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#Post#: 3121--------------------------------------------------
Teaching
By: Jack Date: January 22, 2018, 4:13 pm
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I wasn't sure how this was going to work out, what with my
health problems happening so close to the start of the new
semester. After a half-week last week, which I spent meeting my
new students, introducing ourselves to each other. I wanted to
let them discuss our goals with me, as well as explaining my
expectations.
One of the most worrisome parts of this is that almost all the
boys in my classes (37) are some type of discipline problem.
Many of them are actually gifted students who just aren't that
motivated. Others have been expelled from previous schools.
Mr. P, the councilor, and the English Dept. Head spent a lot of
time examining the students they were considering, so I doubt
there are any that will be a huge, automatic problem, but there
are a few about whom I'm concerned. Still, the entire purpose
of this entire experiment is to motivate and encourage some
students.
We started Count of Monte Cristo today. We're going to look at
European geography during the Napoleonic era, as well as some
Heroic fiction focused on that era, like Horatio Hornblower and
the Sharpe's Adventures novels. Well finish with watching the
2002 Jim Caviziel/Touchstone movie version, which I feel was
actually improved by changes in the story (largely because the
changes they made in the modern version either wouldn't have
been imagined or allowed in the original).
It looks like I'll be leaving about the same time the kids do
each morning, but since I'm only teaching the classes (and a
home room), and I'll be out be 11:30 or so. That should give me
time to take care of the stores each afternoon. Thank God for
Daniel, who has been doing a fantastic job, and is still willing
to take up more.
Oh, because of some of the things we had planned with these
classes, Mr. P. approached the parents of each boy whom he
thought would benefit from the idea. It was strictly voluntary,
and all the parents whose children are now in the class are not
only happy to have their sons trying a somewhat different
approach, but they fully support a firm discipline approach -
not in a 'following petty rules and details' way, but in a
'required to participate and show respect to everyone else' way.
We already had our first violation today. A student had his
phone out of his pocket. I told him to put it away without
making a big deal about it. A couple of minutes later, he had
it out again (or let me see it again).
"Do you want to have to turn that in at the office?"
Turning a cell phone into the office in a situation like this
almost definitely means swats, and possibly means having it
confiscated and your parents have to come in to pick it up - if
you qualify to have it returned.
"No, sir."
"Step out into the hall, please."
His name was Tyler Finley. It was funny, in an interesting way,
because he had a rather shocked look on his face for some
reason. I showed them where Elba was on a map of Europe, and
gave out a hand out I'd printed on Napoleon's first exile.
Tyler was waiting nervously in the hall.
"Tyler, there are two ways we can handle this. If I take
official notice of it, I have to send you to the office. I do
have the latitude to deal with it myself. My problem is, this
is not just very early in our time together, but you not only
challenged me by having your phone out during class, but when I
tried to give you a second chance, you directly disobeyed me.
If I don't send you to the office, I'll still have to deal with
you firmly, do you understand?"
He nodded, them mumbled 'yes, sir.'
Remember that BCA doesn't have the limitations on number of
swats the public school systems usually do, so I had the option
to give more swats, less hard.
"I'm thinking two swats for having your phone out, then three
more for disobeying when you were told to put it away."
"Five!"Tyler replied in a very worried tone, then a slight moan.
He still chose the swats, so I knocked on the next door and
asked Mr. Worley if he could join us.
When Mr. Worley had stepped out, Tyler spoke quietly to me.
"Mr. Wells, my parents said that you were going to be kind of
like Mr. P, and you could make me take my pants down?"
"I do have that option in some cases, Tyler, but I had thought
it would be a bit extreme for this."
"But you can. Could you make me drop my pants, but only give
me like two swats?"
"No," I answered without much thought. "What you did calls for
more than that. If that's how you want it, though, we could go
three."
That didn't look like a good deal to me, and I don't think Tyler
thought so either, but he agreed.
"Is that all right with you, Mr. Worley?"
"It doesn't have to be all right with me," he responded. "I
just have to be sure you both agree with it."
I fetched my paddle, then the three of us stepped into the empty
class room next to mine. I moved a chair next to the wall, had
Tyler lower his trousers to his knees, then bend over and hold
the front legs.
He cried out at the first swat. He kept his jaw clenched better
on the second, but cried out again on the third. The paddle
wasn't heavy, like a typical school paddle, but it was a solid,
mid-weight, and made of a mid-hard wood. Tyler might have been
nearly as big as me, and a football player, but I had no doubt
his butt was aching back. He'd yelled, but not really sobbed,
but when he stood up, tears were flowing. I let him take a
minute, after he dressed, to go to the bathroom and wash up.
When he got back to class, there was no question what had
happened. He's one of the biggest kids in that class, and I
don't think many students are going to decide to randomly push
any time.
When class ended, Tyler came up to me.
"Mr. Wells, when I get in trouble at school, I get at trouble at
home. I mean, I know you gotta tell my parents, but... You
know. I mean, what you tell them, I mean..."
"I was thinking of telling them you were in trouble for
disurpting class by not following instructions - would that
help?"
He looked relieved.
"Yes, sir. I think so."
"I'm not going to be dishonest, but I think I can go that far."
"Thank you. Three stripes with my dad's strap is already bad
enough - I don't want to get more, or to loose my phone."
"Tyler, if your dad is going to at leastgive you three more....
Your Dad's not going to give the swats on your pants, is he?"
Tyler turned red but nodded.
"No, sir. He always gives 'em bare."
"That's why you asked for only three."
He nodded.
"So why did you even risk doing something as pointless as
playing with your phone in class."
"I know Joe Mintz in football."
"I'm sure Joe Mintz wouldn't have told you that it was a good
idea to bait me."
"No, but he said you were horrible, and you whupped him really
hard - used to, and you were really strict. I mean, last week,
you were talking about us being friends and getting along
and.... I just thought Joe was lying, because you just didnt'
seem that strict."
"And now?"
"I won't ever make that mistake again."
I gave Tyler a tardy pass to class. The next two classes went
MUCH better than that one had, though.
#Post#: 3123--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Zyngaru Date: January 22, 2018, 5:29 pm
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I am sure the news about not messing with Mr. Wells, went
through the school faster than a flu epidemic.
I would assume that had something to do with you not being
tested in your other classes.
People never believe me when I tell them that teenagers will
test adults. Tyler admitted that is exactly what he was doing.
#Post#: 3125--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Journey Date: January 22, 2018, 5:58 pm
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=349.msg3121#msg3121
date=1516659217]
"I'm sure Joe Mintz wouldn't have told you that it was a good
idea to bait me."
"No, but he said you were horrible, and you whupped him really
hard - used to, and you were really strict. I mean, last week,
you were talking about us being friends and getting along
and.... I just thought Joe was lying, because you just didnt'
seem that strict."
[/quote]
Maybe you ought to have a word with Joe Mintz about how horrible
you've heard you are. 😂😂😂
I'm very interested to see how your classes go! I'd also love to
see your syllabus. Hahaha. Interesting choice to start the sem
with The Count of Monte Cristo. :)) Hope you and the kids enjoy
yourselves. :)
#Post#: 3126--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: jackson Date: January 22, 2018, 6:08 pm
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How old is Tyler?
#Post#: 3127--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: January 22, 2018, 6:26 pm
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[quote author=jackson link=topic=349.msg3126#msg3126
date=1516666102]
Maybe you ought to have a word with Joe Mintz about how horrible
you've heard you are. 😂😂😂
I'm very interested to see how your classes go! I'd also love to
see your syllabus. Hahaha. Interesting choice to start the sem
with The Count of Monte Cristo. :)) Hope you and the kids enjoy
yourselves. :)
[/quote]
I don't know if I'll ever share the full thing, but I'll try to
keep up to breast on what we're reading, and what we're doing
along with it.
I decided to start with Count of Monte Cristo, because I know
there's a great movie with it, that's not quite the same as the
book, and there are plenty of obvious other things to study, and
because it's a book that I think really grabs a boys attention
in a lot of ways. That's the most important thing to do in this
classs - grab their interest.
#Post#: 3132--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: David M. Katz Date: January 22, 2018, 9:27 pm
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This is the right way to start off. Sadly (for you) I doubt
there will be much need for your paddle to come out in the
future. Did you bring a paddle from home?
#Post#: 3140--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: db105 Date: January 23, 2018, 3:29 am
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The Count of Monte Cristo certainly has many elements that will
capture boys' imaginations. However, it is also kind of
long-winded. If you are using an unabridged edition it is not
easy for reluctant readers to finish the whole thing.
One adventure novel which is not as famous but also very
readable and set in a very teachable setting is Scaramouche, by
Rafael Sabatini. From wikipedia:
Scaramouche is an historical novel by Rafael Sabatini,
originally published in 1921. A romantic adventure, Scaramouche
tells the story of a young lawyer during the French
Revolution.[1] In the course of his adventures he becomes an
actor portraying "Scaramouche" (a roguish buffoon character in
the commedia dell'arte). He also becomes a revolutionary,
politician, and fencing-master, confounding his enemies with his
powerful orations and swordsmanship. He is forced by
circumstances to change sides several times. The book also
depicts his transformation from cynic to idealist.
-----
I also think you should have a word with Joe about what stories
he's telling about you :D
So you didn't even tell us what kind of underwear he was
wearing. I assume by now all teenagers wear boxers, or at least
boxer briefs.
Oh, another teachable adventure novel is Michael Strogoff, by
Jules Verne.
#Post#: 3145--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: January 23, 2018, 6:39 am
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[quote author=David M. Katz link=topic=349.msg3132#msg3132
date=1516678024]
This is the right way to start off. Sadly (for you) I doubt
there will be much need for your paddle to come out in the
future. Did you bring a paddle from home?
[/quote]
My youngest student is an especially gifted 11-year old who's
only about 4'7". Tyler is a bit larger than I am, and there's
one other about his size. I brought three paddles: two are
about 18" by 2.5: by 3.8ths inch- one made of maple and the
second of mesquite, and then the third is a new copy of the oval
Lexan. Tyler got the mesquite paddle.
[quote author=db105 link=topic=349.msg3140#msg3140
date=1516699744]
The Count of Monte Cristo certainly has many elements that will
capture boys' imaginations. However, it is also kind of
long-winded. If you are using an unabridged edition it is not
easy for reluctant readers to finish the whole thing.[/quote]
Yes, but I'm having us read most of the less interesting parts
in class. To me, most of what happens in the Chapeau and then
when he starts on his vengeance quest, are all interesting.
It's when he's setting up and trying to reward people that it
bogs down a bit, but those are also worth some discussion.
[quote author=db105 link=topic=349.msg3140#msg3140
date=1516699744]I also think you should have a word with Joe
about what stories he's telling about you :D[/quote]
I did call and speak to him last night. He's not in one of my
classes this year - he's both older than most of my students,
and a pretty solid student. He swears he didn't say I was
horrible. I could almost hear him blushing when he admitted to
saying I was something of a slave driver. He also admits that
he told Tyler (and a couple of other boys) that it's been a
while since I've paddled him, but the idea still makes his ass
clinch - I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be complimentary
though.
[quote author=db105 link=topic=349.msg3140#msg3140
date=1516699744]
So you didn't even tell us what kind of underwear he was
wearing. I assume by now all teenagers wear boxers, or at least
boxer briefs[/quote]
He was wearing rather heather green, Fruit of the Loom boxer
briefs - that seems to be part of a pretty common pack. I can
even tell you his waist his 32-34, since he had then on inside
out.
I'll be interested to see what Katz (or anyone else with regular
exposure to boys) has to say, but in my experience, boxer briefs
seem to be MUCH more common than actual boxers these days.
However, BCA does have a higher percentage of young men who were
regular briefs. I think it might partially be an economic
thing, but I also believe I've spoken with whom attend there,
that their parents refuse to allow boxers (either type) as a
strike back against sagging and to promote modesty.
#Post#: 3154--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: kalico Date: January 23, 2018, 9:02 am
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Well I hope the others take what happened and decide not to test
you....lol
The list you have for reading sounds like a good one and I hope
it gets them interested and reading
Hugs kal
#Post#: 3163--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: January 23, 2018, 2:29 pm
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Things went well today, and certainly no one challenged me.
I heard from Kim this morning that the grapevine was giving
'good' reports on my paddling skills
Tyler came in for class this morning, and I asked how he was.
He looked around a second, then said, "I'm fine now. I was
pretty sore at bedtime. Thanks for letting me off."
Apparently his dad teased him about his decision making skills
I do have several students I already know in my classes. Scott
Malone's in one. He's not an actual discipline problem, but he
tests in the mid 90%s, but his grades are mostly B-levels, so
they thought they'd let him try something different. He's not
exactly sure how he feels yet.
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