I had another student today having an attitude attack. I teach a young man that attends the infamous 8th period class. He has turned in no work in three weeks. His average is 0. Yesterday, they had to write a 5 paragraph essay for 50 minutes. He wrote 1 paragraph. He shut his laptop down and put his stuff away at 10 minutes to the bell. I informed him we work until the bell rings. He ignored me. He is standing around, distracting the students who were working, and generally being a pain in the you-know-what. I told him to sit 4 times. He ignored me each time.
Of course, I kept him after class. I asked him to sit again. He said no, he didn't have to and he is not my puht.
Puht?!!!!
I asked him to sit down so I could discuss the problem. He said no and that I can't make him do work because he doesn't want to do it and he is not my puht.
Puht?!!!!!
I am in "oh, no, he didn't" mode and went to close the classroom door. I explained that I have the authority to tell him to sit in my class. I have a job to do and if he is not sitting, working, and listening he is interfering with my job as an educator. And that is against the law in Texas. A one-hundred-and-fifty-dollar-fine. So if I want him to sit, he will sit. And work. And listen. And I asked him what on earth is a puht?!! (I thought maybe it was a Hispanic thing. All in all, most Hispanic students are very respectful and very sweet.)
He was saying pet.
Is asking a student to sit down in a seat an unreasonable request? It's not like I was asking him to stand on his head. I just wanted him to sit down in his seat. He could talk to other students...the bell was about to ring. I said it forcefully, but not demeaning. Well, maybe by the 4th time I was frustrated, but I was not demeaning.
I made him practice "yes, ma'am" and "no, ma'am" a couple times and let him leave.
Today, again, he did not work. I contacted the parental unit and the principal.