We were very busy in the writing lab today. A number of Freshmen from the "choose your own adventure" course came to have their narrative stories read. Today is also their due date. I wonder if their teacher required them to come during class. I disagree with this practice because when a student is in my class, it is my responsibility to help that student. The rush of students may have also come on their own accord during their study halls, but that typically does not happen. I do wish that the students could plan ahead a little more so that they did not feel as rushed from their own procrastination.
I've very concerned about two of my students in my last period. One, I'll call her Emma, is failing 4 of her 6 classes and is absent, late, and/or skipping multiple times each week. I've also kicked her out of a bathroom stall with two other girls twice now. She told me today that she wants to go to cosmetology school as a Junior and Senior, and this seems like a great idea for her. However, she needs to get her grades up in order to get in. I'm really worried about her. I'm worried about drug use and mental health.
The second student that I'm worried about (I'll call him Rob) is on the Autism spectrum, and he is not getting much work finished. His class submitted Claim-Evidence-Warrant-Evidence-Warrant paragraphs yesterday, but he has not started his. I attempted to help him yesterday (when we had a substitute for his paraprofessional) and today, but he isn't getting anything done. I can't tell if he is being oppositional/defiant or if he is just being stubborn. I started some sentences for him, but his peers were watching The Great Gatsby with Leonardo Dicaprio, and that was terribly distracting. I asked him to go to the classroom where his Intervention Specialist is, but this got him more upset. He wanted to "make a deal" with me, but he had no terms to give. He asked me to make him a deal, but I've given him all that I could think to give. I'm not sure what else to do for this young man to get him writing.
Today I feel like a failure of a teacher.
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