I am in Houston for five weeks at the Teach for America summer institute. We spent the first week in what is called "curriculum" training. In short, it is teacher 101. Everything from objective setting, to lesson plan design, to classroom management. The days are long. I am up at 5am and do not get home until 5. Evenings are spent reading curriculum and preparing lessons. It is physically and mentally draining.

But this week was the payoff. My own classroom. I teach one 45 minute period a day. I am teaching 7'th grade social studies to a group of 23 students (mostly boys) who are in summer school for a variety of reasons. Some failed their TAKS test (Texas standardized test). Others did not fulfill grade requirements to pass. Others are their for "enrichment." All my students are wonderful.

The first day was a complete disaster. I was not prepared. Mistake #1: not having a seating chart. Mistake #2: not having an efficient system to hand out papers and pens. Mistake #3: not having something for them to do when they had finished their diagnostic. Mistake #4: being too nice. Needless to say, I got walked over.

But I learned, and did something about it. Monday night I was up until two. I made each student a folder with an envelope attached to it (that they could put their pens in). In the folder, I put the handout for the next day, blank paper, a pen, and an individualized note for each student. Writing 23 individualized notes took forever, but I think it was worth it, because it started a dialogue with my students. I used the information from the student interest survey and asked them individual questions like: Who is your favorite Houston Rocket? or Who is the best dancer on TV? Lastly, I made a seating chart, splitting up the more talkative students from each other.

When they walked in on Tuesday, there was no messing around. They sat at the desk with their folder on it and class began. They had a "do now" activity to do right away. We went over the agenda, spent 20 minutes on rules, and began the lesson. Tuesday was great.

"Steven": "Steven" was a student in my class. I learned about his background from a permanent faculty member at my school. He had a history of severe behavior problems. He was suspended in the earlier summer school session for threatening a teacher. He has nothing at home. His parents simply do not care. When asked to write about where he will be in ten years, Steven said he would have raped 5 women and would probably be in jail for selling drugs. On Monday, when asked by a science teacher what he wanted to learn, he said he wanted to learn how to build bombs in order to hurt people.

Steven created problems immediately in my class. He did not do his work, and was constantly distracting his classmates. I practiced what I had been learning in curriculum. Instead of just punishing him, I gave them choice. I would say, "Steven, you already received your warning. You have two options. You may continue to distract "Bill" and receive a lunch detention. Or, you can follow the rules. Okay?" One minute later, Steven was turned in his desk distracting Bill. So, I said, "You chose to distract Bill after I had asked you not to when you knew it would result in a lunch detention." Lunch detention was a disaster. He refused to engage me when I asked him about why he was serving detention. He actually stood up and walked away from the cafeteria table he was serving detention at. I was not about to touch him, so I followed him into the bathroom. I followed him out. The security guard saw this, and asked him what was going on. Steven said I was "acting like a jerk. That's what was going on." After some effort, we got him to sit back down, and he served the rest of his detention in silence. This was Tuesday.

Today was Thursday, and Steven was absent. Today I learned that Steven was suspended, resulting in his retainment in the seventh grade. Today was also the best day of class. I got farther than I ever would have had Steven been in class. Instead of administering a detention, I was able to work one-on-one with a student who was having trouble understanding the difference between primary and secondary sources. It is a tough call. If we are trying to reach every student, what should we do? Do we insist on reaching every student, no matter the consequences? What if 1 student is holding up 22 others? Teach for America wants to move all children forward, but what is the best way to do that? Part of me wants to drop the Stevens, because we'll get so much farther with the rest. Part of me is pissed off that I do not have the opportunity to get Steven under control and on the way to success.

"Porno": On Wednesday, I was finishing a pretty good lesson on the three types of primary sources: oral, visual, and print. With two minutes left, I was wrapping up. I asked the class to recall what were some examples of visual sources. Someone on the right side of the room yelled out "porno." I responded immediately. In my sternest teacher voice, and with my sternest teacher face, I asked, "Who said that?" No response. Thinking back, the look on those kids faces was pretty funny. They had not seen Mr. Moore visibly pissed off. I had their attention more than ever before. "Okay," I said, "I know it came from this part of the room. These two rows will stay after class with Steven until we find out who said it." I had a student leader, "Devon", take the class to lunch. I pulled up a chair, and sat in front of the two rows. "Well, who wants to own up?" Again, the blank faces. I noticed that "Keisha" looked terrified, even though I knew she hadn't said it. I had the students take out a piece of paper and write one of the following: I said the word, I don't know who said the word, or ______ said the word. Then I let them go.

Based on their responses that I read last night, it was obvious that "Greg" was the culprit. Greg wrote on his piece of paper "Maybe satan said it." Other students named him. I wrote him an individualized note that said I thought he was the one who said the word, but that I could not prove it. I expected him to be a man, and own up to what he had done. I had learned earlier in the week that Greg's mother had gone into remission with cancer. I told him in the note, that I knew he was dealing with pain, but that that did not give him a write to disrespect my class. After class today, Greg was walking out. I held him back, asking if he had anything to say. He said no, and "I swear to God it wasn't me." I told him I was dissapointed, and then let him go. I think I'm just going to let it go.

I am tired, but am looking to finishing the week strongly. I love being a teacher so far. I love the challenge. I am also impressed by the rigour of the TFA program. There is almost always at least one observer in my class. The curriculum teacher is phenomenal. My CMA (a teaching coach) pushes me very hard. I am happy and tired. I am glad tomorrow is Friday, but I am thinking about next Monday.

Signing out, Mr. Moore