First Days

The first day of school was a minor disaster.  My computer refused to turn on even though it worked fine the day before and the week before that.  I called the tech guys, and was on the phone on hold as my 1st period class was wandering in.  At 7:54, while I'm still on the phone, the mom of my student with autism walks in to chat.  Class starts at 8.  She's talking to me.  The tech guy is talking to me.  I'm trying to make sure the students know where to sit and what to get out.  I have nightmares like this.

I have to chastise two students for being on their phones and threaten to take them away if I see them again.  I choose to ignore the eye-rolls for now.

I have to have a stern conversation culminating in this speech with another student:  Tomorrow, when you walk in the door, you either need a schedule change for me to sign or a behavior change.  Your attitude today was completely unacceptable and will not work in this classroom.

And, in a get-to-know-you session, my freshmen homeroom largely had a good time.  Except for the guy who sat on top of the chair back with his ipod blaring.  When I asked him to sit on the seat and remove his ipod, he said in his best I'm-a-freshman-smartass voice, "What if I don't?"  ... And, I admit it, I laughed at him.  To his face.  And replied, "Then you go to the office for defiance.  That's a really stupid thing to get in trouble for on the first day."  Thankfully, he was smart enough to see the sense in that and complied.

Troubling, but not a behavioral problem, is the other freshman wonder who told the class that his fun facts about himself are his love for grape-flavored food and his HATRED of cops (Caps his).  He then told us about a couple of run-ins with the police.  All before the tender age of 14.  All things he could have prevented.  And this week, I had them dream about their ideal futures.  His stopped at 16 with getting a driver's license and "pimping out" a short bus to ride with his friends.  Everyone else wrote about exotic adventures, having families, dream jobs.  The only thing this kid could muster for a job was professional thief.  I tried to talk to him.  I doubt I got through.

But after the first day, we settled into a groove.  My defiant kids stopped eye-rolling and started participating and (gasp) laughing at most of my jokes.  My excited kids are still excited.  The beginning of the year is a good time.