In which a student is suspended

So you may have noticed that I haven't really written about the new kids this year, yet. Hmm...I thought about that one and here's why: most of the kids are really good and I could just go on and on about them. Three of them are not. Three of them.....well, what can I say? I would take My Little Dear from last year over these three any day.

Honestly, the other reason is that it has been quite the crazy experience. I mean, you never think you will have the kids that you end up with and the crazy situation that happens. I know, I know! I am being vague. I had two kids come in new to my school at the beginning of the year-not siblings. One kid lived with mom, one with dad (the kids and mom and dad are not related at all). The mom was going to be marrying the dad and therefore kids and respective parent units all lived together in the low-income housing. I have nothing against low-income housing. It is a wonderful thing for some of the families that I teach and it allows them to come to a wonderful school. These two kids are the stereotype you hear about. Kid A and B are not happy to be in the same class, let alone in the same house. Kid A didn't want to even be in the school. Fast forward a week and a half and Kid A comes up and tells me that the mom had an argument with the dad because Kid B said that the mom was hitting her. So there is this big fight and the dad shoves the mom and then leaves. A little later, Kid B's aunt shows up and takes B away. Follow me so far? I won't be surprised if you're not following. So- one less kid in the class now.

So....I still have good old KA (Kid A). This child is a NIGHTMARE. Horrid. I am in tears after school by my second week. KA basically came from an "inner" city charter school. I am not happy with charter Schools. Not all are bad, but many are. This kid shouldn't even be in 5th grade based on the record the old school sent. KA's grades were not passing at the old school until MIRACULOUSLY the last nine weeks of the year. WHATEVER. KA is disruptive, cusses, disrespectful to everyone and just continuously is doing everything to basically take down all order in the class. KA is not the kid I want when I have two other KNOWN BEHAVIOR ISSUES IN THE CLASS! So KA just fires up the other two. *Sigh* So fast forward to the last week before track out in July. KA is starting to make progress, I am crying less, but every day I come home in a mood with a monster headache. Three weeks away from KA and the other two is great.

KA tracks back in and is somewhat better. KA's mother is somewhat responsive after something like eight letters home and KA's time spent in the office. The last straw came last week when I had a sub. KA, #2, and #3 were HORRIBLE! I thought the poor sub would never want to come back. God bless her, she is coming back next week. I love the sub. She is a saint. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Tuesday, when I come back, I yank #2 and #3 out in the hall and rip them apart. They both lose EVERY thing in the class. Their life for the rest of the week at school does not include: having recess, book buddies, special programs, a classroom job, and lunch with friends. They have lost it all. AND I called their parents AND sent notes home. They were both dumb enough to do this mere DAYS before progress reports came out. When I get to KA last (because KA spent the first half of the day kicked out into a co-worker in my grade's room and then the second half with the Asst. Principal and was worst of all) I take KA out and give a five minute lecture about the fact that KA is FAILING fifth grade. I mention fail no less than ten times. This really gets to KA. I then give KA very explicit instructions of what I expect so far as attitude adjustment, choices made, and grades to be earned, and lastly how to behave.

It worked! For about a week. Now- here is the clincher. On the one hand KA burns my behind. I HATE when a child will not even help themselves when they are fully able to. BUT, there are times when a child is able, but handicapped by the downfall of a parent. KA's parent "does not have her life together" to put it mildly. So, KA is a product of environment and lack of the nurture (I think) in some ways. Up until yesterday KA was doing great (for KA, that is). Turning in work, trying hard, asking questions, concerned about grades, etc. Then something must have happened in the home life because Wednesday KA was BAAAAAAAAD. Just falling to pieces in how to handle just about anything that KA did not deem important to KA. Yeah...so we made it through with the grand hopes that today would be better.

NOPE.

Today KA was suspended. The last straw was reached. At recess KA was cussing at the other kids the more the team KA was on was losing. It was reported to me right as I was getting ready to take them inside. KA's team lost and this sent KA over the deep end. SO angry was KA that a ball was kicked into the air and smashed into the fingers of an autistic student on the slide. MIRACULOUSLY, this seemed not to phase the Slide Boy any more than it really hurt and he yelled "OUCH!" KA proceeded to kick and lash out at any and all objects in the path to to door. This included the recess equipment another teacher was bringing out with her class. KA kicked the crap out of it, all the while smacking it into a staff member! No way was this kid coming back to my class. Too angry, too worked up, too many lines had been crossed. We walked to the office with the rest of the class. I bribed my other kids to be good with a promise of marbles for our jar (a class reward system) if they could get themselves to the drinking fountains, through the bathrooms and wait in line without being noisy. God lve those kids- they earned the marbles.

I sat KA in the lobby of the office and was fortunate enough to have my Principal standing in the front office. I told her the low down, she agreed and a referral was filled out. When I cam back up to the office with work for KA (as KA was no longer allowed in the class for the day) I found out that KA was being suspended for tomorrow.

I wish I could say I felt bad, but I don't. This needed to happen. I know that there is something else MAJOR going on here. I know that maybe, if I was a better or stronger person, I might be able to reach this kid and help him through his life. I think I did for a week there. But sometimes the environment that I am forced to send the kids home to is so far beyond my control and theirs, that as much as I do in one day or one month or one year....well, it's not going to be able to make it through the mud and crap and hurt that kids like KA endure. And, if I had any way to make it better (as much as KA is the thorn in my side at school) I would do it in a heart beat so long as it meant KA could have a real childhood and have a chance in life without the baggage of the parent.

So here's to hoping that, as cocky as KA was when the busses were being called ("See ya Monday!" KA nearly chuckled), Monday rolls around and is better. My fear is that it won't get better and KA will find himself kicked out of school. Keep your fingers crossed, though. I pray for next week to be a better week for him.