Ricochet

It's conference week. That means long hours and stupid duties in addition to parent conferences.

One of those was meeting with rising sophomores and advising kids we do not teach on what they should take next year. Everyone had a time slot they had to fill and do this.

I showed up for mine. No Mr. Ego, who was supposed to do the same slot.

I worked for 45 minutes (out of an hour) by myself before he showed up. He said:

1) I forgot.
2) I had so many conferences it wouldn't have mattered - I couldn't have come.
3) I don't teach these kids,
4) Well, look - it's almost over.

I want to muy him a calendar = but don't want to waste my money.

One of my boys has given me grief all year long. His pants are down around his knees - but I get nothing but attitude when I say pull them up. He sleeps in class or cusses up a storm. I relish the days he is out. He tells me how much better teach Mr. Ego is "and he FAILED me!!"

I have simplified the repeater class so that they can pass.

I am not sure how this will work next semester with the state test, but I will figure it out before I get there.

Josh is passing my class. He finally realized it a week or so back. We have started playing games in this class to get them to do the work - and he is about the only one who sees the connection between playing the game and doing the math.

He stopped by to see me today just to talk. About what he wants to be. How he sees his life after high school. And I gave him a couple of ideas that we can pursue later to help him get there.

I feel connected.

The student has decided to come back to school. I was afraid it had something to do with Mr. Ego - she had him and has never been strong in math. And, yep, he told her she couldn't pass his class and wouldn't graduate.

I think she could pass his class. Well, she could pass the normal math class - Mr. Ego isn't normal. If she isn't willing to try - and he can be intimidating if you buy into his crap - I think she should use his class as a study hall for the classes that matter - or pitch a fit (like threatening to tell the school board what he tells his classes) and get transferred for the 7 weeks remaining in this semester.

What a jerk.

Mr. Ego continues to bury himself. He has now told his students that they should come to him and he will tell them, confidentially, why they don't want to visit the rest of us for tutoring. I guess he doesn't realize they are telling the other teachers what he says - or he thinks he can turn it into a he said, she said situation. Unfortunately, he has been asked to stop saying these things and persists, so the administration will have to get involved.

I had to meet with the admin over the special ed teachers because one of the ones I have will not meet with me and will not honor the accommodations we have for special ed students. Apparently I had a reputation with the admin for being unreasonable, because I watched her change her opinion as I talked with her. Last year, I kept trying to explain that they had given me a social studies teacher who didn't know math and kept trying to teach anyway. A really sweet woman, grandmotherly type, but she'd teach them wrong and it is almost impossible, without completely undermining her effectiveness, to reteach it correctly. And I think I succeeded in undermining her as a teacher in that class.

Did you know that (2x + 4)/3 = 2? I didn't, but that is how she taught things. I kept asking her to do administrative stuff (like the roll) or discipline and leave the teaching to me, but she kept teaching them wrong.

Now the teacher knows the material (I think - I have kids telling me she is telling them to add the checks and subtract the deposits on a check register) but will not meet with me and thinks the kids don't need to be pulled out for a test EVEN THOUGH THEIR IEP SAYS THEY HAVE TO BE because she doesn't want to walk them to her room. And I usually pull half the class so as not to single anyone out.

So now, we have to have real meetings with real agendas and documented, because she was unwilling to meet with me for 2 minutes a day and do her job.

I was told that she seems to be more interested in the curriculum than in the students. I can appreciate that, but I am not a special ed teacher and don't want to switch roles for this class.

I try to do the best for each student and differentiate, but I have a general ed position NOT the special ed one and I shouldn't have to be the one to leave my room to take kids Godknowswhere in order to fulfill their IEP.

It's going to be a long year. Thank goodness the other 2 are reasonable, decent professionals.

One of the members in the department is telling his students that they should only go to him for tutoring as the rest of us are incompetent. I have tutored his kids before - he is very rigid in the way he teaches and only accepts certain ways of working problems.

The rest of the department is turning his kids back when they come for help and telling them they need to go see Mr. Ego.

I rather enjoy helping them (as I have in the past) and having them yell down the hall (oh, we are so subtle in my school): "I passed because of you!

Kids don't like him (because of his rigidity) - does he honestly think they won't tell teachers they like better? Not me, but there are some sweet (and competent) people in the department.

One of the joys of team teaching is teaching with someone you respect. My Buddy taught a problem in a way I wouldn't have (but got the right answer). Then I worked it - and we talked about our rationale for choosing the way we had. And that this gave them a way to check the answers. That was unplanned but fun!