I Can Read the Writing on the Wall

Well, since you've all been good, I will tell you that story about "the
writing on the wall" that I promised a couple of days ago.

At one of my schools long ago, we had an LD teacher who was a
little different. LD stands for learning disability. These kids have
been tested and found to have a measurable problem in some area.
It might be reading, it might be math, it might be both. The point I
am making is that this is just a normal cross-section of kids who
have a learning problems. They are not troublemakers. They
exhibit the same kinds of behaviors you would get from other
middle school kids who are not in that class.

Let's rename this teacher "Donna." She didn't quite fit in with the rest
of us, but we didn't really know why. She tried to make conversation
with us at lunch, and in the teachers' lounge, but we didn't know how
to respond to some of her comments. We did try to be nice.

One day Donna said, "I just don't know what to do. Every day after
the kids leave, I see that somebody has written "F*** me" on the
blackboard right behind my desk. I erase it, but the next day after
they leave, I see that it is there again."

Now how do you respond to something like this? We don't exactly
need to call in the CIA. You are an adult. These kids are 11-14
years old. How can they outsmart you every day for two weeks?
How can you not notice who goes behind you while you are sitting
at your desk? If you are out in the room helping another student,
how can you not know who is up and roaming around? Why do
students think they have the right to write on the board? Do they
do it because they think it's a joke, or because they hate your guts?

We all gave Donna our advice:

Don't leave the chalk on the chalk tray. Keep it in your desk.
Don't let anyone walk behind your desk.
Don't let anyone out of his seat without permission.
When you are in the hall between classes, make sure they all sit
down when they enter the room.

She must have solved the problem, because we quit hearing about
it. But then my two good friends and I would slap a hand to our
forehead when we did something really dumb, and exclaim,
"F*** me!" Donna didn't know. We weren't really making fun of
her. She just gave us a good saying to use.

So here's the point I'm trying to make: There comes a time when
you have to be able to read the writing on the wall. If you want
to be a middle school teacher, you have to be on your toes. You
have to want to join that circus. You must be willing to be the
clown and the lion tamer, to walk that high wire between "buddy"
and "prison guard." And if you slip, you must be willing to bounce
back up and learn from that mistake, and make adjustments. Not
all people are cut out for this job. If you can not control your little
corner of the Big Top, you can not contribute to the maximum
development of each little performer in the circus that is your
school. Kids this age are fighting for independence. It is a normal
phase of development that allows them to break away from
adult influence in order to become mature adults. They must be
guided in the right direction--not forced. If you can't develop a
comfortable, yet respectful, learning environment for them, you
should try a high school position, or maybe another line of work.

Donna should have read the writing on the wall.