Apologies

So I have this kid (not on my caseload) in my LA class. He's a junior so this is the third year of having him. He is a troubled soul and that is starting to catch up to him. A little background (and I've talked about him before): First, he's a child of divorce, he didn't have a relationship with his father who was apparently an alcoholic, his father died, I believe, when this kid first came to the HS and he's ADHD, unmedicated. His mother apparently works 70 hours a week so is not home a lot and there isn't a lot of supervision with this kid. I know for a fact that he does drugs, smokes and has lately gotten in trouble with the law (caught sneaking out, actually back in, after taking his mother's car and staying out all night...he doesn't have his license btw).

Anyway - this kid has never passed a class of mine. He does no work in my class even though I basically take anything from him no matter how late (although it has to be within the current quarter) and still he has an 18% in my class. I've gotten to the point (and this is so unlike me) where I allow him to sleep in class because if I don't, he's disruptive and I'm constantly having to tell him to quit the behaviors that stem from his ADHD which affects my teaching the other kids. The only real expectation I have of this kid is to come to class on time and be in his seat with his materials when the bell rings.

So last week - Wednesday - he was late. His friend came in and told me he was going to be late because he was talking to his girlfriend in the hallway. So when he came in after the bell rang, he said, "Do I have to go to the office?" Me: Yup. So he goes and comes back (obviously pissed) without a note. He said he was with the VP but he kicked him out of his office without a note. I tried calling the VP - not to verify this but to let him know he why he was late - but of course he didn't answer. I was moving on in class and as I walked behind the kid, he said something snide that I didn't hear and so I asked him to repeat it. He just smirked so I said, "You know what? I don't want you in my class...why don't you just go back down to the office?" And he responded with, "Why don't I just go back down to the fucking office?" And then I repeated that (oops) and that was that. Typical typical. He got suspended for a couple days and finally came back yesterday.

Yesterday, (he has me 6th period and then has a 7th period study hall) he came in 7th to get the work from the period before. He didn't have his binder where the materials were located because he "left it in his friends car" and could I print out the questions? Sure! I did and then he realized he didn't have a pencil. So I said, "Here, you can use this pencil." And then he started walking out of the room...and then he paused turned back around and came to my desk. He said, "Mrs. Hanke? I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the other day. I shouldn't have acted like that...I was just in a bad mood." I said, "Thank you...I appreciate that and we're good...no hard feelings...the past is the past." He then said, "Oh, okay! Thanks." This kid...he's such a jerk sometimes but I actually like him. He's just had a really shitty shake in life and doesn't know how NOT to head down the wrong path. Poor kid.  I worry about his so much because with the track he's on, he'll either be dead or in jail in a matter of years. And so many have given up on him...even me in some ways. It's just hard when he gives so little to those of us who have tried to get him straightened out. Ugh...failure on everyone's part. 

Okay - on that lovely note...time to get a move on. Happy Wednesday! Later!