Grain of Salt...

What a day... I seem to say that a lot... along with: what a week!  Both are true... I have been a part of some pretty big meetings for kids this week and those are energy draining. One that was held today was for the kid I recently posted about, the high stakes kid... We had been having him attend the 'new' program for the last few days... and today's meeting had the potential to go either really well or really badly... depending upon that parents reactions..The part I was most worried about was that we had to revisit the reason for his most recent suspension and knowing the parents... was worried that they have had time to think about it and perhaps thought of ways to try to justify or defend his actions... but they didn't.... which was nice... we talked in the meeting about a lot of things and talked about the new program.. and in the midst of things one of the moms stopped everything and said that she needed to say something... in front of a room full of 10 people, told everyone how grateful she is for me, how much I care about kids, how willing I am to not let procedures and policies get in the way of what is best for kids.  She said she wants people to know that and that she intends to tell everyone in the district that they better do whatever it takes to keep me here.  She said that until this year she hated the school district and this high school and that she now, because of me feels totally different... It was an awkward thing... and other staff commented that I was blushing as I tried to change the subject and say that the credit was not needed that it is a team effort and that the student is my focus... but other people chimed in offering compliments... I recognize that I have spent a lot of time with this kid, trying to help this kid... but don't think that it is worthy of that level of recognition... and also know this parent... and the praise comes form her when things are good... and if things shift and go south... I could become public enemy number one... So..  tried hard to deflect the compliment...and yes I do take it in and accept the compliment... but with a grain of salt... I hope that I can live up to that.

What it did... though.. is make me realize that my gut continues to lead me in the right direction.  So.. I am going to trust it...

I am currently taking on a pretty huge issue... one that is in existence in many schools I am sure.  Kids using cell phones to correspond while in class... They also use their laptops for social networking, perhaps that will be my next battle... but for now... phones are my target... kids use their phones for many reasons... but the content they post in public forums like twitter is disturbing.  It ranges from perverse, to disgusting, to mindless... and it is distracting them from school... Much of the kid drama I deal with is pertaining to phones and social media... in a staff meeting last week I addressed it at a staff meeting, offering to help teachers who feel that they need administrative support ... and the response from teachers has been overwhelming.  Most are very appreciative...they feel that the kids have been given too much freedom with their phones... however.. there is some pushback... from the kids of course...resulting in this recent tweet: Maybe the new AP will quit next!  (Oh I should preface that with the news that my principal has resigned, effective at the end of this school year.. more on that later... or at a different time...)  So.. the kids think I am being unfair.  This is my process:  When a teacher gives me a name of a student who is too attached to their devices I call the student to my office, explain why it is not okay, (Most have admitted they use it too much!), tell them that another violation will result in having to give me their phone each morning and pick it up at the end of every day for a week... and if there is a violation after that there phone will be kept until a parent can pick it up and then will not be allowed at school... which would be hard to monitor...and then if it is seen again at school I will assign late night detentions (3 hours) for each offense after that...  that's the schpeel... then I call the parent and offer the same information... I think it needs to happen... and I think the staff needed someone who was ready to take this on... So.. there is a staff member who wants to meet with me to talk about it... about how perhaps I am overreacting.. how perhaps we need to let the kids take on the issue... I don't disagree that getting kids on board is a great idea... his thinking is that our kids are capable of making the right choices and we need to give them the chance to make the right choices.  I don't disagree.  However... if the kids were making the right choices, I wouldn't need to get involved.  This teacher.. ironically, is not offering the benefit of the doubt to me... he wants to make sure that in the process kids realize why it is important to make the right choices... ummm, what does he think I do? I talk about why it's not okay, I talk about how it relates to later in life when they have jobs and wanting to keep jobs... even in their current jobs... about how it impacts their learning AND the learning of others... So.. it will be an interesting conversation.. one that I think will need to be taken to a staff meeting at some point.  I also know that what he says needs to be taken with a grain of salt... he is a teacher whose classes are filled with students who are on the honor roll, who o not challenge authority... but.. my gut tells me that this is the right thing to do... and to his credit, the other assistant principal came to me today and said he wants in on the phone action because he is afraid for me, that I will become the bitch and become targeted by kids and by the parents who continue to enable... and wants to help carry that burden.. and he also believes that it is a huge issue... he deals with the same drama I do.. today he had an incident that involved hate speech via twitter... it's awful.. and it needs to be curbed as much as possible... I guess that it makes me think about how silence is sometimes a subtle way to approve what is happening.... if I am in a situation where people are talking about a topic about which I disagree... and I say nothing, I might as well be agreeing with them...
By not addressing the phone issues... I am almost encouraging them.. and I just can't do that.. not when I see the damage being done.

I am sure it is the beginning of a long road... but... I got my sneakers on and am ready for it!