Well that's an image I'll never get out of my head. One of my girls, on the ground, convulsing.
It was this gorgeous Thursday afternoon. I was out on the back sports field with my girls' team that I help coach. We were having this light, easy practice. I looked away for a second, and then I hear one of them cry out: 'Miss, she's having a seizure'.
I ran to her. I usually have to run out to someone at least once per game; someone got kicked in the head or the wind knocked out of them. But this was very different.
I'll call her Lindsey. Some of the girls had seen her fall to her knees, and then to the ground. They assumed she had fallen down laughing. But another girl, Katie, had recognized what was going on. (She's in my class, and we had actually just been discussing epilepsy and seizures the previous week while studying 'The Lord of the Flies'.)
We put someone's jacket under Lindsey's head. She was rolled on her side and one girl was gently cradling her head so she wouldn't hurt herself. Thank goodness Miss T was there with me. She knows a lot more than me about injuries and medical things. She stayed with her while I kicked off my flimsy work flats and sprinted back into the school to find a phone. It was nearly 5:00, so the school was virtually empty. The main office was dark and locked. I grabbed my cell phone, a package of Kleenex, and a water bottle before running back out to her.
While I had been gone, Lindsey had had a second, more violent seizure. She had started really flailing around and a little blood was coming out of her mouth. Miss T had found someone else with a cell and had already called 911. We kept passing the phone back and forth between us. That was the first time I'd ever spoken with 911. The man on the other end was very calm and professional. I was trying to pretend to be calm in front of all of the other girls, some of whom were quietly crying and hugging. Those poor girls, some of them had no idea what a seizure was or what was going on. The few who were gathered around Lindsey were being so sweet and gentle with her as she slowly came to.
We called Lindsey's mom, who thankfully was only a few minutes away. The approaching sirens could be heard within moments, and a few of us ran out front to guide them back to the field. Poor Lindsey was crying, scared, and disoriented as they put her on a gurney. Her mother drove up and came over to us. She was also extremely calm, and even comforted a few of Lindesy's terrified friends. I took the mom's cue - if she could be this calm, then we could be too. I had known from her medical record that Lindsey did have some kind of seizure disorder, but that she hadn't had one in quite some time.
Lindsey went off with her mom in the ambulance to the nearest hospital. Miss T and I were then left with 20 traumatized, shaken girls. We explained how Lindesy had had seizures before, and that they look much scarier than they actually are. I described them almost like a brain hiccup.
We all went home. I emailed Lindsey to say I hoped she felt better soon, and I could talk to her teachers if she needed a day off and had to miss any tests or anything (at this time of year, all the students have a million essays and presentations due). But I was delighted when I saw her back in school the very next morning.
Lindesy has been on my team for 3 years. You develop very different relationships with your students when you're coaching them rather than teaching them. It's a much closer, more casual relationship. Other teachers and coaches will understand what I mean when I say I feel incredibly protective of all of my students (all 150 of them!).
It was a scary little incident. But at least it mostly only appeared to be scary, and she wasn't really in any danger.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Teacher Clothes
These outfits are pretty representative of what I wear to work at this time of year.
Something short sleeved, whether a cottony shirt or something button-up. It will be either a solid bright colour, or some neutral stripes.
If the neckline is just a bit too low, then I add what we call at my school a 'teacher panel'; a camisole or shirt underneath to hide any cleavage. Can't be teaching teenage boys with any cleavage popping out.
Sometimes I'll add a pinstripe vest, a blazer, or cardigan. The climate is so different in the school from room to room, so the layers are necessary.
Then there are work trousers, or walking shorts, or occasionally a skirt.
I'm on my feet ALL day long, so flats or similarly comfortable shoes are a necessity. I own shoes very similar to these 3 pairs.
Then I usually add a long necklace or a silver cuff bracelet or a headband or something like that.
Nothing too exciting, but that's what I feel comfortable in. My style is generally more classic/casual. I shop at mall stores like RW & Co, Le Chateau, Smart Set, Jacob, Costa Blanca, and of course H&M.
Sometimes I'm shocked at what other people deem 'work appropriate'. Obviously it depends on the workplace. No one wears a suit to work at a high school - our dress code is 'business casual'. But I've seen teachers come in wearing old jeans and tank tops. I only wear jeans occasionally on Fridays. The phys ed teachers are given more leeway, and they mostly wear track pants and t-shirts.
I try to take care with what I wear, especially being a younger teacher. When I started, I was sick of hearing, 'you could mistaken for a student yourself!'.
I wish I was more stylish sometimes. I have a colleague, Miss E, who has the best sense of style. She somehow has the ability to walk around the halls all day wearing high heels. But at least I'm better than Miss Tank Top.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sad Student Story - Jewel
I still see Jewel (obviously not her real name) around the school. I taught her a few years ago when she was in grade 9. She'll definitely be one of the kids I'll always remember.
For the first two weeks of grade 9, she was strangely silent in class; never interacting with any of the other kids and putting her head down on her desk instead of doing her work. I went to go look up her student record to see if it had any useful information about her.
I've seen some horrifying student records before - details of abuse and crazy parents and terrible behavioural problems. One kid had been to 12 different schools by grade 9. Another record told me about a murdered father.
Jewel's record was probably the worst I'd ever read. A student record usually contains old report cards, correspondence between parents and the school, records of any suspensions or expulsions, details about any learning disabilities or health problems, all kinds of things. Her old report cards weren't anything too strange - comments for years about her being withdrawn and quiet in class. But then I found an old letter from her mom to her former elementary school explaining why she couldn't take the bus with the other kids.
When she was very small, she had been abducted from a bus and sexually assaulted by two men. A lot of her problems had started after that. I hope she was too young to remember anything.
I tried for the next few weeks to develop a relationship with her - and it worked. She was a natural writer, and so she liked English class. I would praise her writing. She started sitting closer to my desk at the front, and would shyly talk to me after class was over. She never spoke to any of the other kids.
Her mother came in once for a parent-teacher interview. Ugh. I had a much better understanding of what Jewel had to deal with after that. Her mother kept trying to turn the conversation to herself whenever I would start praising her daughter. She would tell weird, unrelated anecdotes from her life, acting as if talking about her talented, smart daughter was the most boring thing in the world.
Jewel began to confide in me more and more. She told me about her family. I told her that with her brains, she could some day get a job and move far, far away from anyone she wanted. She replied, "I know, miss," in a painfully wistful tone.
Since she was a great writer and had a lot of emotions to vent, I encouraged her to keep a diary, but she said she couldn't because her mother would search her room and find it. I suggested she keep it in her locker, and she looked thoughtful.
After that year, I still saw her in the halls and sometimes we would stop and chat. She told me all about her biological father reappearing all of a sudden. It reminded me of that Babysitter's Club movie from the early '90s: her father found her online and made her promise not to tell her mother she was talking to him. That is not the type of stress a 14 year old should have to cope with.
Now she's older, and I wonder what she'll do with her life. Her marks have started slipping as of late because she finally made some friends. Now she hangs out with people at lunch, instead of sitting in the stairwell by herself doing her homework.
She's a strong girl who has been through too much already. She's almost done high school by now; she's nearly old enough to move out and away from her mother. I hope she'll be happier.
For the first two weeks of grade 9, she was strangely silent in class; never interacting with any of the other kids and putting her head down on her desk instead of doing her work. I went to go look up her student record to see if it had any useful information about her.
I've seen some horrifying student records before - details of abuse and crazy parents and terrible behavioural problems. One kid had been to 12 different schools by grade 9. Another record told me about a murdered father.
Jewel's record was probably the worst I'd ever read. A student record usually contains old report cards, correspondence between parents and the school, records of any suspensions or expulsions, details about any learning disabilities or health problems, all kinds of things. Her old report cards weren't anything too strange - comments for years about her being withdrawn and quiet in class. But then I found an old letter from her mom to her former elementary school explaining why she couldn't take the bus with the other kids.
When she was very small, she had been abducted from a bus and sexually assaulted by two men. A lot of her problems had started after that. I hope she was too young to remember anything.
I tried for the next few weeks to develop a relationship with her - and it worked. She was a natural writer, and so she liked English class. I would praise her writing. She started sitting closer to my desk at the front, and would shyly talk to me after class was over. She never spoke to any of the other kids.
Her mother came in once for a parent-teacher interview. Ugh. I had a much better understanding of what Jewel had to deal with after that. Her mother kept trying to turn the conversation to herself whenever I would start praising her daughter. She would tell weird, unrelated anecdotes from her life, acting as if talking about her talented, smart daughter was the most boring thing in the world.
Jewel began to confide in me more and more. She told me about her family. I told her that with her brains, she could some day get a job and move far, far away from anyone she wanted. She replied, "I know, miss," in a painfully wistful tone.
Since she was a great writer and had a lot of emotions to vent, I encouraged her to keep a diary, but she said she couldn't because her mother would search her room and find it. I suggested she keep it in her locker, and she looked thoughtful.
After that year, I still saw her in the halls and sometimes we would stop and chat. She told me all about her biological father reappearing all of a sudden. It reminded me of that Babysitter's Club movie from the early '90s: her father found her online and made her promise not to tell her mother she was talking to him. That is not the type of stress a 14 year old should have to cope with.
Now she's older, and I wonder what she'll do with her life. Her marks have started slipping as of late because she finally made some friends. Now she hangs out with people at lunch, instead of sitting in the stairwell by herself doing her homework.
She's a strong girl who has been through too much already. She's almost done high school by now; she's nearly old enough to move out and away from her mother. I hope she'll be happier.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Prying Their iPods Away From Them
Don't get me wrong; I do love my iPod. It's an older one, a big old 30 GB video model. I listen to it on my long subway commute everyday. I have like 3,000 pictures, 1,400 songs, and a few videos on there. 
I'm on the older end of this Techie Computer Generation. I grew up with a computer. In high school, I played a lot of DOS-run "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" and chatted in Prodigy chatrooms. I went through university using early Wiki and Google. I had cell phones (big clunky ones) and handheld video games (I still have a Nintendo DS, which also helps on those long commutes).
But I do NOT understand the utter dependence some of my kids have on their earphones. (Don't even get me started on them and their phones - texting each other to meet up in the bathrooms, taking pictures in class, even flat-out answering the phone in class! Phones and portable video games could be whole other entries). The school policy is no electronic equipment during class time or they are confiscated until the end of the day.
Some deterrant. Every single day, I am plucking earphones out of their ears, or spotting that tell-tale white cord sneaking up their neck from where they have so cleverly hidden it under their shirt. They moan and argue and whine about how much they 'need' their ipods. Some say
the music helps them focus. Many of them say, "But miss, it's not even on!" So why keep them in your ears?
And it makes me think of my own reliance on my portable music. As soon as I slide into a subway seat, turning on my ipod is the instinctive next move. Since when did the relative peace and quiet of listening to our own thoughts become so unbearable? Why is there the need for that constant background noise?
I'm on the older end of this Techie Computer Generation. I grew up with a computer. In high school, I played a lot of DOS-run "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego" and chatted in Prodigy chatrooms. I went through university using early Wiki and Google. I had cell phones (big clunky ones) and handheld video games (I still have a Nintendo DS, which also helps on those long commutes).
But I do NOT understand the utter dependence some of my kids have on their earphones. (Don't even get me started on them and their phones - texting each other to meet up in the bathrooms, taking pictures in class, even flat-out answering the phone in class! Phones and portable video games could be whole other entries). The school policy is no electronic equipment during class time or they are confiscated until the end of the day.
Some deterrant. Every single day, I am plucking earphones out of their ears, or spotting that tell-tale white cord sneaking up their neck from where they have so cleverly hidden it under their shirt. They moan and argue and whine about how much they 'need' their ipods. Some say
the music helps them focus. Many of them say, "But miss, it's not even on!" So why keep them in your ears?And it makes me think of my own reliance on my portable music. As soon as I slide into a subway seat, turning on my ipod is the instinctive next move. Since when did the relative peace and quiet of listening to our own thoughts become so unbearable? Why is there the need for that constant background noise?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A kid in my class had a knife today
Two actually. And I didn't even know it until I saw him being lead out of the office in handcuffs hours later.
My grade 9 class was being particularly bratty today. Individually, they're some cool kids. But put this particular combination of 27 fourteen year old kids together in a small room, and it often makes for 75 minutes of exhausting chaos.
Anyway, we were taking down a note, going through a review for a quiz they have next day, when one of the hall monitors comes to the door. He asks if one of the boys (I'll call him Wade) could gather up his things and go with him down to the office. So I go and tell Wade, and remind him of his quiz next day. He knows he's in trouble for something, but doesn't do the usual eye roll and "Ohh man," kind of look that most kids get when they're being escorted down to the office.
He goes, and I promptly forget about it. There were several kids who had been suspended this week for not having their inoculations up to date, so I just assumed that was his story too.
But a few hours later, after school hours, I was in the main office. Two police officers walked past me and went into the small conference room at the back of the office. I only had a small fleeting curiosity; cops are not an uncommon sight at my school. Then a friend of mine (Miss T.) storms in, pissed off, speaking angrily to the vice principal. She then tells me that Wade had been pulled out of my class for having two knives with him. She was angry that they had not made a bigger deal out of it.
If she hadn't told me, I might not have ever found out. I would have received a memo about Wade being suspended for a while, and it would have probably had a vague reference to the police being involved. But I most likely would NOT have been told that a student in my class had been carrying weapons.
A few moments later, I saw the two cops escort Wade out of the office. I've seen kids be led out in handcuffs before, but it was never one of MY kids. I couldn't quite decipher the look on his face. Shame? Anger? Fear?
I'm sure I'll get more details from the kids over the next few days. All I know now is that he was in a fight at lunch, and he hadn't used the knives, but other kids had seen them. I don't know if it was accidental, or if he flashed them, or what.
Was he carrying them because he felt he needed protection? Or because he wanted to threaten or intimidate someone? Was it just a stupid mistake that he'll learn from, or is this a sign that he's going downhill?
I wonder why they waited for a full period and a half after lunch then to pull him out of my class. He never struck me as a violent kid. He started off his grade 9 year as a goofy, sleepy-looking kid. Lazy, but likeable. He had a funny little smile. But then there was a personality change in the last few months. He became more sullen, more resistant. He would refuse to do work, started skipping a bit, and once told me he was upset and needed to 'go for a walk'. He needed some time to cool down from something, so I let him. He came back eventually and seemed better.
I'll try not to treat him any differently when he comes back from his suspension. He's definitely not a scary kid. But of course it'll be there at the back of my mind (or not so back). What if one of the other kids or I do something to anger him?
I have another friend at work, Miss D., who has a kid in her class who stabbed some other kid a month or so ago. He was suspended, but now he's back in her class. Apparently the other kids are scared of him. I have no idea why they allowed that kid back in the school.
I can't imagine where Wade is right now. Still at the police station? Poor kid. I know it's a little strange to have that reaction, but I do. I hope he's ok.
My grade 9 class was being particularly bratty today. Individually, they're some cool kids. But put this particular combination of 27 fourteen year old kids together in a small room, and it often makes for 75 minutes of exhausting chaos.
Anyway, we were taking down a note, going through a review for a quiz they have next day, when one of the hall monitors comes to the door. He asks if one of the boys (I'll call him Wade) could gather up his things and go with him down to the office. So I go and tell Wade, and remind him of his quiz next day. He knows he's in trouble for something, but doesn't do the usual eye roll and "Ohh man," kind of look that most kids get when they're being escorted down to the office.
He goes, and I promptly forget about it. There were several kids who had been suspended this week for not having their inoculations up to date, so I just assumed that was his story too.
But a few hours later, after school hours, I was in the main office. Two police officers walked past me and went into the small conference room at the back of the office. I only had a small fleeting curiosity; cops are not an uncommon sight at my school. Then a friend of mine (Miss T.) storms in, pissed off, speaking angrily to the vice principal. She then tells me that Wade had been pulled out of my class for having two knives with him. She was angry that they had not made a bigger deal out of it.
If she hadn't told me, I might not have ever found out. I would have received a memo about Wade being suspended for a while, and it would have probably had a vague reference to the police being involved. But I most likely would NOT have been told that a student in my class had been carrying weapons.
A few moments later, I saw the two cops escort Wade out of the office. I've seen kids be led out in handcuffs before, but it was never one of MY kids. I couldn't quite decipher the look on his face. Shame? Anger? Fear?
I'm sure I'll get more details from the kids over the next few days. All I know now is that he was in a fight at lunch, and he hadn't used the knives, but other kids had seen them. I don't know if it was accidental, or if he flashed them, or what.
Was he carrying them because he felt he needed protection? Or because he wanted to threaten or intimidate someone? Was it just a stupid mistake that he'll learn from, or is this a sign that he's going downhill?
I wonder why they waited for a full period and a half after lunch then to pull him out of my class. He never struck me as a violent kid. He started off his grade 9 year as a goofy, sleepy-looking kid. Lazy, but likeable. He had a funny little smile. But then there was a personality change in the last few months. He became more sullen, more resistant. He would refuse to do work, started skipping a bit, and once told me he was upset and needed to 'go for a walk'. He needed some time to cool down from something, so I let him. He came back eventually and seemed better.
I'll try not to treat him any differently when he comes back from his suspension. He's definitely not a scary kid. But of course it'll be there at the back of my mind (or not so back). What if one of the other kids or I do something to anger him?
I have another friend at work, Miss D., who has a kid in her class who stabbed some other kid a month or so ago. He was suspended, but now he's back in her class. Apparently the other kids are scared of him. I have no idea why they allowed that kid back in the school.
I can't imagine where Wade is right now. Still at the police station? Poor kid. I know it's a little strange to have that reaction, but I do. I hope he's ok.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
New Words and Hilarious Answers
I keep lists of these every year. My kids will make up these crazy words they think are real as they're writing essays or exams.
Sometimes, depending on the relationship I have with that particular kid, I can laugh about it with them. Most of the time, I just circle it and gently suggest what word I think they meant.
Most of these are from the academic level classes (mostly grade 10-11). These still crack me up.
Sometimes, depending on the relationship I have with that particular kid, I can laugh about it with them. Most of the time, I just circle it and gently suggest what word I think they meant.
Most of these are from the academic level classes (mostly grade 10-11). These still crack me up.
- Rurinate
- Wen't
- Conversate
- Insultation
- Thruthworthy
- Manlihood
- Supper powers
- Drunked (as a verb, like 'Lady Macbeth drunked the guards.')
- Assassined
- Hatredness
- Fusaud (facade)
- Erry (eerie)
- Trials and trivulations
- Cedistic (sadistic)
- Brutle
- Suttle difference
- Gooder
- It was tooken away
- Instinctiable
- Kurrupted
- They had side kick powers (they meant psychic)
- Unlucid
- Clevlage (they meant cleavage)
- Prettiful
- Arengely (I think they meant arranged)
- Explanation mark
- Innonsense (innocence)
- Injusticeness
Awesome Test Answers
"Three characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have to deal with more injustice than the others. These three were Tom Robinson, black people, and Dolphus Raymond."
"In conclusion, these are only a few points that I have to prove my points."
"Personification: when you describe something non-human with a body part."
"Use the word 'Verbatim' in a sentence: The music test had to be verbatimized."
"Use the word 'Rankle' in a sentence: The clothes were all rankled when I washed them."
Answers from a Grade 10 Quiz on the novel "The Chrysalids"
Question: What was Tribulation?
- Tribulation was a great catascrophe.
- They believe Tribulation was the furry of God.
- Tribulation is really a neculear war.
- The world comes to an end - appacalips.
Question: What are the Badlands?
- It was actually the effect of radioactive radiations.
- Badlands where you die, you just die.
- The Badlangs are where knowone lives because it is burnt all done high radioactive is there.
Question: Use the word 'potent' in a sentence.
- Your potent is very beautiful and outstanding to my appeal.
Question: Why do David's father and the Inspector dislike each other?
- David's father feels its unneccerily for the Inspector to inspect and also they have bad vibes with each other which may be personal.
- The inspector and the father dislike each other so much because they bump heads a lot.
Question: Give an example that shows this society looks down on women.
- The society looks down on women.
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