Wow

Well, this week has been a complete experience. I think my class has hit just about where it typically is (evidenced by some of the students comments and others actions). This week, fighting has been a norm, verbal arguments have been typical and I have felt like a manager of behavior trying to prevent fights rather than teaching. I had a breakdown yesterday and scheduled a meeting with my principal and assistant principal to discuss action steps because the class couldn't continue like it was. Two of my female students asked me at separate times:
1. Why are people so mean?
2. I hate coming to school because I have to deal with these people in the classroom and security is constantly inside.
I just hate the fact that I have 6-7 incredible students who come to school because they want to learn and I have not been able to fully teach them because I am managing the other 6-7 people in the classroom. So anyway, I relayed all this information and more to my principal yesterday and felt much better after I left.
Today, I dismissed half of the class for either classroom behavior (refusing to sit in their seat, rapping inappropriately-my vocabulary has been largely expanded, or just pure dis-respect) and the other half of class for fighting. Each of them will be having a parent-teacher-student conference tomorrow before they are allowed back in class. So, I hope that we sent a message to them today not to mess around and that class is for learning and for nothing else. It is seriously just crazy how short their tempers are and how inappropriate some of their language towards one another is.
But alas, I show up and I teach and I support and I am here. The end of the 1st grading period is next week and it will be a major wake-up call to many students in my class. They receive a grade for being on time and completing the warm-up and 95% of my students are NOT in class to do that warm-up which is pathetic that they don't care. So the average grade in each of my classes is a D......really sad.
Here is to Friday and hopefully the good that results from dismissing students from class for the day.