I like to think that while I work with the "troubled" students, that I also work with some highly intelligent students. They are often misunderstood and cannot function in a traditional school setting. This morning I was taught a vocabulary lesson by a new student. Today makes day number 2 in my program for this particular student. Yesterday was fine and dandy. The student was here alone. I also have the student's best friend in my program. They were told that during "working" time they were to work at opposite ends of the room and are not allowed to talk.
So 10:00 rolls around and my aide asks the two to separate and the new student goes into a blind rage. I have never heard such lovely (insert your sarasm here) adjectives to describe my co-worker. The student strung them together like she was writing a descriptive paragraph.
I walked through the house (my program is run out of a converted house) and ask the new student, "What has gotten you so upset?" After listening to the response, I reply, "You were told yesterday that when your friend returned that you two would not be allowed to work next to each other. I need one of you to please move. The friend got up and started to move when the new girl described me in 2 words. I can honestly say that I have never been called these two words (to my face) by anyone, let alone a student. I was caught off guard, but quickly recalled a conversation I had with one of the probation officers shortly after taking this job.
"You'll be called a lot of things, but you have to let it slide off your back. You haven't made it in this career [meaning working with juvenile delinquents] until you have been called a 'F&#$ing B@$#%."
So I guess I have finally "made it" in my career. And all because I asked a student to move.
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