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#Post#: 7043--------------------------------------------------
Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Jack Date: July 8, 2018, 5:48 am
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This is honestly the class I'm most anticipating this fall. I
love this age group, and all these kids more or less love to
read.
I had actually planned out our early reading list, but then
changed the entire thing over to the second six weeks, where
we're going to do fantasy and series.
Because the boys in this group are readers, I'm going to play it
ore by ear. I've already sent out an e-mail to the kids, asking
about genres and what they've read. It looks pretty definite
that our first book is going to be Alex Ryder: Operation
Stormbreaker.
I also have a stack of graphic novels sitting in front of the
various people who need to give approval, and I'm going to be
using at least one of them for this class, though I'm not going
to decide which until I have that approval.
Gary*
Nash A
David E
Micah G
Leo G
Theodore M
Jeremy N
Mason P
Connor R
Adam S
Mason T
Spencer M
Brayden V
Besides Gary, Micah was also in my class last year. He's a very
smart kid who reminds me a lot of me. While he loves reading,
and only needed to be called down a couple of times in my class,
he managed to get in trouble on a fairly regular basis. I've
met his parents several times. He's their youngest child and
their only son, and they obviously love him dearly, but, equally
obviously, they're completely exasperated by him. His dad had
to come to school for discipline purposes twice last year, and
Micah was paddled bare both times - once for skipping class, and
once for being off campus during the day. Both times he
basically claims he just got distracted and forgot.
Micha's 13, but on the small size for his age (just under five
foot, I'd guess, and pretty skinny). He wears his hair pretty
short - his mom says it's because he never remembers to keep it
brushed out, so it always ends up in a mess anyway. He has blue
eyes and kind of medium brown hair, so he's really pretty
nondescript looking, but I still find him very cute, and look
forward to having him in class again.
#Post#: 7055--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Adric Date: July 8, 2018, 10:09 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=685.msg7043#msg7043
date=1531046934]
... they're completely exasperated by him. His dad had to
come to school for discipline purposes twice last year, and
Micah was paddled bare both times - once for skipping class, and
once for being off campus during the day. Both times he
basically claims he just got distracted and forgot.
[/quote]
Too bad his parents find that difficult to deal with. I wonder
if his explanation of his behavior (not his excuse, since there
isn't an excuse) is really true. If it is then it must be
frustrating for him to have made those mistakes by accident and
been paddled for it. (I remember a recurrent nightmare when I
was in college that I had registered for some course, attended a
session or two, and then just forgot to go to it after that. It
had a realistic feel.)
#Post#: 7056--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Jack Date: July 8, 2018, 10:29 am
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Adric, while I can feel for the kid in those situations, IF what
he said was true, I also think his parents would have a good
idea how prone he was to doing things like that. Also, there
are some degrees of behavior that you can understand and accept,
but when serious rule violations occur.... Without knowing the
kid better, I can't really say more either way.
#Post#: 7610--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: squarecutter Date: July 27, 2018, 1:54 pm
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I suppose this comes under the heading 'to help him remember
better.' Of course some kids remeber things they enjoy better!
#Post#: 8035--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Jack Date: August 14, 2018, 4:33 am
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I've shared this story a couple of times in chat now, so I
suppose I should get it posted here.
Adam S is a fairly cute 12-year old, not especially big. His
family has had a number of things going on over the summer,
including Adam visiting relatives and stuff. Last week was when
we finally had a chance to meet.
Adam has mild to moderate ADHD with no really horrible symptoms.
He should be one of the students able to easily transition to
'normal' classes after just some training in how to recognize
and cope with his problem areas.
We'd been talking for a while, when Adam said the worst thing
about going back to school was having to get back on a school
schedule and waking up in the morning. I started telling him
about how I dealt with Mikell many years ago.
Waking Mikell took a while. I started with him first thing,
just sticking my head in his door and talking enough to get any
reaction from him. I'd leave him and go get the other boys
moving, then come back to Mikell again, keeping him from just
falling back asleep. I'd go get breakfast started, then come
back again.
Sometimes Mikell would be up. Sometimes not.
Remember, I'm telling this as a story to Adam and his dad.
"So, I come back to his room a third time, but this time I have
a belt in my hand. He's still just lying there, so I take the
belt and i SMACK..."
Adam jumped when I emphasized smack and mimed slamming something
down. His eyes were wide, like he was imagining getting hit
with a belt while he was asleep.
"... the belt down on the side of his bed. He didn't even stand
up. He just teleported into an upright position."
They both laughed, but then Adam said, "I'm used to the belt."
His dad's eyes went wide this time, and Dad's jaw hit the floor.
Later, when Adam had gone to hang out with the other kids, his
dad said to me, "I don't know what he's talking about. I've
only used the belt on him like three times in his life, and he's
so scared of it, he starts crying before I even take it off."
As I was telling this story, Adric commented that it was
probably just Adam's way of trying to act tough, which is
basically what I was thinking. It was his way of acting blase.
Why he'd feel the need to do that, I don't know, but he is a
12-year old boy, so expecting him to make sense might be asking
a bit much.
His father did talk about how they discipline him, once we were
alone. Because Adam's problems are mostly minor things, they
use non-CP punishments for them - things like time outs or
losing some screen time - quick and easy things that don't
linger. Spankings (dad's term, not mine) are used for repeat
behavior or more major things. They consider any type of
restriction that last more than a couple of days to be a really
major punishment . He couldn't quite describe how he decides
the belt is needed, but from what he did say, I think you could
classify it as 'major moral failings'.
While I've not met Adam's mom, I like him and his dad both, and
he does seem like someone who'll be fun to have in class.
#Post#: 8038--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Zyngaru Date: August 14, 2018, 8:12 am
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The way you used to wake Mykell, is how my mom used to wake me
up for school. Over and over again. I usually got up just in
time to throw some clothes on and run out the door to get to
school on time. I was and still am a very sound sleeper. I use
four alarm clock to wake up. They are set one on each side of
the bed, and one on the headboard above the bed. The last one,
is on the other side of the room. Many times, the snooze alarms
on the first three are wore out and it is the last alarm that
gets me out of bed.
I don't sleep. I hibernate. I always have.
When you mentioned the belt being smacked on the side of the
bed, that reminded me on occasion my dad would be home, when I
was supposed to be getting up and when he came to my room and
stood at the door, I instinctively knew he was there and jumped
out of bed. Now I don't know how long he stood there, before I
knew he was there? But he never said a word or made a sound,
but at some point I KNEW and out of bed I jumped.
So I have a special feeling for boys who can't wake up from a
sound sleep.
#Post#: 8043--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Adric Date: August 14, 2018, 11:43 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=685.msg8035#msg8035
date=1534239192]It was his way of acting blasé. Why he'd feel
the need to do that, I don't know, but he is a 12-year old boy,
so expecting him to make sense might be asking a bit
much.[/quote]
Has Adam had an opportunity to check out your home environment
or visit with any of your boys? Maybe he got the idea from
someone that he should be blasé about such matters in order to
fit in with your expectations.
#Post#: 8045--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Zyngaru Date: August 14, 2018, 12:03 pm
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[quote author=Adric link=topic=685.msg8043#msg8043
date=1534265026]
[quote author=Jack link=topic=685.msg8035#msg8035
date=1534239192]It was his way of acting blasé. Why he'd feel
the need to do that, I don't know, but he is a 12-year old boy,
so expecting him to make sense might be asking a bit
much.[/quote]
Has Adam had an opportunity to check out your home environment
or visit with any of your boys? Maybe he got the idea from
someone that he should be blasé about such matters in order to
fit in with your expectations.
[/quote]
Or possibly, since it is something a boy can't avoid, he might
as well act as though it is no big deal.
#Post#: 8047--------------------------------------------------
Re: Third Period - Advanced Middle School
By: Jack Date: August 14, 2018, 2:51 pm
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[quote author=Adric link=topic=685.msg8043#msg8043
date=1534265026]
[quote author=Jack link=topic=685.msg8035#msg8035
date=1534239192]It was his way of acting blasé. Why he'd feel
the need to do that, I don't know, but he is a 12-year old boy,
so expecting him to make sense might be asking a bit
much.[/quote]
Has Adam had an opportunity to check out your home environment
or visit with any of your boys? Maybe he got the idea from
someone that he should be blasé about such matters in order to
fit in with your expectations.
[/quote]
That was his first visit with us. He's going to be a seventh
grader, so he's not in class with one of my kids (or grands).
Zyngaru might have a point. In the long run, who can really
know why he said it or what (or if) he was thinking. I just
know it was pretty cute.
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