am I a slacker?

Tomorrow's home instruction lesson with L'il Cholo? We're going to the movies to watch The Da Vinci Code. Am I a slacker?

I was never going to read that book but he convinced me to, and now I'm trying to get HIM to read the book and the movie is a first step.

The funniest part? When I explained that this would be one of our 2-hour days (I meet with him 5 hours per week - it'll be more like 3+ hours but I'll get paid for 2), he seemed disappointed that it was taking the place of a workday. I said I'd meet him inside (his mother insisted that he buy my ticket, which of course I felt is not fair), and he said he'd be buying me popcorn and candy.

This kid hates school and hates authority. That's why I find it so funny that he doesn't seem to hate me. I have no idea why he doesn't.

Today in 4th period - which has gone from my WORST class to my best - I actually look forward to seeing them every day - I decided my new classroom management strategy is to be the craziest person in the room. This is quite a challenge with the kid we call Poncho Cachondo (the name of his dog), who is pretty damn crazy. So, I've started blurting out and doing the strange sorts of things he does regularly. It's good to keep 'em on their toes and not take me for granted. I'm already a little annoying, so soon they'll be begging me to be normal, boring me.

Unfortunately for 5th period, the crazy doesn't wear off. Not a high point of my teaching career was the moment when a student said to me, "Could we just focus on this work right now!? Is this right??" because I was playing with his gelled hair (how much do you put IN!? a whole bottle every day??) instead of listening to his concerns about getting the dialogue typed right. (I must not have bugged him too much since I eventually had to kick him out of my classroom when I had to go do other things after school.)

Another low point of my teaching career - yesterday busting a kid for STEALING ANOTHER KID'S WORK OFF MY DESK (probably to copy it). I wrote him a referral in order to protect him from my wrath. This is "It's Cuz," and I didn't get a single excuse, so I knew I nailed him. BUT, he didn't go to the office with the referral - he went home. (He was deeply shamed, I could tell.) So, I wrote him another one and had a security escort to greet him this morning.

DON'T FUCK WITH YOUR INTEGRITY IN MY AIRSPACE!

Flanders, the Assistant Principal, is about to get some wrath as well. He's a passive aggressive nit-picker, and I'm about to jump down his throat and tell him no. I already blow him off, which he said even, but if he doesn't back off and stop trying to tell me what to do then I'll really let him have it. What do I have to lose?

Bring it on, passive aggressive boy. I got plenty of crazy to go around.