Portfolios and Punches

Tuesday, May 16, 1995

A pleasant (Valley) morning this was, beginning Act One, Scene One of Romeo and Juliet with the Nines. First period was slow on the "stop" uptake (we read the play aloud, with any member of the class who suddenly feels lost crying out "stop!" so that we can discuss what is going on); but second period zeroed right in. Both classes found the sexual innuendo between Sampson and Gregory funny (and blush-inducing); they truly are the contemporary groundlings. They laughed and "got" it. I think I have them hooked. This will help the next few (final few) weeks pass.

At the beginning of third period, I had three members of the class assist me in bringing in my computer gear from the car. The only way I can do a full-on HyperStudio portfolio creation with the 4/4H's is to bring in my computer, a multimedia Mac that will allow us to create QuickTime movies and import sound for the HyperStudio stacks. Otherwise, attempting to capitalize on HyperStudio's multimedia abilities would be futile. As I hooked up the computer gear, they worked on their group House Made of Dawn projects.

[Massive digression alert: House Made of Dawn, a Native American novel we are reading as part of our multicultural CoreLit requirement (not that it isn't a fine piece of lit... it is.), appeared on last week's Advanced Placement exam, on the open response essay. The students who took the exam, for the most part, felt very well prepared for the writing sections (I will take a bow), but felt they died on the multiple choice (I'll take the arrow... he dies, gassing, "If I'd only had more time...." Maybe next year we'll do better, with a full year to prepare the seniors.).

[Thus, now the class works on HMD activities. I try to vary the approaches to the novels and play with each new one we tackle. There is no use getting into a rut in the senior year. Frankenstein had group presentations, Pygmalion had a read-aloud/discussion, Brave New World had individual presentations of study guides and discussion sessions, and now HMD will have group projects.]

As I was hooking up gear and going over the QuickTime (computer-based video), scanning, and sound input needs of the students for their Electronic Portfolios, I heard a scuffling outside the door. I looked out to find two male students going at it. One was already being pulled off the other. The one who had taken the worse of it was being held back/up by my nextdoor neighbor Jane, the once and future-no-more French teacher, and the other student was heading off. A girl was leaving with him, and the young man who pulled him off was leaving as well, albeit in a slightly different direction. Further back down the hall was Cookie Harris, shouting out the name of escaping attacker. Angel. I love irony.

Cookie continued to call after him, Jane stared after him, and I was the only male teacher out in the hall. Few are called, fewer still call back. So I went after him. I walked after him (and the sweatshirted girl at his side). I will not run after a perp, but I will close the distance, keep him in sight, and hopefully get some campus-supervisor back-up. No such luck today.

By the end of the hall, I called out, "Excuse me, sir."

He glanced over his shoulder but kept walking.

"Excuse me. Angel."

Another glance. Eye contact. Locked on. He waited for my move, but continued walking, watching.

"I'm sorry, but I've got to take you up to the front office." No stop. Kept walking. No longer even looking back at me. I quickened my pace. His buddy/puller called out, giving up. "Forget it, Angel. Just go in." Angel's first words:

"Fuck that." I knew how he felt. He turned the corner and was heading for the gate.

"You're going to need to come with me," I called out again, knowing this was going to be futile or become ugly.

Not even glancing over his shoulder now. "Don't even try to stop me." Closer to the gate.

"Excuse me?"

"You come near me and I'll fuck your ass up." His hand was on the fence now. If I rushed him I could tackle him. Without back-up. Shit. His girlfriend was staring at me. I must have looked like I was seriously considering it because she took off quickly, leaving him behind, heading down the next hall.

"You threatening me?" I always like getting verification; it tends to help in the writing of referrals if you have direct quotes.

It was a yes-or-no question, but he simply repeated his earlier statement. Retouch me and I'll fuck your ass up." On the fence now, climbing it. A jump on my part and I could have grabbed his foot. The Lost Action Zero part of me feels I should have done it; it would have been an effort, plus I could have tripped him up, causing to take a nasty header onto the parking lot pavement. But I didn't.

I'm not sure what I said exactly as he started off across the parking lot, but it was enough to provoke a "Fuck you" as he walked off.

"Yeah, real easy to say that, walkin' away," I called out after him.

"Fuck you," again.

"Come back and try it." What the hell was I thinking? And he was gone.

I spent the next fifteen minutes taking the other fighter up to the office, getting his side of the story (Angel had come to Jane's class with a message for Edgar [this kid], and Jane--sweet, not thinking--let him go, and a minute later was pulling Edgar away from the jealous Angel [all this over one of the two fighters' sister]), delivering Edgar to Kennedy, and heading back to my own class to write up the referral on the other student, outlining the threat of physical violence made on my person (This threat of physical violence upon the person of a teacher by a student is an expellable infraction. We'll see if that happens.).

Thank god it was my third period class. Second period would have gone berserk in my absence. Third period kept right on working, and by the end of the period, I was showing them computer techniques to use on the portfolios and signing them up for time slots to work on my computer. It's a shame we don't have the necessary hardware (and at times software, as well) to complete these types of assignments. If I had a scanner at home, I'd bring that, too. I don't, so instead, I'll probably have to collect all the stuff the students want scanned and take them over to Kevin at Adult Ed ‘cross town, and scan it in myself. What a school.

I don't know what I find more disturbing: a student pulling another student out of a class to wail on him, a student making a physical threat against a teacher (and, no, it's not my first), or the sorry-ass lack of materials for student and teacher use on campus. Pathetic.

Funny, though. Last week, I would have said something to the effect of "Fuck it...I'm outta here... that’s the last straw... kiss my hairy white butt goodbye." Today, I just see it as another part of the enemy, the status quo, that must be defeated. It's almost like I still want to fight this war.

Scary.