I need a new job.

The most disheartening things about middle and high school students:

* They have to say something.  Even if it wasn't a question.  Even if no response is required, desired or appropriate.  Do they need someone to be interested in what they are about to say?  No.  They just need to say it.  Do they wait until they have something intelligent or amusing?  No.  They just cannot SHUT UP.  Self restraint?  What's that?

*  They are insincere.  You know they are only gathering information to mock you with, but your manners are better than theirs, and they are taking full advantage.  They do it to each other, they do it to adults in the hallway, they also do it to substitutes.  Not to burst your bubble if you thought they genuinely liked you, but they don't.  To me, it seems the only kids who truly, legitimately seemed to like me and not just act like they did, loudly and falsely in the company of their peers, were kids who were trouble, and I didn't let them get away with it.  It is a strange world.

*  They are selfish and unrealistic.  They truly think that their rights are being violated when they are separated from their friends for talking incessantly, but it never occurs to them that by disrupting class, they are interfering with the rights of others.  They really don't think that.  They are only interested in fairness when it works in their favor.

I hate it when parents A>  Think their kid is nice, and not one of those kids.  It's those friends of his who start it.  (Sure.)  B> Hate their kid's behavior, complain about it, and then act like it's just some force of nature that must be endured, rather than corrected.  WHO IS THE ADULT?  I have to actively parent my kids.  Sometimes, that means taking away something that makes them happy.  Sometimes that means missing a nice meal because you are sitting in the car with a rotten kid.

And then I have to spend all day with someone else's kids, most of whom think they are in charge of the whole school - and me.

Round two was the high school band director.  The first thing I found out was that he spends the second half of the day at the middle school.

Stop laughing.  It's not funny.

The first hour was the greatest.  The assistant band director conducted, and I went out with the Color Guard, to make sure they didn't hit anyone.  Second hour was music theory.  Not my finest.  Several people hadn't brought book or assignment to be finished.  Two of them were sent to the office by ME, for arguing with me about whether they should work quietly on other homework.  A third was moved for disruptive behavior.  He then proceeded to throw his pencil across the room.  He was outraged when I wouldn't let him retrieve it, but he did sit quietly, not doing his work, for the rest of the hour. 

I thought that was bad, but little did I know that the next class was a group of study hall kids.....and the in-school suspension kids.  There were 10 of them, which is ridiculous.  Also insane to be handing them over to a sub.  If that weren't enough, and it was plenty, I was scheduled to take them to the common area.  Yes, that's right.  I had to take these two groups and travel with them to a new area.  Fortunately, the study hall kids were good kids.  They sorta had to watch themselves.  The miscreants immediately seated themselves together, knowing that they are not permitted to be, and refused to move.  I had to ask another teacher for the kids' names to write them up, and while I was doing that for one boy, he (the teacher) ended up sending another one to the office.  The kicker:  he asked me to watch his class while he escorted him.  Now I had three groups.  Fantastic.

Then I got to go to the middle school.

The assistant band director assured me of what an easy day I would have, since she was conducting class, and I was just "policing" her "trouble spots" for her.  I recognized many of the trouble kids.  The girls were the worst.  The boys were unruly and couldn't shut up, but the girls brought snotty to a new level.  I have never seen anything that filled me with so much disgust, and I'm not kidding.  I came home trying as hard as I could to figure out how to NOT send my kids to middle school.  It was a long, long, long afternoon.  When I was leaving for the day, the assistant band director said, "I know it doesn't seem like you were helpful today, but it really was a help to me."  Well, it sure FELT like work....

Enough of that.

We had a very LONG meeting at taiko, and I have new motivation to spread the word about taiko and all it's glory, so be expecting that soon.  I will also be writing the next newsletter.

Before I get into that this afternoon, though, I need to go and get a haircut. 

In other news, I'm making a new recipe of potatoes and pork chops tonight.  I've been listening to new music.  Wanna hear?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQhS7D5n2Us&feature=related  Yes, seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghbxPJ_Yr6E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Six7Tj6MJU4&feature=relmfu  This song is almost certainly dirty.  :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LxMW_t3l5k&feature=g-all-c

Have a wonderful Wednesday!!!