So, what kind of relationship should this be?

I keep hearing about 'relationships' between students and teachers that turn into criminal cases. My students have made it abundantly clear they want no part of me, and that's okay. Friendship is not why I'm here. however, lately I dread goinf to work because of how hard it is to just get the job done. Lessons are prepared, materials are ready, and provided, and there is no equal consideration from students. Try to enforce some expectations, and it becomes a major issue. try to get some help, and end up twisting in the wind.

I'm tired of being the odd man out, and also tired of walking around with a target on my back. Between students who threaten to harm a teacher and those who actually try it, with absolutely no consequences, it's become impossible to give the simplest of directions with any expectation of follow-through on their part. I've tried to point out that when a student is out of control, and we request intervention, it creates a dangerous scene to be ignored. What happens if that student who needs an intervention turns physically aggressive? They already know help isn't coming, and they've figured out that they can get away with anything they want. Parents freely refuse to allow teacher discipline like detention and isolation on team. Mind you, these are steps in the school discipline plan, not stuff we pull out of thin air. Any wonder they also believe they can interfere with administrative action? So, after a couple of positively miserable and crazy weeks dealing with behavior in the absence of support from either parents or administrators, culminating in a student attempting to knock me over, I finally wrote a letter laying out my concerns. It's not something that was fun, or easy, to do, but after the doorway incident, it was time to document the problems. Sooner or later, one of us is going to be injured by a child, and there's no way TPTB should be able to say they didn't know there was a problem.

Well, at least there was a response. It took the form of an invitation to meet with the boss and discuss the issues, with assurance that we can find “solutions”. So, today, I got an earful about how if I just had a better 'relationship' with the students, it wouldn't be so difficult. The most specific advice to come out of it was 'there are things you can do' differently, but no examples were offered in spite of requests for such. We need to be more positive, more encouraging, get to know the kids and let them know us. I'm not sure why that excuses not following directions and completing assignments. I do know how much they roll their eyes anytime I mention a personal experience or connection to our curriculum topics. Is it any wonder one would withdraw from that and stop offering those personal tidbits? I'm also not convinced it absolves them of responsibility for cursing each other and us, nor for assault. But, apparently, if I can just be sufficiently warm and fuzzy, all will be well. So, I'll put on a smile and give it the old college try. We'll see how it turns out. However, it rankles that this is painted as being entirely on me as both cause and solution.

Here's what I'd like to know

How, exactly, is all of this nonsense enforced? Why can't all of us do something like this to ensure work completion, civilized behavior, and general responsibility? I've yet to teach in a school that can actually require kids to complete homework, much less keep their hands to themselves or take proper care of schoolbooks. 
And, if flaming hot chips are addictive, sign me up, for heaven's sake. I could maybe enjoy a legal buzz.

BTW, where's the research showing that this approach is effective? Double-blind and all that.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/chicago-high-school-makes-190000-student-fines-bad/story?id=15758891#.T0QLTvXX_3A

Knew it would happen eventually

Yesterday we dismissed early for parent conferences. Kids were rowdy, and occasionally downright rude. At dismissal, I opened the door, and was nearly knocked down by one child who had been particularly vocal and aggressive. It was only a matter of time, the way things have been going, and there's sure to be more of the same if changes aren't made.

supporting the home language

Or, as some phrase it, "heritage languages".
I've seen way too many instances of kids who were afraid to speak in school because of a clear message from teachers or administrators that their language was not welcome. I even had someone in my school's office (teasing, I hope. I chose to take it that way.) say that I shouldn't be speaking Spanish with a parent in front of others. I just smiled and told her I'd set the ACLU on her...
Here's a nice rundown for encouraging parents to use the family/native/heritage language at home with the kids. http://blog.languagelizard.com/2012/01/11/supporting-bilingualism-4-reasons-parents-should-speak-heritage-languages-at-home/

ever have one of those days?

Wow, you can really tell that the full moon is nearly upon us. Paper flying everywhere, noise level beyond reason, sore throat from trying to be heard, and the most ridiculous of demands.
My apology to a parent was sent to the boss, labeled as 'sarcastic'. Guess there's no point trying to keep folks informed.
In the middle of all this, I have a set of graded tests that need to be recorded in the online gradebook, and never got to them... tomorrow's another day, I guess.

Grading policies, part 1

Many years ago, when I averaged grades for progress reports, (we did it manually back then. At least i had the benefit of a calculator.) I realized that one of my middle school students had a very low average. I think it was a 17. He had turned in almost no work, and all I had to work with were two papers. I think one was classwork and the other was a quiz. Poor dear, this was my first encounter with the I-don't-give-a-shit attitude. I went right to my principal and asked for feedback. She asked only one question: Has the student had the opportunity to succeed?(her emphasis, not mine) Well, of course he'd had the opportunity; he hadn't missed a day of school, he'd had the same opportunity as his classmates. More, actually, since he was repeating the grade. So he was getting a SECOND opportunity to show what he was learning. But, he refused to lift a finger. I was confused by the principal's question, until she followed up with a barely veiled directive to record a grade no lower than, I think, 60.
I was stunned. Literally could not form words. Here was a kid not doing a thing for himself, and I should had him a grade. That bothered me. It bothered me even more when I sat down to finish progress reports, and saw that some of my struggling students had done their bery best and were earning.... (wait for it)....
63. or less. This seemed to me a slap in the face of students who had actually done something for themselves, were at least making an effort, and here was their 'reward'. Almost the same grade they could get by doing aboslutely nothing.
Well, here we are, many years later, and a school district in the southern part of this state has codified a grading policy (now they describe it as a proposal, but that's not what a lot of their teachers and parents understood last week) that requires students not receive zeros, and failed tests must be re-taken. So, I don't have to do the work till I'm damn well good and ready, and I don't have to study for the test until I've seen what's on it, then go home and study for the 'retake'. The newspaper item is below, followed by  many, many comments. Read 'em all. It ain't pretty. Also a couple of news links from the community in question:
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/02/03/no-zeros-in-school-any-longer-but-arent-there-well-deserved-zeros/
http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/x2009900343/School-system-grades-policy-gets-national-exposure
http://valdostadailytimes.com/opinion/x1669710198/School-policy-fails-expectations