Harumph

You know I was going to write a long involved post about Michael Moore's idea of Oprah for Pres. and how it went over with my class this morning ( thanks Billy) and then I thought Kelvin had some good thoughts on the latest episode of Angel. ( Is it possible for ANYONE in the Buffy/Angel group to die and stay dead? Why not bring back some of the old bad guys. I miss the Mayor - sorry but he was a way better bad guy than Glory-let's bring HIM back.)

So now that I have revealed the valley girl within, let me talk about what I AM going to actually blog about and that is my continued hatred for my job.

Because it really has come to that.

I was told today by administration that I can't kick a kid out of my class just for sleeping because, according to them, sleeping isn't disruptive. I asked for clarification. "You're telling me that if a kid in a 12 person class comes in and puts his head down on the desk and sleeps through the whole thing and he does this every class and then gets up and IS OPEN ABOUT WHY HE IS SLEEPING IN MY CLASS ie 'Oh I don't sleep at night because of sports so I HAVE to sleep in class' isn't disruptive?"

Apparently, it isn't.

Oh but here is their suggestion, "What you can do is make that student write a 2-3 page report summarizing the class. If they fail to do the assignment, you can mark them absent."

"So wait I can mark them absent, but not throw them out?"

"Yes."

Is it me, or does that defy logic?

Not to mention that I have to do more reading, which is exactly what I want to do for a student who isn't paying attention anyway.

I'm so disgusted with the two o'clock. Another teacher has suggested that I have them write letters to me about what they want from the class, and what they would like to see changed.

Another teacher told me just to be an unmitigating bitch. Go in and say "Listen, you don't want to talk, well then fine sit here and write" and just have them write every class all class for a week until their little phelanges bleed.

I am loathe to go the letter route. To me it's giving them a lot of power, and it's also opening myself up for a world of personal insult. I mean these kids are already insulting in class, what kind of responses am I going to get in print?

On the other hand, I really hate to go the writing the whole class way.

Jesus Christ, these are COLLEGE STUDENTS. I feel like I am teaching high school.

I'm so disgusted with them.

Damn it.