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FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!

Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?

Friday, February 8, 2008

Some decisions are permanent

Of everything you did last week as a teacher, what would you do differently? Why?

This week, one of my at-risk students finally erupted in the classroom. Up until that event, I had been treating him with "kid gloves" and nurturing him along by showing him a little extra attention. I knew that he needed this kind of attention to keep him on-task and less disruptive. He finally took advantage of some of the extra privileges that I had bestowed upon him. All of a sudden, he felt like he was above the shop rules for safety and had a violent episode in class with another student. I knew that the student was having a rough week but I could not allow his behavior to go unchecked. I gave the student a choice to sit down or to involve an adiministrator. He chose to see an administrator and I did not back down from the choices that I had given him; we (the student and myself) discussed the incident with the assistant principal. The student was reprimanded by the administration and was promptly given a consequence for his defiant behavior. I regret that the student made that decision because two days later, he dropped out of school. Although I do not feel fully responsible that the student withdrew from school, I do feel as though I could have handled it differently; I'm just not sure what I could have done.

4 comments:

Johnny Jackson said...

Don't blame yourself it was probably a long time coming. I've had some of the same feelings. An administrator told me sooner or later, if I was gonna stay in teaching I had to come to terms with the fact that you can't save the all.

steve said...

Gary,
When you gave the student the choice,you put the ball in his court.Instead of making a go of it he decided to walk off.Johnny is right you can't save them all!

Connie said...

Gary, I think you did exactly what you should have done. You gave the student a choice. He made his own decision.

One time an RVI teacher told me that we just could not help them all. And that if a student had already made up his/her mind that he/she was going to leave school, that about all we could do was help them out the door.

And it sounds like this student had already made his decision. He knew exactly what the consequences of his behavior would be. He wanted to quit school. So he did.

Maybe in a few years he will get his GED. But only he can make the decision to make positive changes for himself.

I don't think there was a thing that you could have done differently to help this student.

Perry said...

frequently when i would tell a suspect that i was going to charge someone with a crime they responded, "Why are you doing this to me?" i would tell them they are responsible for their actions..seems like a fitting response to this post as well..our school even has a few posters on the wall with phrase..i want to get that painted on my wall over the door