A Window into the Classroom

I intended on having a good day.
My first class began well, the kids read their books, did their work. I walked the room, confiscated a few rubber bands. There is an ongoing war between some boys in my class- their weapon of choice is rolled up pieces of paper shot from rubber bands. Yesterday I declared that all rubber bands would from now on be confiscated. The boys groaned, but got back to work. During third period a boy who gets teased all the time finally had enough, he got up and cocked his fist like he was going to punch a female classmate who had been teasing him all morning, whispering "Ray-ray" over and over. I pushed him into the hallway, told him to go to the Dean. The kid's eyes were watering up. He wiped them with his huge T-shirt that read, "I got out of bed FOR THIS?" I was still trying my best to have a good day.
After lunch I saw Billy's class. He asked me if I still had his folder. I told him I'd look for it. "You didn't throw it away did you?" He called out. A few minutes later the Dean came to the door and called him into the hallway. I didn't see him again. A few minutes after that the Principal came to the door with his supervisor, someone we see on rare occasions. He told me to step into the hallway. The supervisor asked me about some work I had on my bulletin board. She didn't want to know what the assignment was or how well the class was reading, she wanted to know why I had work from November on the board. "
"What time frame would you like to see?" I asked.
"Only January," she said. We are told that bulletin boards are windows into the classroom; some people can't see beyond the glass.
"Well, as you can see in this kid's reading log, this project began in November and ended last week. That's why there is some work from November and some from January."
She told me to note that when I write what the "Task" was. That's all she wanted to know. I thanked her and then returned to my class.
My last class of the day started well. Mario wasn't there, maybe that had something to do with it. Even when he showed up halfway through the period he sat and seemed to do some work, but by the end of the period he was arguing with a girl in the class, threw a pen in her face. At the end of the period I walked the girl to the Dean , explained what happened. The girl was crying. The Dean shook his head, "What are we gonna do with this kid?"
Am I the only one who wanted to have a good day?

Comments

[Ms. Chalky Talk]

Just out of curiousity, was anything done to discipline the girl who had done the teasing? Especially if it had been going on all morning? And this boy is teased "all the time"? Why is it allowed to go on?

[He Who Can't]

I spoke to the girl, not that she is the only one who teases this boy. When I said, "all the time," I should have amended, "recently." The boy is sullen, withdrawn, difficult normally. Parental contact has affected him little. The past week or so the rest of the class has really been on his case.
I have found that teasing, especially at this age (11-12), is a difficult problem- like bullying. Some kids get teased, some don't. Some kids actually encouage teasing.
Finally, as a teacher you should also know that what goes on in your classroom is not always what you would "allow to go on," it just is what it is.

[Ms. Chalky Talk]

I agree with your last statement. I am having a problem in one of my own classes with a boy who gets teased often, to the point where I consider it bullying. I am having a hard time catching the teasers "in the act", so to speak. Many of the teachers in my school seem to feel that this boy "asks for it", and so do nothing even when they KNOW who is teasing him. The emphasis in your post seemed to be on disciplining the boy, but I am glad to hear that that isn't necessarily the case.