Run in with the Law

Friday was a relatively good day, especially considering it had been an abnormally long week and the day was going by without incident. But then I talked with my AP in the teacher's lounge.

She was telling us why it was that there had been two police cars at our school the entire morning. Turns out, this kid decided to put his hand through a window of a school bus on the way to school that morning. When we asked her who it was, she said "Darious."

My heart sank as I realized it was my Darious, a student who had been in SAC (in-school suspension) the past few days. A student with whom I had experienced significant challenges since the beginning of the school year, but together with his parents, was actually making progress with.

Now Darious was facing a $500 citation from the Alief PD, along with a bill for the bus window. To top it off, my AP informed me that the reason he was in SAC the day before was because he had gotten in a fight with another student (which I had no idea about) and had been issued a $500 citation for assault in that case.

I have no doubt that Darious will be moved to ALC (alternative school) come Monday, though my AP didn't say one way or another. Darious's mother works for the Houston Independent School District, so will most likely want him pulled into an alternative learning environment.

It's just so confusing to me, because I have yet to experience Darious's unbridled rage in my classroom. But, due to his bewildering behavior outside my class, all the progress that I've made with him will now come to an end.

Unfortunately, this is the reality in my classroom; students come and go like clockwork. I have come to realize how true the saying is that your time with your students is limited. This inspires me to work extra hard today to make sure every minute of class this week is spent teaching my students the skills they need to carry them far in life.

The truth is, I never know from one day to the next who my students will be.