Prank Calls

I remember getting and making prank calls as a teen. It gets old really fast. I got a dumb prank call.

MissD: What's the name of the company?
Prank: khfioghagh
MissD: You're going to have to repeat that, you keep breaking up like wind is blowing.
Prank: flkgjg kigjago
MissD: I'm sorry?
Prank: you've won a trip to the Bahamas from Culver City Fat Farm lexapro
MissD: Lexapro is a drug for depression.
Prank: And also for weight loss.
MissD: Right. So, do you have a website for you business?
Prank: Yes, it's CulverCityFatFarmBahamas.com, I mean, dot net.
MissD: Oh I see, let me just look that up. You sound really young and a bit rude. I don't think I would enjoy doing business with you, but thanks for your call.

I hung up.

Prank: This is Ernesto from Culver City Fat Farm, can we have your address so we can send you some information.
MissD: No, you may not.
Prank: Why not? You are fat, are you not?
MissD: You're rude, are you not?
I hung up.

I called back and found a name on the message. They also sent me a text message which a business would never do. They called again a few hours later on a Saturday which a business would also never do. I called again. Then I recorded the sound of a toilet flushing for them on a phone.

I hope they get the hint. It's not really possible for them to trace the call back to me, but I have a name and if I hear from them one more time, I will file a police report. I wonder if it's also illegal to use a ficticious business name...it's possible.

MySpace is Great!

When I first got a friend request from Armine, I was really surprised. I wasn't sure what would be the end result of that. I was hesitant to accept her friend request, but decided to anyway. Then I got an email, which I was hesitant to open, but finally did today.

From: Armine
Date: Jun 21, 2008 5:52 PM


hey miss d.
it's armine.
the one you probably hate.
I think its really cooll that you have a myspace!
im sorry for being such a b-i-t-c-h to you.
i have been through so much this year and it made me be like that.


----------------- Reply Message -----------------

Hi Armine,

Thanks for writing to me to tell me that. It means alot to me. I like you. I felt really sad that we had problems because I know how much you like to sing.

Take care,
Miss D

Due to the response I received from the students I had last year--several friend requests since school ended, I wish I had let them know about my account a long time ago. It's a professional site through myspace music, so it doesn't have personal information like if I am single and all that lame stuff. It's only about the music.

I Lost It

This morning I still had a headache. I won't come to school early ever again--it makes me irritable. It's outrageous that no one EVER is sure to mention that there will be an overlap in the schedule such that I will have junior high and high school kids together at the same time. I planned to tell one of my choirs that I'm not coming back. I don't want to tell the junior high kids yet, not until tomorrow. So I was stuck and panicked and angry that I get the shaft every time. I lost it with the office manager.

Then I lost it with a kid not much longer after. He had been goofing off on his skateboard INSIDE. He asked:
WHat would happen if I didn't take the final?
I would string up up by your toes like a kosher pig. But what would really happen is that you would get an F.

I just wanted to scare him into working though I don't think I picked the best way. Imagine that, tell your teacher you don't want to take you final. Imagine me losing it with a kid like that. I would take the day off tomorrow if I could. I'm just going to take it easy, tell the chamber choir that they are on their own for next year. I told my girls that they were going to be the top choir next year. They were proud but sad. They all hugged me, the ones who were most against me at times hugged me the hardest. I'm sad and I cried in front of them. How much pressure can one person take?

The More I Listen

The more I listen to my students, the more I learn about the behind the scenes drama that led to my apparent demise. For a short time we had a student who hailed from a school with an established choral program. I sat with Lisa talking after working with her on a song. I really miss giving private lessons.

Lisa: When Ruth was here, she said you weren't a very good teacher.
MissD: I was really sick when she was here, and have a pretty serious injury to my right arm so I was having a hard time.
Lisa: She said the teacher at her other school was way better.
MissD: I can see why she would think that. I'm friends with that teacher. He's been there for 20 years.
Lisa: How long have you been teaching?
MissD: This was my first year teaching choir.
Lisa: Oh, that explains alot.
MissD: It's hard to compare what he has over there to what is going on over here. 20 years building up his program compared to trying to take over what was going on here is totally not fair at all.
Lisa: Some of the other kids were getting together and saying that they wanted to give you a bad time just for fun.
MissD: Yes, and that's something else that the other choir teacher doesn't have. The sad thing is, they accomplished their goals and tore up the choir program in the process. Good job!
Lisa: Next year will be better. No one will remember Mr. M. You have some kids that really like to sing and now that you've been here, you can kick some of the others out.

Yes, Lisa, next year no one will remember Mr. M, and I will try hard to forget. I will be somewhere else. I promise not to forget you, though. You were one of my sweet things. I hope you make it through to graduation. I hope you get away from your mom who beats you. I hope you make it.

Land of the Lost Referrals

I was planning on talking to the Ass. Principal about all the referrals I had written to suspend kids from class. The kids were never seen. Today I suspended two more, I'll have to tell you about those kids. After another harrowing day, I got the following email:

>>> Assistant Principal 6/6/2008 2:08 PM >>>
You gave the following students referrals for non-participation, not singing, not standing where they should be, talking back. Please assign detention, and call parents.

a b c d e f

Thanks,
AP

-----Inline Message Follows-----

I had a and b spend lunch with me in place of the referrals. The others I decided to suspend them from class, I thought they had been suspended from my class. But it appears 4 of them have been ditching ever since that day because I have not seen any of them.

They are:
c d e f

These students are all failing all of their classes and are very disruptive. I don't think this will be resolved with a simple detention and phone call home, that is why I chose to write referrals for them.
MissD

I wanted to add lots of expletives and ask him why the @#$%^&* I wasted my time writing that #$%^&* up??? @#$%^&* !@#$%&&&!!!!

But I'm a professional and a lady, so I blog about it.

Tough Cookies

I have a student who has been suffering from a severe case of apathy in one of my choir classes. She hasn't sung a note in a least a month. I gave out a letter reminding them about the concert.

Keisha: What if my parents don't care?
MissD: That's really sad.
Keisha: They usually just throw this stuff away in the trash.
MissD: Really? Well, then it's a letter for you.
Keisha: What if I don't care?
MissD: Tough cookies. You're still responsible.

I walked away. What can you do as a teacher when some students won't be taught?

That Nigerian guy told us that one time it rained so hard he didn't know how he would get to school--it meant that he would be either swimming in puddles or dragging himself through mud for two miles to get to school. His teacher showed up that day and carried him. He WANTED to go to school. He wanted to go so much that he would have dragged his crumpled body over two miles of puddles and mud to get to school.

You can lead horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

Some students are more like mules. You can neither lead them to water or make them drink.

Falling Apart

My chamber singers don't seem to care if I fail them. In fact, they seemed to love the idea if it means defying me. They don't wnat to perform because they think they sound terrible. The thing is, they do sound pretty bad because they won't let me teach them. They won't try the things that I ask them to do. I can't let them perform the way they sound now. My chamber class is mostly seniors and they've been ditching alot.

It's really sad. It made me cry today because maybe I'm just a bad teacher. However a guy I used to date was a music teacher for awhile. He is a brilliant musician with an amazing voice. He said his problem was that he just couldn't tell the kids what to do. He does well for himself today. So I could have a perfectly happy life not teaching.

Maybe I should be a performer or a writer--or both. Teaching is really difficult these days. I heard a motivational speaker from Nigeria who is a wheelchair Olympian. But he used to drag himself--literally--drag himself on his hands and knees across dirt roads for 2 miles each way to get to school. Imagine that! And I can't even get kids to sing. One girl wouldn't walk 1 mile to sing at a performance. WALK! It makes me wonder if it is really me that is the problem. I have a hard time imagining any of these kids having that much determination. I wish that guy would come talk to my classes.

The problem is that I like teaching when it's working. I like helping kids learn. I love to sing. I love to teach singing. I've even liked teaching piano. I only don't like it when kids give up. Maybe I will conference with them tomorrow and see what they say.

Student Incident

By law, we must make faculty aware of any student that attempts an assualt or battery on a teacher. ----------------- has been suspended, and will be put up for an expulsion hearing for a battery on a teacher.

If you have any questions please let me know.

I think I have that kid's brother. DANG!! Glad it wasn't me, but it shouldn't be ANYBODY!!

Creepy Kid

I had to throw one of my students out because his behavior was out of control. I suspended him from class three times. I also gave him "chances" by letting him wait outside until he calmed down. This kid has serious problems with anger.

The thing he did that was the weirdest and most disturbing before I kicked him out was that he found out what my address and phone number were and then asked me what they were in front of the whole class. He wanted to to throw me off.

I called a parent meeting because of all the other things he was doing--singing out of tune on purpose, making up his own melodies at innappropriate times, annoying his classmates by singing while he played piano when he wasn't supposed to. I knew he was trouble on the first day he had my class. He called another girl a bitch coming up from the sewer or something like that. Like I said, serious problems.

After a parent meeting, him spitting on my car and additional antics, I finally got a schedule change. Usually by the time I have to have a parent meeting, the kid should be pulled out of the class.

For some odd reason he showed up at my door.
Kid: Hi Miss D.
D: Hello.
Kid: I just came by to say hi.
D: Whatever for?
Kid: Nothing in particular. I just wanted to say hi.

I watched him leave. I have run into as I walk through the office. I don't even look at him. There's something bizarre about that kid. I told the counselor and the union rep that he dropped by my class. He's not supposed to do that. If he stops by again, I'm calling security.

Team Building for Choir

In school they taught us about conducting. They taught us notes, rhythms, music theory, music history, how to practice, how to perform. They told us how to teach those academic things because that's all you need. Not true. They did not teach us how to lead kids.

This week I learned that kids need to feel like they are a part of something special, that they belong, that they are important and that what they say matters. Both of my choirs weren't really working well together or doing what I asked, so I decided to take a "fun break." But it wasn't just about fun, it was about engaging in activities that focused on them rather than threatening, disciplining, lecturing and cajoling them into singing better. They didn't feel good, they were mad at me, and at each other.

I coaxed them into playing games, even though they fought me. We played a game with yarn where we said things about ourselves and threw it to someone who also had that in common.
Miss D, what's that yarn for anyways? We aren't two!
What does this have to do with singing? This is so dumb.
I'm not sitting in the circle because I don't want to play.
Soon they were all laughing and going along with it because it was fun.
I have a texting problem.
I have three cats.
I was on swim team.
I have 3 brothers.
I have a pink cell phone.
I'm black!!
Soon we could see a visual representation of all the things that connected us.

When on of the girls suggested we play follow the leader, I went with it. It was the most fun we had all year. We walked through the campus, shushing each other, walking over obstacles, laughing together. My chamber choir did community juggling and wanted to play tag, so I let them.

Sometimes I worried I could be reported. Let's just say that the endless story (where each person adds a sentence to another and the story gets really bizarre) got a little bit nasty and sexual. I worried that the kids might report me or some adminstrator might walk in. I scratched some things out of their stories as they got me. I also made sure they collected them all. To a certain extent they don't get that it's innapporpriate because they talk about sex with their friends, in sex education and see things in movies. I started to use a rating system with them. We have to keep this rated PG.

I know that next week their singing will be better without the practice because they feel better. Even Sassy respectfully reminded me that he wouldn't be in class for a field trip. I said We'll try to have a good time without out. You were really funny yesterday shoving all the balls in your pockets.

They all got why we had done these crazy activities when I explained it to them at the end of the week. I also told them that we needed to incorporate time to have fun together in class. I told them I wished I had thought of doing these kids of things at the beginning of the school year. It would have made all the difference in the world for how my year has gone. At least I have an expanded bag of tricks for next year.

Team Building Articles from Suite 101:

Crowd Breaker Games
Groups and Classroom Games
Classroom Games and Ice Breakers
Youth Ministry Ice Breaker Games
Youth Minstry Games

You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban!!

My kids were barely singing during warmups. I stopped rehearsal.
I don't see a point to continuing if we don't actually sing! I'm done. I will conference with each of you individually about your grades.

Actually, what I really did is I made them talk to me about what they thought their grades should be after I shared with them what the judges are looking for at choral festivals. Truly, I've been having alot of problems with my chamber choir. I think they learned something by me not telling them, but by them having to tell me what they thought of their actions and behavior. Sassy took the paper that had the judging rubric and folded into a paper airplane. He told me he deserves to get an A+. The funny thing is, other than that he was actually nice to me today--nice for Sassy anyway. The two things I heard most often in individual conferences were:
1. They felt like nobody was trying, but everyone wanted to try harder.
2. They love singing You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban.

Quite frankly, I love that song too. I sang it at karaoke to rave reviews by my peers. I could teach them what I know. I might sing a solo at the concert, perhaps some will be inspired. Maybe not. The concert is supposed to be about the students, not the teacher, right? The sad thing is, if they would let me, if they would work, I could take them to where they want to go. I could teach them what I know. But they won't let me.

I listened to every Josh Groban song I could on the web. He's seriously fabulous. I decided to write fanmail to Josh Groban. I told him that the kids love singing the song and that I sincerely hoped that a choral arrangement of Don't Give Up comes out soon because I think kids will really love singing it. I asked him for a signed picture to put in the choir room. That would be seriously awesome. I'm inspired enough to sing that or Don't Give Up to audition for America's Got Talent. I have to do something crazy for me, for my own artistic interest.

Ultimately, though, I have to come up with some kind of strategy to help my choir overcome all the changes and pain they have been through. I don't deserve all of the blame for it either. They are at each others throats. I'm thinking about taking a break from singing and just doing team building exercises and activities with them.

Visit:
www.JoshGroban.com

College Application Workshop email

Career Counselor 4/4/2008 1:20 PM

>>>I am attaching a list of the seniors who signed up for the Community College Online Application workshop on Tuesday, April 8. The list also includes the period they are to report to the library for the workshop.The Seniors should already have a letter telling them what period to come to the Library. They are supposed to report to their class before they come to the library.To review the list, please right click on the attachment and open the document.

---------------------------------------------------------

Dear Career Counselor,

I looked at the list. Can you PLEASE take Sassy out of 1st period instead of his second period. I have him ALL DAY-- 1st and 3rd. I need him 3rd, but he can be a real pain 1st period!!!Thanks!!

Miss D

Observation Day

I like to make my kids laugh to help them remember stuff. It's taken a long time to be able to really joke around with them without things getting out of control, but I just think humor is essential in the classroom. Sometimes my junior high kids even encourage me to act a little bit crazier.

I have one student who always wants to know about my love life. However, today I was being observed by my support provider, so I was really not expecting the joking. Maybe it was OK because it shows I have good rapport with my students.

I made them repeat after me in a choral response:

In the key of F major...

LOUDER!!! I can't hear half of you!

In the key of F major
you must always play
B flat.
Play what? B flat!

I went to each of their keyboards to make sure they understood how to apply this to the new songs they are learning.

Miss Diaz? Have you ever been married?
Me? Why do you want to know?
Cause...
Well, dear, I'm so glad you are concerned about my happiness. That's really sweet. How about I have you be my flower girl when I get married? Now get to work. B flat!!

She smiled. She can be kind of manipulative and conniving at times, but she's also cute in that endearing way 12 year old girls have about them. It tickles me.

No, I've never been married.

I Can't Count

Sassy told me I can't count today. I asked him to be quiet 4 times and he insisted:
S: You need to learn how to count.
D: You need to learn how to stop mouthing off.

I thought about it later. I haaaaate being challenged in front of everyone. He works me, but then he backs off. I never know if I have won the confrontation. Maybe he just wants to push me to test how far he can go before he starts losing senior privileges. Maybe it was a draw.

Later in choir, since I have him for two classes, I just started telling our accompanist what Sassy said. I just wouldn't put up with his attitude. I was about ready to throw him out for throwing his backpack across the room--as if it weren't enough that he was already late. I spoke loudly so as to get through his thick teenaged skull.

D: So, Sassy says I can't count, but really, he's the one who can't count. I told him to be quiet 4 times. He forgot to count the time I told the whole class to be quiet. I guess he thinks that it doesn't apply to him.
M: Isn't that the truth. They never do.

For some strange reason, Sassy didn't make a peep for the rest of the class time.

Again, I don't know if I have won. It could be that he's just regrouping and planning his next attack. That requires thought and planning. Best not to talk in those times, right?

Welcome Back with Sass

I went back to school with my migraine finally under control. Sometimes it's back to the same old, same old sassiness.

Things keep getting worse with Sassy. He's the kid who jumped off the choir risers and onto a chair. I have him for two classes. Today I got extra sass.

I was giving announcements about what was going to happen when we came back from break. It's hard enough to give announcements to a class. One time, as student played some of "A Whole New World" I ended up singing most of the song. That worked to get them to be quiet. Sassy was talking to one of his closest friends. I asked him to be quiet. He continued his talking.

D-Sassy, will you stop talking while I'm talking.
S-Can you ask nicely?
D-I already did ask.
S-You want us to respect you, so you should talk to us with respect.
D-Everyone else is quiet and listening and you're still talking. I suggest you back down now or you will get a referral.

He backed down. He knows that might mean getting senior privileges taken away. I thought there would be peace. I went to my office to get something and heard a ruckus and a door slam. My talkers were gone. I called the attendance office and told them who was truant for when they call home. See if I count you as here if you leave my class like that.

He actually behaved himself in choir, though I don't know why.

I'm getting a really tough skin from dealing with all of this crap.

You're Alright

One of my students told me, You're cool, Miss D. I have alot of respect for you. I really do. If I ever saw you in trouble like your car broke down or something, I would help you push it to the gas station. And I wouldn't do that for just anyone. Seriously. You're alright.
There is a long history with this kid. He has behavior problems. He used to act out in my piano class. One day he hit me with, "You only ever pay attention to me when I'm doing something wrong." I then started going by to check his progress.
R-Can I play this for you Miss D?
D-Sure thing. I'd sit and listen for five minutes. Keep up the good work, OK?
Another day:
R-Miss D I brought a beat track I made. Can I play it for you?
Of course. I listen.
R-Someday I'm gonna be famous and you can say you had me in piano and you knew me way back before I became famous.

Other kids don't like him. They tell me they don't like him. I feel so bad for him now. He honestly does respect me. Even though he does wrong, I still treat him like he's human. One day I saw him in the office looking really upset.
R-They threw me out of class because I laughed during Schindler's List.
D-Why did you laugh?
R-Because when the Nazi's were shooting people, they were treating them like animals and it made me laugh because it was so wrong.
D-People laugh sometimes when they are nervous or something bothers them like that. But can you see that other people might be upset, right?
R-Yes. I guess I can.
D-It's not what most people would do, so that's why it bothered them. Hey, take care of youself. Think about what I said, OK?

When I saw him later, he told me that his mother had commited suicide 3 years ago. He hasn't felt like himself since then. She was schizophrenic.
D-Well, anyone would be upset by that kind of stuff. Of course you haven't been yourself. It takes a long time to get over stuff like that.
R-Thanks for listening Miss D.

He got suspended for saying something really vulgar to a teacher and came back asking, Miss D, did you miss me while I was gone?
D-Yes, I did.

I worry about that kid.