lent?

This year I thought that for lent I would work on getting Josh through the academy. It wouldn't really be taking on anything more, but then I'm already doing so much, right?

Today was a lot better, subbing the emotionally disturbed kids I mean. No one climbed on the cabinets, although one spent 5 minutes in a cabinet, and most of them did some work most of the time. There was no real curriculum, so I made up worksheets last night and will have to do the same thing again tonight.

I got to know the kids a bit more today too. Some are in foster care, some aren't, and one is from a really rich home. One is on probation for breaking and entering. The one who had such foul things to say yesterday, well, his mom is a prostitute and that's where he learned those horrible things. Some are addicted to drugs (although not currently allowed to use) and all of them go to this school that looks very reminisant of a jail with tall bars around it and white hallways. This school is the middle step between Juvie and normal school. Some are coming up from Juvie, and some are on their way down. They are still emotionally disturbed, and I was warned in the teacher's lounge today to make sure that they don't steal my stuff or pinch my bottom (apparently they do these things) ... but they're just 11 and 13 year-old-boys. They're kids.

Moreover, they are kids with very unstable lives. And their lives just got more unstable when their last teacher got fired. (Teachers are not allowed to touch the students, and this teacher was playing tackle football with them after he had been told not to do so). Today was better, I think, just because it wasn't my first day there. I came back, which shocked everyone, and the kids respond to an adult, any adult, sticking around in their lives. No one sticks around for them.

I've also come to really value IEP's! I have a student and part of his IEP is that whenever he gets too mad he can walk out to the left of the classroom and stand in the hall until he cools down. And for him, that is a REALLY good IEP.

Anyways, we were talking about Lent. I think that I'm going to stick around these kids for forty days. I think that these are kids that Jesus cares about and these kids have no one else to love them. Jesus gave up his life for these kids. I can give up a few days for them as well. The principal is thrilled that I came back a second day and she said that I'm welcome to come back and sub them until I decide not to. So tomorrow I'm going to go back again. Hopefully the principal and the other middle school teacher will be able to find teacher's books in the subjects. Hopefully we'll find the students some books too. Because they were so good with the one hermit crab today, I think that I'll bring in some more and we'll study hermit crabs a little more in depth (until I can find their science curriculum).

One of my boys is at a second grade reading level. I asked him if he wanted me to teach him to read. He said yes, so I think that I will.

Josh is doing well, I think. He is tired though. They got a lot of physical discipline and they lost another class sergeant again too. So they're done to 59 people. Josh is really tired! Josh passed both the test yesterday and the test today - so that's really really good. He only got 1 RIR today too. I think that he had a decent day. Well, I'm going to go and change his laundry and see what else I can do for him. love ya'll!