Nerds R Us

First of all I have to share my answers on the nerd test.



It is really cute... some questions.... let's just say I couldn't really find an answer for them.

On another note, I have to tell you about 2 little nerds in my class.

Nerd #1 is a sweet boy who is picked on by everyone. We have sat down and talked about it and I've made the AP and counselors aware. Apparently he used to get beat up but that has stopped for the time being. Let me tell you that this kid is really going somewhere. I guess he has self-esteem issues, but with a little encouragement, he can really be someone special. For a few days I was focusing a lot of my energy on how to take care of him and make him feel special without drawing attention to him or letting the rest of the class know about it. We also decided on a sign that would be his way of telling me that something was bothering him, without him having to actually say anything and although he hasn't used it yet, I'm hoping he has enough trust in me to feel a little more comfortable in my classroom.

Then.... the full moon happened.

Nerd #2 is loud obnoxious and not quite the sharpest tool in the shed. He came in on the full moon day and exchanged some hateful words with another nerdy boy that I only heard about in a he said-she said conversation so I basically dismissed the whole thing. I dismissed it because I wasn't going to play that game, and I also dismissed it because frankly, I didn't care. Then, when I told the boys to go sit down, Nerd #2 throws his hoodie over his head and plops down in his desk and won't move.... won't take the hoodie off and I realize there is something really wrong. The bell rings a few minutes later and he still stays. I told him if he was going to stay, he had to talk to me. After a few minutes, he just started crying about the whole life's not fair thing and then going into to the "he always calls me bad words" speech. I felt so bad for him, but I explained that he can't say it back... it's just not right. Nerd #2 shut down again.

Well, this kid has a lot of issues going on in his head and I don't even want to know what they all are, but I want to try to help his middle school mind sort them out a bit. I thought of a plan I saw one time where a teacher wrote to this student in a journal that was just between them. I offered the idea to him and he looked questionable at first, but then I explained that no one will know about it and that he can write anything he wanted to in it. I suggested writing at least twice a week or so. We made a plan that he would take my attendance on the computer and then drop off his journal on my desk... then, the next day, I would leave it on my desk and he would pick it up after taking attendance again. He didn't seem overly thrilled with the idea, but I gave him a journal,walked him to the bathroom so he could clean up, and then I took him to his next class. I just hoped in my head that he would bring the spiral back the next day.

Who would have guessed that after that next period, he had already filled out 3/4 of a page about the whole incident and telling me that it felt good to be able to write it all down. Its amazing when you get a student to write down what's in their head instead of some silly warmup, how much emotion can be shown and how much learning can happen. As of now, he has already given me 2 entries and I just finished writing him back again. I think this is going to be a good year for both of us and you know what I decided? If he is the only student that I actually succeed in helping make a future for, well, then I think I can cross my arms, sit back and relax because I really did change a life.

Now... if I could only get my 7th grade basketball team to understand how to aim when you shoot the ball, life would be grand!

- coach b!