I picked up the phone and dialed and while it was ringing, J*** said something (and I can not remember the exact words) to the effect that she was going to punch me in the mouth.  “Mouth” is the only word that I remember for sure as being used—the verb is unclear, but it was clearly a physical threat.  I was so shocked and upset by what was such an obvious threat, I could not believe what I heard and I turned around and said,

“J***, what did you just say?”

She responded, “You heard me!  Why I need to repeat it?”

At that moment, I was so stunned I blurted out, “Because I was hoping you would have the sense to shut your stupid mouth.”

At that point, I stepped into the doorway to wait for an administrator.  

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Ok, was that the best thing to say?  No. But I had just been threatened and wasn't exactly thinking clearly.  At worst, I insulted this child.  I didn't threaten her for crying out loud.  The problem?  No one heard exactly what J*** said, but EVERYONE heard what I had said.  So  Mr. Morale-Crushing Administrator informed me that while they would honor my request to have this child removed from my class, she would receive no disciplinary action.  Why?  Because of what I said to her.

"So let me understand this," I said.  "You are not disciplining her because of what I said in response to an entire class period of unacceptable behavior?"

That's right.

"You are then sending the message to a student that if they ramp up their behavior to a level that makes a teacher lose it, there will be no consequences."

I disagree.

"Ok, so her defiant, disrespectful and disruptive behavior is considered acceptable?  Because if that's what you are saying, then I'm not sure I can let this go."

Ok, fine.  I'll give her 2 days of ISD <In School Detention>.  (By the way, I am not sure this ever happened).

I was somewhat satisfied at that point, but more than anything, deeply disturbed by the lack of support I had gotten from Admin.  Did I  mention that this child had been kicked out of school the year before and had to go to "Community," which is the county high school for the kids who are a discipline problem?   But, she gets the benefit of the doubt instead of the teacher....that makes TOTAL sense. 

The upside to this, if there is one, is that I found out that I was not the exception, but the rule.  Across the board, I had teachers of every age, color, subject and teaching style come tell me similar stories. I also had their total support.  My Department Head (who I am totally in love with now) as well as my mentor (who was assigned to me when I started my job), totally went to bat for me with Admin.  I could feel the love and it helped alot.  But the "Us versus Them" atmosphere is disturbing. 

My mother told me how sad she was that I was teaching "in that kind of school"--meaning one full of poor, minorities.  They aren't the problem.  Its Admin., and I could have that problem at any school.  So now I know.  Document everything.  Watch my mouth. Expect no support.  Most important--I broke down and joined the NEA (National Education Association), because apparently Admin. is less likely to mess with you if you have a national organization with free lawyers behind you.  

Live and learn... Sigh...