Mr. Schultz could you please go to.... What? It's just 9:15 and the scholars have only been in school a few minutes. I get Gnu's attention and tell her I have to go upstairs and leave. As I'm walking down the hallway I'm thinking to myself what is in room 216? As I approach the room there is an inclusion teacher standing in the doorway and I recognize that I'm about to enter Duck's room. Two steps into the room and I see Stretch with Duck nearby. I also see that Duck's room has been trashed. In fact I don't recall ever seeing a room trashed like this one. I look at Duck and say what do you need me to do? Duck makes a motion with her hand and I know the game plan. We need to maneuver Stretch into a corner and then get him into a safe place where we can contain him. The problem is there is no time out room in Duck's room and Stretch was extremely angry. We start to close the trap and Duck gets to him first. Stretch surprisingly offers little resistance and he is placed in a chair in the midst of the disaster he created. Duck is seated right next to him to stop him quickly should another eruption occur. I pull up a chair and sit about six feet from Stretch and then it starts.
In an animated voice I hear, I've been teaching for twenty six years and no one has ever trashed my room. No one, do you understand that? Look what you did. Never in twenty six years has this happened in my room. I've called the police and they are on the way. I don't care in a loud angry voice. I re-position my chair and I am now within three feet of Stretch. Still loud and angry, let the police take me to jail. I don't care. I don't care if I get beat up in jail. Do you know what you called me? You called me a bitch. Never in my twenty six years has a scholar called me a bitch. NEVER! Now visibly shaking, I've taught gang bangers in school and never did I have a gang banger trashed my room and called me a bitch. NEVER! My vision switches from Stretch and now I'm looking at the person who is the only reason I keep returning to this school. With PhD(*)Sparty gone this is the one person that I feel comfortable talking to when I'm struggling and I'm thinking I need to do or say something but what. I finally decide to suggest we change places but the police arrive. I've stayed with Duck way to long so with the police in the room I leave.
Later in the day I'm on the second floor and decide to stop by the ED room just to see how things are going. Sadly not well as Floss is standing just inside the room yelling at someone. As I step in the room he grabs a hardcover text book and throws it at Straw and CorP. They avoid the book and say nothing which is exactly what they should do and I'm so proud of them. I put my hand on Floss's should and say let's take a walk. He hesitates then turns and walks out the door mumbling something about a scholar I'll call AromeA. Taking the walk gets Floss calmed down and we head back to the classroom. I check with the teacher (I'll call her Knew) and she said they will be fine and thanks me for helping. Just as I turn to leave AromeA says to Floss as he is picking up his stuff you can have the time out room.
The day ended fairly well for Stretch. The police did not remove him because his Aunt came to school to take him home. I do believe that Stretch will be suspended for his behavior and so will Floss. The atmosphere in Knew's room is bad. Floss and Stretch are not compatible so the volatility between these two will continue until they are separated. Two years ago when Floss and AromeA were in the same classroom the situation was volatile and I saw for the first time that their relationship hasn't changed. The disturbing part for me is the length of time it will take for the school decisions makers to make a decision. The decision needs to be made now but sadly it may take weeks.
Scorecard update.
My Scholars
The Collector - 4th grade
Yo! - 4th grade
EM - 3rd grade
Uh-Uh-Uh - 2nd grade
The King* - 3rd grade
* Rapper is a mentor that works with The King
Guest Scholars
WhiteE - Kindergarten
Grrr! - 1st grade
ARomeA - a former scholar that I worked with in the 3rd and 4th grade, now in the 6th grade
CorP - a former scholar that I worked with in the 3rd and 4th grade, now in the 5th grade
Straw - a former scholar that I worked with in the 3rd and 4th grade, now in the 5th grade
The Staff
Gnu - teacher that I support
Knew - teacher, 5th and 6th grade
IvyL - behavior therapist
Oreo - behavior specialist
Duck - inclusion teacher for upper grades
The Big B - in charge of the school
Staff Emeritus
PhD(*)Sparty - a now departed behavior therapist who spent fours years at our school but more
important, my friend.
BaseG - a now departed teacher that I worked with and just as important as above, my friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment