Raw vs. Smackdown

No, this post is not about the WWE, its about enforcing my rules every single time. The kids are raw, and they had absolutely no problem saying and doing whatever they wanted to in class. This presented me with quite a big problem in keeping the class under control. And so the kids' raw behavior had a head-on collision with Mr. Madson's smack-down. They saw an absolute, iron-fisted enforcement of classroom rules and consequences as vicious, dictatorial rule in the classroom...at least at first. After a while, the kids that are going to screw around all the time EVENTUALLY chilled out, but not until they were sent to the office (sometimes on multiple occasions) and some actually got suspended from school for their disrutptive behavior. When they saw that Mr. Madson was actually capable of being a jerk to the disruptive kids, the borderline students decided that it wasn't worth it to cause problems in class. It wasn't worth getting in trouble to try to look funny or cool in front of the other kids. Sounds like a magic solution, right? As my buddy Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend!" The problem comes down to me being too *&#$ sick and tired of enforcing consequences and keeping track of writing assignments that are due and detentions and participation/behavior grades that after a while, sometimes it became an empty threat...which immediately made my efforts flawed and futile, which sometimes (most of the time) didn't fix a thing. As long as I was consistent, everything was smooth sailing...I just am not always able to be consistent...in which case, RAW wins out over Smackdown.

Classroom Management McBlog

Classroom management...hmmm...Follow Wong, do it every time, and it works. Sounds simple, right? Not so much. It takes a lot of patience and sometimes requires you to be an uncompromising, unrealistic jerk in order for the whole thing to work. My plan from the beginning of the year has gone through an extreme make-over. One day in a fit of rage I ripped my consequences off of the wall and changed them all on the spot. Now they get fewer warnings and more severe consequences. No more writing assignments (mainly because they were never done) and more zeros in the gradebook. As long as I am consistent, the program works wonders. Some of my rowdiest classes chill out almost overnight. 5th period is full of ridiculously disrespectful hellians, but even the most demonic could not overcome the angelic forces of Wong's methods of administering consequences and rewards every time. I'm impressed with its power, yet cannot force myself to do it every time. I find myself being leniant with the cool kids and being ruthless with the more disruptive ones. Not cool, I know, but it is so difficult sometimes...I'll get better...for the kids' sake, not so much my own.

From Buenos Aires to Tallahatchie County and Everywhere in Between

"Be Prepared."
Most of you can equate this phrase with the scouting movement in America, and as an Eagle Scout, it is a phrase I always try my best to live by. I didn't realize it at first, but I was more prepared for this job than I really thought I was. From the moment I decided to serve a two-year mission to Argentina, I knew that the experiences that I would have would be beneficial to me at some point down the line. It was an investment of my time, putting in two years of my life, primarily for the benefit of the great, humble people of Argentina that I grew to know, understand, and love. Nevertheless, it was also, to a lesser extent, an investment for myself. A smart investor is able to make a return on just about any kind of investment. Now, by no means do I consider myself an expert investor, but I'll have to go on record and say that I will NEVER make a better investment again during my time on Earth than when I served in Argentina...the profits are rolling in already. I can say with an absolute belief that my work in Argentina has prepared me for the arduous, grueling grind that we call the teaching profession. Does it make me a better teacher than those who have not had the same experiences? Absolutely not. But has it prepared me for this type of physically and mentally draining work? Without a doubt. Is the work now hard? Yes, but not as hard as in Argentina. Am I tired? Yes, but not as tired as I was after walking the streets in Buenos Aires for 10-12 hours EVERY DAY. Do the kids try my nerves? Of course, but that's nothing compared to the daily harassment (both physical and verbal) we faced from some of the people on the streets of Argentina.

Not only did it help prepare me for the trials of teaching (not just in a critical needs area, but teaching in general), but it also prepared me for the priceless rewards that teachers hopefully receive after tirelessly working long hours into the Mississippi autumnal darkness. I can still remember the looks of humble gratitude on the faces of all those people that I was able to help in Argentina, and I have started to get the same looks from some of my students whose trust I have been able to gain and have let their guard down to let me in as more than just another teacher.

I am so very grateful for the preparation that I received through my mission to Argentina. The rewards are endless, and I am reminded of that everyday I am in the classroom.