Please don’t make fun of my story.
Every day, when you come to class, I ask you to put in your .02 cents worth. If everyone puts in, the class has a worth of about .50 cents. It seems, as of late, that people are not putting in their .02 cents. Some are coming to class and only pitching in .01 cent or nothing and some are even taking money from the pot. There is an attitude that is going around in class that is something like this: “It is not me, I’m not the problem. Well, those people over there are not doing____________ (Fill in the blank). Why are they (Tim/Marysol) picking on me? OMG, they are trippin. . .” If you feel this way, I have to take responsibility for allowing this attitude to take over. I let my guard down and it made you feel entitled . . . like you had the right to do the things that got you here.
If you are only putting in a penny or bringing nothing to class, YOU ARE HAVING AN EFFECT ON THE CLASS. It might not be much, but as a class, those pennies add up. If everyone only puts in a penny then the class is now only worth .25 cents. Talking about drugs, alcohol, gangs or violence is not okay. It is messing up my class and is taking money from the pot.
A lot of you probably think: “Man, Tim doesn’t do $#!t. He just sits there and eats his Cheerios.” Honestly, I earn my money by being patient. I’m gonna send this out, eat some more Cheerios and see what happens. Then, I’ll decide what to do next. One has already been “let go.” Some more are probably going to have to move on also. I am pretty loyal and willing to work with you. But, if you start making my life hard or are not willing to do the work or even hear me out, then what choice do I have??
Here is my list of complaints:
I don’t hate any of you. If I did, you wouldn’t be in my class. This is me asking for help . . . please. SO, DON’T GET MAD.
1. 1. Attendance- If you are absent more than 4 times in a 30 day period, you will be released. If it is excused, it doesn’t count. Four times in a month is being absent once a week . . . unacceptable. I mean, really?? Out once a week. . .
If you are going to be late, call. If you are later than 30 minutes, it is going to count as an absence. I don’t care if you call from downstairs before you walk in. If it’s busy, call again until you get through. No call=Absent. Call=Tardy
2. 2. “Your name here, please put your cell phone away.” If you hear me saying this to you more than twice a day, it is really starting to bother me. If you’re telling yourself it’s no big deal, I’m telling you that it is a big deal and this is an example of you taking from the pot. Your cell phone use and me having to CONSTANTLY deal with it changes my mood. I would rather be doing more positive things with my time.
3. 3. “Your name here, please stop talking.” If you hear me saying this to you more than twice a day, it is really starting to bother me. If you’re telling yourself it’s no big deal, I’m telling you that it is a big deal and this is an example of you taking from the pot. Your cell phone use talking and me having to CONSTANTLY deal with it changes my mood. I would rather be doing more positive things with my time finishing what I have to say/teach.
4. 4. Tagging- Some call it art. If it shows up in the classroom, I call it a suspension. Please don’t tag on the books, in the bathroom or on the furniture. If you are drawing on paper and throwing it away…cool, just bring your own paper. Let’s put the “F” back in art and everything will be A OKay. JK
5. 5. Cussing-Please stop cussing. There is a time and a place for that and it is not here. It is called “situational appropriateness”. I probably cuss as much as most of you, when I am not at work or around my kids. I think I have only cussed once or twice in class, my whole time here. My point is getting suspended for cussing is stupid. Don’t let it be you and you can control it.
This is my list of things we need to work on. And, I say “we” because I need to keep you guys on your toes and honest. Please respect what I am trying to do here. If you cannot, LMK or we’ll talk about it. One last thing, don’t take my laid back style as weakness . . . it’s not I’m just trying to be patient and see what happens.
