20 days down, 172 more school days left. Aargh!

It's time for a confession: THIS IS HARD!
I knew it would be hard adjusting to a new curriculum and new lingo, etc. I was even looking forward to that challenge. Well, it's certainly a challenge, and I'm barely keeping my head above water. I feel like a new teacher all over again, having to reinvent everything, and spending 20-40 hours outside of school time trying to figure things out. Sheesh. I had a cushy job at Alder Creek, working part time. I had my curriculum pretty organized so that it didn't take too long to plan units that I'd done before. Why on earth did I want to leave that sweet situation and start over? I must have been nuts.

On top of that, I'm having trouble with classroom management. I was NOT prepared for this to be an issue. At Alder Creek, I controlled my classes pretty well. Even kids who misbehaved in other classes (like Gio ... remember him?) were good for me. I rather prided myself on my excellent management skills, especially with boys. OK, it's true I had one class in '03 that was a nightmare, but out of eight years teaching, that's not bad. Unfortunately, my history of successful experiences left me unprepared for this. I did't have a discipline system (like points or checks or whatever). I never needed one. Oh boy do I need one now.

These kids are younger (12), more immature, and lower ability than what I'm used to. Furthermore, what used to work for me in the States, doesn't work here. Sometimes the subtleties don't transfer, sometimes the humour doesn't work, sometimes it's just because they're used to people being firmer and more dictatorial. I don't really know what it is. In Oregon, when I said "OK, that's enough. Quiet down," they did. Why? Why did they obey me? They could have just ignored me and turned the classroom into chaos, but they didn't. It's a mystery. Anyway, I'm having trouble finding the right approach. It's been 4 weeks and I'm still flailing around. Because, as I said before, IT'S HARD


FINALE: This should be entertaining. I had an astonishing incident with one boy on Friday. He had been quite naughty, had been sent out of the room that afternoon, and had filled out a "think sheet" about what all he'd done. I made him stay after school for a few minutes to call home. He was crying about having to call home, and pleading for another chance, and telling me that he couldn’t call because he had to go pick up his sister at primary school. When he dialed, there was nobody there and no message machine. I let him know I would have to call his mum that evening.


Here’s where the story gets interesting: Someone phoned me at school about 30 minutes later.

Voice: Mark told me that he had been naughty today and he is being punished. He is in his room.

Me: Is this Mark's mum? (I’m thinking this lady sounds really young and immature. She didn’t even say who she was)

Voice: Yes

Me: Good. I wanted to speak with you about his actions because I wasn’t sure if you were aware of his behaviour at school.

Voice: Yes

Me: ? Yes you are aware? (I’m thinking she communicates somewhat awkwardly)

Voice: Yes

Me: Actually, I made him call home today after school to tell you about his behaviour, but nobody was home at the time.

Voice: Yes, he had to go pick up his sister at primary school

This is where I realize it’s actually MARK on the phone (!), impersonating his mum. He used the exact same phrase about his sister with the exact same lilt and the exact same intonation, same accent, same everything. But I can’t bring myself to accuse “her” of NOT being Mark's mum, so I just say that I’ll call again that evening to go over more details. “She” insists she won’t be home that evening (choir practice) and that we should talk now. Also, that she knows what he’s done and that he’s already been punished. I decline to continue the conversation, saying I don’t have time to talk now, but I would ring later and talk to “Mark's mum” (letting him know that I’m aware of who this really is). I hang up.

I was absolutely flabbergasted that a kid would impersonate his mother! I can't believe he would call a teacher and try to engage in an adult conversation and think he would sound like a mom. I don’t know what kind of rule violation this is, but it seems pretty serious to me. (I would never tell him this, but you have to admit, it takes a lot of guts to do this at age 12!) It also makes me very concerned about what kind of scams he will be trying at age 15 or 20…

PS I've actually had a boy try to impersonate his mother once before (Gio) but it backfired because I was calling his mom to tell her how good he'd been. I remember the "mom" sounded like she was stoned or something because all she said was Yeah and Huh and grunts like that. Once he found out I had good news to share, he couldn't tell his mom about it without admitting he'd intercepted a phone call intended for her. Ha.