Being quite a young teacher, I still understand the ways kids are thinking, their habits, attitudes, and how they all change on the spur of the moment, just depending what is going on. Yet, they all seem so impressed when I catch them doing something, or not doing something. For example, I heard someone chewing on something today and told them to spit it out. Since I was not looking at them, they could not figure out how I knew they were chewing on something. They revealed it was sunflower seeds, so I told them to spit all of them out and empty their pockets. I got back to work on the board, not watching them as I figure being 16 years of age, I don't need to walk them to the trash. While writing, I heard one small thing fall in the trash and the student return to their seat. Without turning around, I told them to go back and spit them ALL out. Once again, they were so impressed that I could tell that without seeing them.
Like I said earlier, these kids think everything was reinvented by them, even though excuses and the same behavior has been around since before my parents were here. If they only knew the high school I went to, and what all went on "behind the scenes" there, they would quickly learn that they are not so tough, and "street smart" as they think they are. They have never been offered weed at school or taken shots on breaks at their lockers. Or have they?
Today I was in a hurry to get reading books to the boys and didn't want to put up with them slowly getting out of their chairs and walking to their bags, therefore, I went to their bags to get them for them instead. At the sight of me grabbing his bag, one student jumped up yelling that I had no business looking in his bag. At this moment, while it doesn't take a NASA engineer to figure out, I knew there was something being hidden that was not school appropriate. Possibly another knife to use on the teacher, or if I was lucky, a gun that would take care of me instantly, leaving no pain or suffering. By his startled reaction, I found it very necessary for him to stay in his seat while I searched. He found it necessary to try and get the bag from me, but once again I proved to them that they can not out power their teachers, or outsmart them. After a simple glare (This boy is the weakest boy in the class, and the biggest softy in the school. However, he tries so hard to act tough, but is only laughed at by his peers) he decided to back down and let me search.
Now usually, I would just do a brief, slide-my-hand-in-each-pocket" search, but I knew something was sitting inside waiting to be pulled out. Anymore, students' bags have about 30 pockets, just asking for them to hide something from a teacher, specifically a weapon. After opening pocket 29 I still found nothing and thought that I may have over reacted or over read his actions. However, I was not about to have another knife blade pulled out in my classroom. I don't need my face flashed around CNN for the next week. As I opened the last pocket, there was a strange little bottle sticking out. Now in Haitian culture, and possibly African-American as well, these young boys have just as many accessorizing bottles as girls I know. They all have lotion, hair spray, brushes and all, making my room turn into a beauty salon every day. I just figured it was another bottle of lotion, so I decided to put it down. After dropping it, I thought it would be funny to see what scent of lotion this boy uses, so I picked it up, unscrewed the cap, and took a whiff. After all my nose-hairs grew back and I was able to see straight again, I realized this was indeed NOT lotion, but a bottle of alcohol. When asked, they were all quick to respond the same name of the Haitian cocktail, but neglected to tell me any alcohol was present. I took it around to Haitian teachers and they were all in shock, knowing exactly what it was. A home mixed drink made with coconuts and other tropical juices and I believe vodka. When asked, he admitted he brought it to drink at lunch, but had no idea it had alcohol. Of course he didn't know alcohol was in it! Only the reason he admitted to stealing it from his parents cabinet. After a long talking to, and tears were cleared up, his parents were called to the school and I had a big meeting with his mother and him, as he stood with tears flowing out of his tightly clenched eyes. "You just wait till your dad gets home!" (Another similarity between cultures, or maybe the world. No kid in the world wants to be home when his father hears that he took some booze to school.)
While this was a very illegal move, the cops or authorities were not notified, but taken care of between the school, parents and myself. It is so weird to be part of, let alone in charge, of big issues like this, giving a very stern speech to a young man about how this could effect his life both physically and politically for the rest of his life. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in school, listening to motivational speakers talking to us after a huge party was busted. God has put me in some weird situations this past semester that I never thought I would be in. Yet, I am loving every minute more and more!
No comments:
Post a Comment