Seven Weeks Revisited

On June 8, 2017, I had no intention of returning to the classroom for the next school year where I had a view from the back of the room for five years.  It had nothing to do with a six year burn out as I wasn't in this classroom for six years.  It was a simple decision, I didn't want to have a full time job as I approached my sixty-eight year of existence.  After having lunch with Gnu and listening to her concerns about her new position, in one of those supposedly much better surrounding schools, I decided to join her.  With that said, let's review my seven weeks of experience in one of the much better surrounding schools.

1. More screaming and crying in the primary EH room in one week that I heard in five years at my previous school.
2. Fed up with a secondary EH scholar constantly running out of the classroom and out the building during the second week of school, the scholar was sent to a behavioral health unit.
3. A middle school scholar, very disruptive, running out of the classroom, running out of the building, managed in the seven weeks period to get sent to a behavioral health unit three times.
4. A middle school scholar, in a fit of rage, sent a right hand punch to the left cheek of the school administrator.
5. A middle school scholar, in a fit of rage, despite trying to be contained by two adults, managed to escape the classroom and aggressively attacked adults.  This same scholar picked up the administrator, dropped the administrator on the ground and began punching.
6. A high school scholar was expelled for threatening the lives of an adult's children.
7. A high school scholar, caught again for fighting in the school, was expelled.
8. A high school scholar intentionally flashed a picture of a topless woman in my face, laughed at me and then showed a similar picture to a twelve year old middle school scholar.

Keep in mind, I'm talking about only being in the much better school in the surrounding area for seven weeks.  I'll also remind you that this much better school in the surrounding area has a home that I would say has a value of $750k right across the street from it.  So you can have a comparison of the two schools that I've worked at, on the right hand side of this blog is a picture of a home that is directly across the street from my previous school.  

My previous school, the one with the boarded up house directly across the street from it, has been labeled as being in a downward spiral.  My new school, in the much better surrounding area, with very expensive homes around it, should be the school of choice for Gnu rather that staying in her downward spiraling school, BULL.  

People like to take shots at my previous school and it angers me.  I spent five years in that school.  I watched dedicated teachers arrive early, stay late, come in on weekends to do their prep work, and stay long after school to show support for after school activities.  At one time or another I sat in just about every teacher's classroom and I saw first hand the effort that they put in to educate scholars that come from a low social economic background.  So, when someone, who is so misinformed about what is happening in my old school, states that I left due to burn out and that Gnu needs to abandon this downward spiraling school for schools in the surrounding area I got upset and fired with both barrels.  And you know what?  If it happens again, I'm going to reload.

The following conversations took place about two weeks ago.  Adult #1, "when can you come in for an interview?"  "How about Monday between 9:15am and 9:30am," I responded.  Adult #1, "great, see you on Monday."  I was sitting in the parking lot prior to my interview and was checking email on my cellphone.  Adult #1, "I can't meet you on Monday, I hurt myself playing tennis and will not be in."  Thinking to myself, "I drove all the way over here so I might as well go in so someone knows that I did arrived as scheduled."  When I walked into the office the administrative assistant was on the telephone and signaled me to have a seat.  As I'm sitting there waiting, Adult #2 approaches me.  As Adult #2 approaches I stand up.  Adult #2 gave me a hug and said, "it's so nice to see you, lets go to my office so we can talk."

I've been involved in a number of job interviews over my lifetime and I know this.  The interviewee should do most of the talking with the interviewer asking follow up questions.  In this interview the opposite was occurring.  The interviewer was the dominant talker and I just listened.  Adult #2, "let me tell you what we have going on.  This is happening on this floor and this is happening on that floor.  It's been pretty rough and we could use your assistance."  As I was sitting there listening to Adult #2 I was getting the feeling that Adult #2 would like me to start immediately so I said to Adult #2, "so you want me to start right now."  "Yes, in fact, follow me."  So off we went.  Adult #2 was in the lead and I followed.

It was only a short walk, probably less than I minute when we reached our destination.  Adult #2 reached out to grab the door handle and as she did so she looked up at me and smiled.  With the door opening, I think I had only one foot in the room when I heard a shout, "Mr. Schultz."  I looked toward the voice and it was Tourette and he was in a full sprint across the classroom heading towards the door.  When he reached me I got a big hug.  I looked down at Tourette and said, "you need to take a seat, you're disrupting the entire classroom.  As he walked back to his seat I stepped into the classroom.  As I looked around I saw Grr!, Huey, Whale, and S&T.  I also saw three scholars that I have never met.  Adult #2 (LittleBigB) made a brief introduction and departed.  I walked over to the teacher and introduced myself.  I also walked over to the instructional assistant and introduced myself.  I apologized to both of them for disrupting their classroom and said I was here to volunteer.  The teacher asked me if I wanted to start today.  I told her no, I would just like to sit and observe for a while.

The chair that I occupied in this classroom for five years was occupied by an adult who was assigned to one of the scholars that I never met before so I took a chair, placed it in the corner of the room, and sat down.  As I sat their observing the room started getting a little animated.  Tourette was involved and so was a student that I had not met.  Being a volunteer I just watched to see what was going to happen.  As I watched, Tourette and the other scholar started getting more animated.  Still, nothing was being said so I stood up, started walking toward Tourette and said to him, "you need to stick to your own business.  You know that is not how you are supposed to act in this classroom so get yourself settled down and get back to work."  I then made eye contact with Huey, Grr!, Whale, and S&T and said the following, "some of you have been in this room for a three years now and you know how to act.  Let's act right and get some work done."  When I returned to my chair the room was quiet.

I was only going to stay for an hour or so but ended up staying for most of the day.  When the scholars started rotating through their three academic stations I moved to my desk where I had a view from the back of the room and got to work.  At recess the instructional assistant took everyone outside.  As I was sitting at my desk the teacher walked over and said to me, "there have been days when it was hard for me to get the scholars attention.  When they started to lose their focus and act up all you had to do was stand up, say something to them, and they quieted down."  I looked at her and said, "you've only known these scholars for eight weeks. I've known these scholars for three or four years.  It takes time to build a relationship with them and that is what makes it easier to get them to stay on task.  I like the way you run this classroom, it's very similar to your predecessor, so you keep doing what your are doing and everything will work out."

I'm back in this wonderful school as a volunteer.  I arrive at 9:30am.  When the scholars leave for specials (PE, art or music) I relax.  When the scholars have recess and lunch I have an hour to myself.  When all hell breaks loose somewhere in the school I can't be called to assist as I'm just a volunteer.  I leave at 3:00pm which is an hour before the scholars leave.  That's a pretty good arrangement.  I'll think I'll stick around.



          

   

   

       

Post Departure Update

Before I get started I have to share with you some troubling news.  I've been diagnosed with an affliction.  It's an affliction that I'm familiar with but from what I can tell this is a very specific version of the affliction that may even spread to Gnu.  Before I get to the specifics of my affliction lets change the subject and talk about my former colleague.

A text message poured in from Gnu one day last week.  I was a little hesitant before reading the message as I knew she was working with "bat shit" scholars and I was fearful that it was more bad news but I opened and read the message anyway.  Paraphrasing, "I've just had a great week.  There were only a couple eruptions but I think the scholars are finally settling in and we are going through our academic work stations and doing academics."  I immediately texted her back, "that is great news."  Right after I sent the text message to Gnu I sent her a second text message, "is it alright if I call you?" The reply back from Gnu said, "sure." 

The cellphone only rang once when I heard the voice that I sat across from for over three school years say, "hey."  "I'm so glad to hear that things are settling down for you," I said.  "From the day I walk out the door I've been thinking about you and praying that things would improve."  "Yeah, it took almost eight weeks but things appear to be finally settling down," Gnu replied.  "I'm so happy for you," I said.  I've been feeling so guilty that I abandoned you and left you to deal with that nightmare of a classroom."  

As Gnu and I continued our conversation the topic changed and not for the good.  Gnu speaking, "did you know the high school teacher that you were supporting found another teaching assignment and quit?"  "No," I replied, "but I knew the teacher was looking and had two interviews scheduled."  "Well," Gnu said, "she is gone and now there is no teacher or instructional assistant in either the middle school or the high school."  "That can't be good," I commented.    "Do you remember the middle school scholar that had a major eruption that ended with him giving Czar an overhand right to the left side of her face," Gnu asked me.  "Yes."  "Well, this scholar had another eruption.  Adults were trying to keep him contained in his classroom but he forced the classroom door open despite two adults trying to keep the door closed.  The adults thought this scholar would attempt to run out of the school like he did the last time but he didn't.  Instead of running, he began attacking the adults.  The hallway outside my classroom was chaotic.  Adults were scrambling to get away from the scholar.  A couple of the little scholars in my classroom were crying.  I was so afraid that I locked myself into my classroom."

As I listen to this nightmare of a story I kept thinking about the decision to put so many scholars, from first grade to seniors in high school, with anger issues in such a close proximity to each other. 

Gnu continued with her story by saying this, "Czar arrived in the hallway and made an attempt to get the angry middle school scholar to settle down.  It didn't work as the scholar grabbed Czar, picked her up and dropped her onto the floor and starting hitting her."   

This is easily the worse incident that has happened in the five years and seven weeks that I've worked with scholars that have an emotional handicap.  As Gnu was relaying the story the thought that kept crossing my mind was what would I have done if I was still in the school.  I'm not sure what I would have done but I know this much, if this scholar, that is a little shorter and at about my weight, came at me in a fit of rage I would have defended myself and I wouldn't have been by using the approved therapeutic techniques that I was trained to use. 

I found out about my affliction in the strangest way.  It was so strange that I had to schedule a luncheon meeting with my friend A.O. of Vino, at the Metro Diner, to discuss the matter.  While we were eating, A.O.of Vino knew I was buying lunch as payment for his consultation services so he order a massive quantity of food, I logged into my blog site and showed him a comment that was left by anonymous directly on the blog website.  When he finished reading the comment I said to him, "can you believe it, I have the sixth year affliction."  "That's crazy," he said.  "I know, I responded.  "This is a sixth year affliction, not a first year, not a fifth year, not a tenth year, but a very specific sixth year only affliction." 

While dining I realized that I had been seriously misdiagnosed by anonymous.  In the past, anonymous told me that I worked in a school corporation that was "in a downward spiral" and I strongly disagreed.  Thinking that Gnu and I had just started our sixth year in the same school corporation and the fact that I had departed, anonymous told me that I had the "six year burn out which so many others have experienced."  Anonmyous went on to say that Gnu will be fine.  She should apply to one of the eight or so surrounding school systems.  This is what happens to most of these dedicated souls.

It's decision time.  Should I come out firing with one barrel of my shotgun or both?  Both!  Listen carefully anonmyous, it is impossible for Gnu and I to have a sixth year burn out which so many have experienced because we changed schools for the start of this year.  We are both at one of those supposedly better schools in the surrounding area.  I am not burned out.  I loved the school that I was working at and I enjoyed what I was doing.  I chose to not return to my old school for one reason, I'm getting old and I didn't want to work a full time job anymore.  Gnu, like me, loved our previous school.  She chose to make a change for two reasons.  First, the new school has child care services in the same building she is teaching in.  Second, despite taking a pay cut to switch schools she made the change because in the long run she will make quite a bit more money than she could at her original school.  So, to put an end to this downward spiral crap let me tell you this.  Three times at my new school I was asked I if preferred to work at my new school or my old school.  Three times I said as quickly as I can snap my fingers, I'd return to my old school. 

The end.  But I have more to say so stayed tuned.