I have been getting calls to substitute more lately, and for one class in particular. I do not enjoy going to this class for many many reasons. The school that it is at is the bad part of town, where there is a lot of poverty, drugs, and violence. This is not a good neighborhood for kids to be growing up in, and I'm sure they don't have a lot of good role models to look up to on a day to day basis, let alone a good parent figure that is there giving them the care and love they need daily. This may be a reason why these kids act out the way they do.
I've always believed that there's no such thing as a bad kid. All kids want to be good and get approval from the people that they look up to. The kids in this class, however, have made me doubt my beliefs because there's really no other word to describe them than bad or mean. They go up to each other and call each others mamas gay or call each other fat or say one is too dark or too light for no reason at all. They would do this while I was teaching a lesson. When I would tell them to sit down, they would smack their lips and roll their eyes at me and all I was thinking in my head is what in the world?!?! I would NEVER treat an adult like that, and these kids have no reason to be this mean to each other! Every other person in the school told me that they are the worst kids they've ever seen, there's no hope for them, they will not pass third grade (yeah, they're in third grade calling each other gay, bith, and flicking each other off), and that they're a bunch of bad kids. There were several kids that were in in school suspension the four days I was there, and they told me they're always in there. How are they supposed to pass if they're not in the classroom learning new material???
It's a sad situation to say the least. Poor Matt has heard me vent about them constantly when I come home, but he's sweet and gives me advice on how to handle them and listens to me when I'm complaining. I realize that these kids act bad and mean and tough, but I'm sure what they're really looking for is some attention. Unfortunately, they get negative attention because of their behavior, but don't seem to care because it's still some kind of attention. I kept one student near me while walking down the hall and during lessons because he got into less trouble that way and knew it, and he was fine like that for a while. Which confirms my belief that there's no such thing as a bad kid. They want to do good, it's just the environment that they're in that unfortunately can shape them into a trouble maker. I hope that the teacher of that classroom can have a positive affect on those kids, and I hope that people start believing in them. That way maybe they will pass third grade and go on to become something great, instead of a drug dealer, criminal, wife beater, etc. lifestyles that people in that neighborhood have fallen into.
