Chapter Thirty-Seven: Don't Be Fooled by their Size

Chapter 37: Don’t be Fooled by their Size

If you build it, they will come. By mid-November, word is out that we have two elementary classrooms. Most of our new incoming students this month have been under age ten, the youngest just turned seven. These small, appealing children are our most difficult. Have you ever seen those cartoons in which a cute baby is in a carriage under a blanket but then he pops his head up and he has a beard, is smoking a cigar and is really a criminal? My elementary students look as innocent as Popeye’s Sweet Pea, but their gangster personas are just below the surface. Elementary teacher Buffy told me yesterday when she caught tiny Jevon (age 8 but looks 5) taking her wallet from her purse, he laughed and told her “My daddy teached me that!” Oliver minus the musical numbers. . . .

The elementary students who come to Prospect are different from the middle schoolers. The behaviors that resulted in their referrals are similar – disrupting class, fighting, cursing – but they’re different academically and emotionally. The elementary students appear far more damaged and at the same time, more intelligent. With few exceptions, our elementary students are at or above grade level (unlike our middle school students who are, for the most part, more than one grade level behind). I am not an expert in mental illness, but I have done enough reading to suspect some of my elementary students suffer from undiagnosed mental illnesses including bipolar disorder, clinical depression and schizophrenia. Few of the elementary children have even gotten that label so popular with my middle schoolers: ADHD and the requisite medication. At minimum, most of my elementary students need a formal diagnosis, a Special Education designation (ESE in Florida speak).

In a couple cases, the public school started the process to get an ESE designation, but this is an expensive, time-consuming undertaking and it is faster, easier and cheaper to send these children to an alternative school. In public schools, the notoriously slow-moving ESE process is often sped up by assertive parents who stay on top of the process and pressure the school to adhere to the law and help their child. The parents and guardians of my students either lack the necessary knowledge or are too overwhelmed with other pressing concerns like feeding their families to advocate for their children. (Chip’s grandparents are the exception. From the moment Chip arrived at Prospect, his grandparents have been asking when we’ll complete his ESE testing.)

I complain to public school liaison Henry about the number of elementary children who are sent to me with half-completed ESE paperwork, along with the others who surely meet the criteria and have never been evaluated. Henry is sympathetic, but quotes the Federal Special Education law to me advising it is now MY responsibility to complete this process and the clock is ticking. I brush away the sense that Henry is more concerned with process than with outcomes. Counselor Rosie is knowledgeable about, and has a background in, ESE, but she doesn’t have the expertise equal to the people employed by the public school whose sole job is to work on ESE testing and, more importantly, Rosie doesn’t have the time. Henry does tell me he’ll send over a public school psychologist when I need the IQ and other psychological testing done, and Henry offers to send someone to train Rosie to handle these initial ESE referrals. All that is well and good, but the bottom line is that this mess is getting dumped in my lap. My bandwidth is already tapped-out and children who need mental health services, and perhaps even medication, are at Prospect getting fewer resources and no help.

Elementary teacher Midge is usually able to do lessons for most of the morning, but after lunch her goal is simply to keep the children from killing each other. For Buffy, every minute of the school day is a struggle. She doesn’t complain; she calls for a counselor early and often to remove misbehaving children. It is not unusual to find more of Buffy’s students in the counseling office than in her classroom.

Today there are nine boys in Midge’s class. Four have been here for a month or more:

Trey – age nine, great writer, often very moody in the afternoon, always hungry, stepfather sucked pacifier at open house.
Frankie – age nine, both parents in jail, living in homeless shelter, chronic toothaches, has threatened suicide.
Perry – age nine, often carries weapons, raped by cousin a few years ago.
Chip – age ten, living with grandparents, scratches face, injures self.

Trey, Frankie and Perry are very short and thin. They look much younger than they are. Chip is average weight and height. Bram, Trevor, Jaysen, Manny and Kareem are the new kids.

Bram, with flaming red hair, is short for a ten year old. Nine-year-old Jaysen is solidly built with very little hair. Both boys love Harry Potter and carry the books everywhere. It is not unusual to see Bram with a Harry Potter lightening bolt on his forehead. Bram is slow to anger, but when he is upset, he dissolves into uncontrollable hysterics, crying torrents of tears, screaming profanity and throwing things. Bram’s father has a drinking problem and moves in and out of the house. Bram does not like sports and usually refuses to participate. While the other boys play kickball, Bram sits on the grass under a tree, reading.

Jaysen has spent most of his school career out of the classroom suspended or in the Dean’s office. He uses his size to intimidate although both he and his mother are convinced he is always the victim.

Nine-year-old Trevor tests in the gifted range for reading, but refuses to read anything. His younger brother, Trent, is in Buffy’s class. They are two years apart and, except for their heights, could be identical twins. Trevor and Trent are both freckle-faced with puffy cheeks

Trevor and Trent’s mother is an incarcerated drug addict and according to their maternal grandmother, she has been on drugs for years but it took a long time before she was finally thrown in jail. Grandma began calling the police to report her daughter’s drug dealing and using before the boys were born. Now Grandma has custody of Trent, Trevor and their older sister, Muffy. Grandma looks shell-shocked. She admits she gives sleeping pills to the children every night otherwise she wouldn’t get any sleep. Grandma says the doctor prescribed them for her to give to the children. Little Trent has complained about the pills, he says they make him awaken in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep and it is dark and scary and he can’t get back to sleep.

Manny is our smallest student. He is an Hispanic eight-year-old third grader, but he looks like a preschooler. Manny is a brilliant student. He learns rapidly and is a proficient reader. The older students, especially the girls, think he is soooo cute, until he opens his mouth. Manny is fluent in profanity and very informed about sexual matters. The middle school girls like to pick him up and rub his curly black hair, but when he tells them how he would like to force anal intercourse on them (an act which he describes exclusively in vulgarities), the girls drop him and run. Manny’s mother denies any background of sexual abuse and contends Manny learned all his poor language at our evil school. She tells me Manny is a nice boy who used to attend a private Christian school until, after her divorce, she couldn’t afford it anymore. He is the oldest of four brothers and takes care of his younger siblings. Manny’s Mother is very pregnant and stops by my office several times a week to complain about the awful influence of my school and the bad role models the students are for her sweet, innocent son.

Kareem, age ten, like Jaysen, is a large, solid child with a round belly. But unlike Jaysen, Kareem can barely read. Bram, Jaysen, Trevor, Manny and Trey are all academically advanced and could be considered gifted. Perry is right on target academically. Frankie and Chip are close to grade level but their emotional problems prevent a reliable assessment of their abilities. Kareem has already been retained once. He is a ten year old fourth grader. He is upbeat and eager to learn, but his knowledge and skills are at least two grade levels behind. Here is what Kareem rarely does: sit in a chair.

Kareem and his half-brother, Raheem, both attend Prospect. Raheem is three grades ahead of Kareem but half his height and weight. Raheem has a bone disease. Staff and students are surprised when they learn the boys are related. Raheem and Kareem do not like each other and they don’t like sharing a father. They live with their paternal Grandmother, but frequently see their father who is an auto mechanic. Kareem can’t wait to quit school and work with his father. Grandma is sympathetic when Midge makes her weekly calls and mentions Kareem’s energy level.

This is how Grandma describes the typical evening in their home: Grandma and Raheem sit on the couch watching television. Kareem runs through the room shouting or singing. Kareem dances in front of the television so Grandma and Raheem can’t see it. When Grandma yells at him, Kareem unplugs the television set then dashes outside. Kareem takes medication for his ADHD but he is still wild. Kareem is rarely angry, although he is an expert at angering others. Kareem loves to draw pictures; several adorn my office walls. Between Trey, Frankie, Perry, Chip, Bram, Trevor, Jaysen, Manny and Kareen, Midge has her hands full.

A Reading lesson in Midge’s room

Every morning Midge tries to devote time to both independent reading and teacher-instructed reading.

It is 9:45 am. In Midge’s elementary classroom, the desks are arranged in a semi-circle; each student has his reading book open to a story about baseball. A friend of mine who teaches fourth grade in Central New York gave me ten copies of an outdated fourth grade reading book, so for now, every child has his own text. At first glance, this could be a typical reading lesson in any classroom. But look again.

Kareem is not sitting in his chair. Despite the warm weather, he wore his winter parka to school today. He spreads it out along two chairs and lies down. While his classmates read, Kareem kicks his legs in the air, tries to write on the underside of the desk, makes strange noises and plays hide-and-seek with his coat. Bram and Jaysen have their reading books open, but they are clearly reading other books; Bram is reading book three in the Harry Potter series; Jaysen is rereading book one. When Midge calls on them to read they have no idea what the story is about or where they should read, but once guided to the correct page, they read fluently. Perry is reading ahead in the reading book. He finished the baseball story, moved on to a tale about Paul Bunyan and now is reading a story about squirrels. It is Frankie’s turn to read aloud; he reads haltingly with many errors and looks like he is about to cry, but then Frankie always looks like he is about to cry. Chip refuses his turn to read aloud; he has one finger in the book following Frankie’s reading while his other hand holds a pen he is using to scribble hard on his forearm. Trey has a notebook “hidden” in his lap and when he isn’t called on to read, he is writing a story in the notebook. Manny is using colored pencils to color a picture of Rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer in a Christmas coloring book. Trevor has been slowly moving his desk out of the semi-circle and back toward “his” corner of the room. He doodles while he listens to his peers. Midge interrupts Frankie’s reading to correct his pronunciation and to ask comprehension questions about the story. She also admonishes Trey, Kareem, Manny, Trevor, Bram and Jaysen to pay attention. They ignore her or, in the case of Kareem, scream and kick. Midge ignores him.

Midge is uncomfortable addressing “off-task” behavior or misbehavior. Jaysen looks up from Harry Potter to make a comment to Manny, “Only babies believe in Rudolph and Santa Claus.” In an instant, Manny is out of his seat racing up behind Jaysen and punching him between the shoulder blades several times. Jaysen jumps out of his seat, knocks over his desk and, fists balled, shouts curse words at Manny. Manny laughs at him. Jaysen looks around and spies a bucket of crayons. He slings a fistful of crayons at Manny. Several crayons miss their mark and hit Trey. Trey grabs Manny’s green pencil, holds it like a spear and threatens to stab Jaysen. Frankie runs to the art table and curls in a ball and starts to moan and cry. Kareem jumps on the desk, swinging his coat in circles screaming “Manny started it.” Perry yells for everyone to “shut the fuck up.” When they don’t, Perry stomps into the bathroom, locks the door and begins to kick and punch the wall. Chip scrawls lines into his arm shouting “I’m telling.” Bram continues to read Harry Potter. Midge is rummaging through her desk looking for her walkie-talkie. Her desk is piled high with books, papers, half-eaten breakfasts, wrapped candy treats and confiscated items. She is supposed to wear her walkie-talkie but due to her obesity she can’t find a way to do so comfortably. It is not unusual for one of her students to grab the walkie-talkie and shout profanity before Midge can intercept. Midge finally finds the walkie-talkie under a glob of clay; she calls for a counselor.

This isn’t a bad morning in Midge’s elementary classroom, this is a typical day and, as I said, mornings are better in Midge’s elementary classroom; in the afternoon it is complete chaos.

Jaysen’s Mother phones the Principal

“When I made the decision to send Jaysen to your school I was told he would have smaller classes and counseling. Instead he is in a class with animals. He is beaten up daily and comes home with bruises. Now I know Jaysen can run his mouth. I asked him why he is running his mouth and he tells me he has to or the other kids will think he is a wimp. All that goes on in that class is fighting. No work, just fights. Jaysen is complaining that he is bored because he never gets any work, just fights. I know Jaysen cusses. What are you doing about his cussing? I don’t see consequences for cussing. Jaysen tells me his teacher has no control over the class. Jaysen says when he asks her for something, she forgets. Jaysen tells me he has no respect for his teacher. He has no respect for Lenny, his stepfather either. Jaysen is very angry that I married Lenny. Jaysen is smart, he loves learning; you need to keep him challenged. Right now we’re living in a one-bedroom apartment. We partitioned the dining room to make Jaysen’s bedroom. There isn’t much privacy. We’re on a waiting list for a two bedroom place. I know Jaysen needs counseling but his real Dad won’t help pay the $500 deductible so we need to wait. I know Jaysen has a real bad temper.”

As I listen to Jaysen’s mother’s monologue, I write a note to Midge asking her to be sure Jaysen is given challenging work, especially homework. I write notes to counselors Rosie and Rusty asking them to talk to Jaysen about his feelings toward his stepfather. As a team we have discussed the topic of profanity many times. We have a point system which is somewhat effective with our middle schoolers, but not with our elementary students. The elementary students need behavior modification that is concrete and immediate. Manny, who is desperate to play volleyball, has been told he needs to go one day without using profanity. So far, he can’t last an hour. We need to do better. . . .

I can see what needs to be done with our elementary students, and I even have ideas on how to do it, but so far my ideas are not really working. I’ve observed and coached Buffy and Midge. I’ve taught model lessons in their classrooms and debriefed them post-lesson. I’ve given them hand-outs and books on classroom management and interactive lessons. We’ve met to discuss challenges and how to overcome them. We’ve reworked the schedule and behavior reinforcement schemes. None of this seems to be making a difference or, if it is, the changes are too small and slow. I’m not sure Buffy could cope with a classroom of regular education students despite her degree in Elementary Education and Midge is doing her best, but she’s really an art teacher, and isn’t able to provide what these children need.

What I need are experienced elementary teachers certified in Special Education. I have spoken with Special Education teachers, but they are in high demand in public schools and, at a minimum, require at least twice the salary of my current teachers. Even then, they really aren’t particularly interested in teaching at Prospect. Midge’s daughter has a degree in Special Education and is teaching in a public school an hour’s drive north of Lakeboro. Midge picks her brain asking for ideas and suggestions. Her daughter once paid a visit to our campus and, at my urging, Midge asked her daughter if she would like to teach at Prospect. Suffice it to say she won’t be joining us in my lifetime.

So how do we do better? True Buffy and Midge don’t have the training to teach these children and although I’ve tried some interventions, this hasn’t made a difference in their approach. I could send them to a teacher training but is there one that would help? And how much does it cost? And what do I do with the students left behind? And given that Buffy just graduated college without learning the basics of classroom management, would it make a difference?

My counselors, Rosie and Rusty share my concerns about Buffy and Midge and together we devise a plan: Rosie, Rusty and I will try to spend some time every day in both Buffy and Midge’s classrooms. We will give immediate, specific feedback on what is going well and how to improve. Rosie and Rusty will focus on behavior management techniques while I focus on helping choreograph exciting, energetic, hands-on lessons. Our discussion and plans make us feel very optimistic. Rosie says her first feedback for Buffy will be to hang something on the walls of her classroom. Buffy’s walls are bare, no posters or student work. This is in sharp contrast to Midge’s room. Midge the artist has a few commercial posters but mostly her walls are covered with her students’ art: paintings, collages, murals. Rosie gathers some posters to take to Buffy.