So... last year...with a co assistant principal who was close to retirement... some of the rules/expectations got a bit lax... teachers stopped reporting some behaviors because they felt like nothing happened... they tried sending kids to me and because we divide and conquer by grade level, I felt awkward stepping in... but.. there is a new sheriff in town... my co AP, and it offers a great opportunity to restructure a few things and be consistent with the kids.. I believe that consistency is critical for kids, especially those in high school! Phil and I are on the same page with things and it is helping already! Another side effect of the other guy leaving is that kids who had a strong dislike for me because I held them accountable are approaching me with their problems because they figure the known (Me) is better than the unknown (Phil.) I am willing to talk with any kid, but am making sure that the conversations include Phil... and making sure the kids know that he is their goto person... so far so good...
While we are cracking down on some things, like making sure kids are in classes (crazy idea, right?) there are some things that I feel we need to do differently... like Lunch...
For many kids lunch is their favorite time of day... food, friends, and access to cell phones and social media... but for others, lunch is the worst time of the day, the scariest... their social anxiety makes them avoid lunch at all costs. Last year the cafeteria was a bit of a sieve... kids going everywhere... and it really wasn't ok... so we are starting the year with the expectation that kids all eat in the cafeteria unless they need to see a teacher for an academic reason... But... there are kids who will avoid the cafeteria at all costs... kids who are not bad kids, but who just cannot face 300 other kids... as a result, kids are not eating lunch... not okay with me..
This has been an issue that we have tried addressing the last couple of years... I started a 'Quiet Lunch' area available to students... we used to have a great situation, a smaller area above a much larger one... and we allowed certain kids to escape the loud crowded cafeteria to the smaller area... it worked great... now, however, that option is no longer available... so I tried having a designated classroom, with an assigned teacher, for quiet lunch... that worked... kind of... but there were lunches where no kids would attend quiet lunch... leaving a teacher, outside of their own classroom, alone for 25 minutes with no students to supervise... and the available room was far from the cafeteria...
This year.. I want to push some people on this issue... I figure that these kids who are struggling with anxiety would benefit from time with someone/some people who have skills in helping kids overcome such anxiety... so.. I want to have the kids eat in guidance... there are 6 adults there during the lunch block... and space for up to 10 kids in each lunch... I think it makes so much sense... but there are some... political issues that will need to be resolved... this may be a hill on which I am prepared to die... (in education we often ask ourselves is that issue a 'hill we want to die on?' is it an issue that is big enough to put yourself on the line for? I think this one is... I planted some seeds today... we shall see if they get watered...
I am meeting new students... and am enjoying it... the freshmen are so different than the seniors who just graduated... and for the most part, are still enchanted by the high school... (I should hope so on day 5 of classes for them!) Today I called about 15 kids down just to introduce myself (kids who have been identified by someone as being at risk). I want kids to come to me and don't want them to think being called ot my office means they are in trouble...
In other news... I am working to be more active... school starting has helped that. My goal is to do 10,000 steps a day, about 5 miles. I have returned to doing my morning walks at school... daily for a half hour with some of my staff... on average, we are walking about 1.3 miles in that time... so, by the time I get to the lunch block, I am typically close to or just over halfway to my goal... so by the time I end my day I am so close to my goal that I feel like a lazy ass if I don't finish... today I was at 8600 steps (I am using a fitbit to track my steps. Fitbit is a fancy pedometer I wear on my wrist, like a bracelet) so... I couldn't not walk when I got home. It is gratifying to have my fitbit vibrate letting me know I met my goal! I am also working on eating every day... and so far so good. I am working hard to keep my energy up during the day and trying not to binge when I get home.
This week is gonna be a long one... tomorrow night is open house... Wednesday I am going to a community dinner in a lower socioeconomic part of town where I did office hours last year. I am hoping to get more parents to meet with me on a regular basis, but we shall see... then Thursday some students are going stargazing for part of their earth science classes... it would be nice to make an appearance...
My favorite moment of today... was... talking with a student we have who is new to us... technically homeless...(Couch surfing at this point.) ... and I asked him if there was anything he needed.. he said no... I had to meet with him again later and after our second conversation (about his school ipad) he started to leave, paused and turned back to me and asked if I was serious about asking him if he needed anything... I said of course... and he said he could use some shampoo, deodorant, and body wash... and... if I knew of any slightly used shoes... that would help, since his had some impending holes in them... Happy that he asked for help... and love that my staff has already responded to my email about needing some shoes for this kid! (Teachers in the media are portrayed as people who take summers off and complain about their pay... I see teachers as people who are so giving and willing to help our kids... always ready to help!)
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