Jeff for America

In the magical world that is my school, things aren’t always rainbows and unicorns. There are days, like today, when I shutter to imagine life at some of the schools where my friends and roommates work. The constant interruptions, talking and glaring apathy – these are the banes of my classroom. In comparison to the violent outbursts and biting rhetoric of other students,  my classroom management problems are often low-key. Today was different. And by that logic, I guess today was high-key.

It started out innocent enough. My principal had requested a lesson about Haiti, its history and the current challenges it faces in the wake of this month’s earthquake. I obliged, and put together something pretty good, I thought. From the looks of the kids in my audience, you would think I was forcing them to re-learn the alphabet. Bored and disengaged, they fought with me constantly. They seemed to feel entitled to an easy day, as if Fridays were just thrown in for good measure. And it just got worse, and worse and worse. Until my homeroom returned at the end of the day.

There was an assembly downstairs, and so their usual elective was cancelled and replaced with homeroom. To them, it was free time. For me, it was time to learn. Am I stubborn? Perhaps. But I wasn’t going to give slack to a class that hadn’t earned it. In times like these, I wrestle with a feeling pettiness, wondering if my application of consequences to one class or student is really warranted or not. It can come down to just a few kids – the difference between my tolerance of disruptions and a complete meltdown. And this was a meltdown. It got to the point that I could barely finish a sentence without someone laughing or shouting. I paused. Remained calm. And went for help. Now, this isn’t my usual response, but I was tired and it was Friday. After the lecture by my principal, the detention list was finalized, and I just sat down at my desk and stopped teaching, well aware of the fact that they were no longer learning.

Days like this don’t come often (I’m thankful for this), but they hold value in at least making clear my limits. And I hope, rather than seem like I gave up on them, my students realize I expect more and won’t settle for less. Most likely they’ll completely have forgotten by Monday. I’m sure it was to them, as it was to me, just one of those days.

- Jeff