Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Good and Bad (05/07/09)
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TITLE: Q-TIP | Previous Challenge Entry
By Karey Schaitel
05/08/09 -
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Mrs. Janelle Brighton reflected on these words once again from the training session at the beginning of the school year as the new Geometry teacher of Center High School in Seattle's inner city, as she took a breath and attempted to interact with Joey Barris, A.K.A. the self-proclaimed class bully.
"I do not argue with students. Joey, please have a seat or make your way to the office."
Joey sat down slowly and grudgingly while whispering a comment to his friends about how "this class sucks and so does your teaching" still managing to receive the much sought-after attention he wanted from the class at the outset.
Scenarios like this had been played out time and again for almost seven months with calls to parents, detentions, and in-school suspensions doled out on a regular basis, but to no avail. With each passing day, Joey's attitude grew worse, disturbing the students while leading to an increasingly tense classroom setting.
"Please turn in you books to page 551 and begin the review homework on the Pythagorean theorem," Mrs. Brighton said as she sat down to e-mail the principal about the recent disturbance. "Lord, how am I going to get through to this student while still teaching the others?" she prayed. "I know Dr. Menlow will want a suggestion of a suitable punishment. But nothing has seemed to work." And then it occurred to her, suddenly and with tremendous clarity, how prayers often seem to be answered.
The next day, Mrs. Brighton arrived cheerfully but uncharacteristically late to class. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt instead of her normally well-put-together outfit. The usually talkative class started to become curiously quiet, as Mrs. Brighton took her seat in the back of the classroom.
The students began to question her about when class was going to start, while she remained silent. Some of the more conscientiousness students, including the class tutor, Jeremy Hall, wondered aloud about the upcoming test.
Guessing the teacher's plan to not teach today, Joey rose to address the class. He began a long monologue about how "this school is so dumb and the teachers are stupid." He talked about his plans for the weekend to go out and "party". He discussed how he would be so glad when school was over and he could party all summer "with my homeboys". Laughter and knuckle knocks all around.
Some of the students began to get restless, remembering the importance of their grades on the upcoming test. Many of the students formed a group around Jeremy, knowing he would certainly help them learn the material.
Joey and his buddies began to discuss their plans to skip class quietly, as they glanced over at Mrs. Brighton now engrossed in a magazine. Stealthily, in the quiet chaos, five of the students slipped out of the room.
Calmly, Mrs. Brighton rose and stood in the front of the room to address the class. "Attention, students. I want to congratulate you all for passing the good student test. The remaining students in this room will be allowed to continue. The rest of your colleagues have chosen the bad student route and will not be allowed to return to this class." Ten seconds of silence was followed by a smattering of applause and then by loud cheers.
Joey and his group watched the clock carefully and returned to a locked classroom. Five Q-tips and a note were attached to the door.
The note read: "You have decided to quit this class, and I'm not taking it personally, Mrs. Brighton."
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