Teacher Rants of a BT

High School History Teacher trying to make sense of the crap that happens in my school of employment

[moonchildmisadventures]

When students say they don’t want to do their work

[teacherrantsofabt-blog]

Teacher Appreciation Week

Last week was teacher appreciation week her in NC, apparently, we did it a week before everyone else. Who knows. However, my students surprised me and went above and beyond. I didn’t expect anything. I’m not the type of person that even expects any gifts, just a simple thank you or acknowledgment of the week would have made me very happy. Some of my students did this but some brought in little candies, cards with the sweetest messages, and gift cards for different places. I was moved with every token of their appreciation. I had to stop myself from shedding a thug tear once. This year has been rough for me. A lot of it has not been from my kids either semester. My juniors this year have not given me any kind of craziness, just regular teenager stuff that everyone knows they’re getting into when they start teaching high school. Lately, it’s just been getting harder and harder to let things going on outside of my classroom in the school affect my attitude in my classroom. Last week, and the students that gave me these little gifts and cards telling me that they appreciate me and my teaching lifted a huge burden off of my shoulders. You never know how much of an impact you’re are making until it is presented to you. It lifted me up and gave me the energy to face these last few weeks with the same attitude and vigor I did on the first day of class. My students are awesome.

[teacherrantsofabt-blog]

Me, a week before the test: Study for your test next week

Me, on Monday before the Test: Study for your test on Wednesday

Me, day before the test: Study for your test Tomorrow

Me: *Sends Remind message out night before the test at 6 pm*

Me, Day of the test: Alright put your study materials away and get ready for your test

Students: WE HAVE A TEST?!

[teacherrantsofabt-blog]

4/20 Play-ze It

Student: hey, can you play Bob Marley in class today?

Me: oh? any reason why?

Student: ...because, you know...

Me: ...Adolf Hitler's birthday?

Student: NO! it's like...you know?

Me: Bay of Pigs invasion?

Student: what? no, it's 4/20!!

Me: ...I know, the Deepwater Horizon blowing up really affected me too, but no. No Bob Marley.

Student: OH MY GOD NEVER MIND!

[teacherrantsofabt-blog]

Language Please

At the school I work at, as I am sure at other high schools, cursing runs rampant in the halls by students. Students conversation is a battle that I often do not intend to fight unless it inside my classroom. I get it, they are teenagers and you see it more and more everywhere you look in music, tv, at home etc. The *Bleeps* of regular society are becoming more scarce. It has become way more accepted to curse in conversation in public. I am no saint myself, away from work and in certain social situations. However, never would I imagine using curse words TOWARDS my parents much less IN FRONT of them even to another teenager. So this is my struggle, what has happened in the world where teenagers feel that they are empowered to curse at myself, other teachers, AND administration?! This leads to my first story of my blog. One day in the fall of 2016, I’m a first year, first semester teacher greeting my students as they come into second period. I begin to hear a LOT of F bombs from just down the hall slightly louder than the usual cursing and conversation of the hallway. I turn and look and there is a student speaking to one of our assistant principals. The student was loudly telling our assistant principal that he “...did not f***ing care”, he”... had a f***ing anger problem”, “call my f***ing momma” along with other phrases involving the same curse word, all in about the matter of 20 feet in front of me. They continued down the hall and presumably to the office. Now this I’m sure does happen occasionally across high schools everywhere. The difference in this case and what I would consider to be normal occurred the next day. I am again, greeting my students at the door as the come in for second period. The same student comes walking down the hall to his second period class who was across the hall from me. I look at my neighboring teacher across the hall and ask her “He’s back?” she replied, “I guess so”. A 17-18 year old student is allowed to use this type of language to an assistant principal out loud and in front of God and everybody. Then he is allowed to come back to class the next day. The message that was sent to an entire hallway of teenagers is that this behavior is accepted and tolerated in the school setting. So if a student curses out a teacher the teacher has 0 legs to stand on and defend themselves to administration. The school environment has now turned into “The AP’s let me do it what are you going to do about it teacher?” This has been happening since October… this is where I teach.