Being respectful shouldn't be too much to ask

I haven't updated in a few days because
1. I've been really busy, and
2. We had a few days off school for a "fall break," which, in Albuquerque, means the Balloon Fiesta.

School has been going well, but has also been a little crazy. Classroom management has been such an issue that it's more or less overwhelming our rehearsals. We have a lot of students with potential and talent, but they don't focus and/or apply themselves. They aren't mean kids, and they aren't angry, violent, scary, or another other "inner city" kid stereotype. . . they just don't know how to behave in school. Their parents never reinforced the importance of education (many find it completely unimportant, because they didn't get an education themselves) so the students don't find any value in paying attention or applying themselves. As a teacher, it is my job to show them the value, and this wouldn't be as much of an issue if they behaved well and were attentive. Of course, it couldn't be that easy. Most of their parents are basically MIA when their kids are at home . . . and since they aren't really being "parented," they aren't taught manners or respect. They have no expectations regarding behavior, language, or anything else. It's easy to get really frustrated, but sometimes the students legitimately don't realize that their behavior at a particular moment is distracting or inappropriate. It's glaringly obvious to me and sometimes hard for me to wrap my brain around, because my life experiences have been drastically different . . . but a lot of them never learned how to behave appropriately in school (or life), and, somehow, their previous teachers didn't reinforce it.

In order to teach under these circumstances, Mr. Johnson, my cooperating teacher at the middle school, decided that the most effective way to improve our music would actually be to improve behavior. Therefore, the band kids are getting graded on their class preparation, attitude, and participation. They can get a total of 5 points a day. If they don't bring a pencil, they lose a point. If they leave their music at home, they lose a point. If they're late, they lose a point. If they leave their instrument at home, they get a zero, because they cannot participate at all. If they have to be written up for any disturbances, they get a zero.

Behavior does seem to be improving. . . slowly, but if it's improving at all, that's okay with me.

Then again, there are some things that seem beyond repair. My (not)favorite 8th grade rock and roll student, the same one who tried to eat a glue stick, flat out refused to do any work in class today. I was handing out worksheets to the students who had been absent and when I got around to him, the conversation went something like this:

me: Which worksheets do you need?
8th grader: I don't want them.
me: Did you get them already?
8th grader: No.
me: Well . . .
8th grader: I don't want them. I'm not going to do them. They're just gonna sit there anyway.
me: Well, I'm going to give them to you in case you change your mind . . . and if you don't, then I did my part by giving you your work, and if you choose not to do it, the responsibility is on you.

There were two worksheets, a crossword puzzle and a word search. Really? Too much effort? Really?