Teenagers are hella random

Here are a list of words that I commonly associate with teeenagers:

Confused.
Annoyed.
Angry.
Entitled.
Sweet.
Deprived.
Melodramatic.
Confused.
Challenging.
In Love.
Distraught.
Misunderstood.
Confused.

So, what happens when you walk into class everyday to face 25 people who are feeling this way? You take a deep breath and practice paciencia! Today was full of tests of will: first, there was the pile of books dumped from my bookshelf onto the floor, clearly done by someon in my last block on Friday while I was out sick. Each kid was required to come pick up one book and place it onto the shelf. I then called a student -- whoever that student could possibly be, "and-you-know-who-you-are!" -- a jerk. What I really said was something like, "I'm not asking people to snitch, I don't need to know who did it, I just want that person who did this, or the group of people who did it to know that they are mean, they're bullies, you are someone who takes advantage of another person's weakness and exploits it for personal gain, in this case to be funny or cool. You are not funny or cool. In fact, you are a jerk." That was my first block.

During my advisory, I had no less than three conversations with students who are struggling to do work because either an adult in their life is sick, absent, or unaware of other problems. And, all three kids said that it wasn't a reason to not be turning in work. Amazing!

During my last block of the day, I had two students, head down, asleep. Within the first twenty minutes of class. Right after lunch. This is what I call, "Too high for school" syndrome. It usually sets in as soon as the lights are turned off for the overhead and almost always after lunch. Other associated symptoms include blood-shot eyes and flaming hot cheetos. Persistent symptoms may include the random raising of the hand in the middle of an explanation to ask: "Can I get some water?" or the declarative: "I have to pee." Ocassionally, "too high for school" may evidence in "very engaged" behavior. Such behavior may at first look like note-taking, but on closer inspection reveals itself to be a series of circles followed by seemingly erratic patterns. "Too high for school" is not to be taken lightly. Very often it leads to such conditions as "referral" or "several calls home." In severe cases, "too high for school" can lead to dropout or expulsion.


But what else? Well, then there's the "random" part of being a teenager. He's a roundup of the random, good things that teenagers did for me today:

• Put the books back and glared very obviously at the person who dumped the books (ha, no snitches needed!)
• Sat and talked to me one-on-one, believing that it was worth their time.
• Came in the room, singing "Hulloooo! Where were you on Friday?!"
• Pulled out a small, stuffed animal version of Pluto, clearly meant for someone else, but instead given to me as a gift.
• Analyzed the tone in a short paragraph when you know they didn't really want to.

Just a few. I like ending my day thinking about that. Much warmer...