I appreciate and admire the ones who stood up to the behavior. I am also finding the main blogger's comments helpful!
There is a remnant of respect towards the aged. Recently, an older woman simply said to two boys who were playing their music too loud on the metro, "That's too loud, please turn it down" and they did it.
My past attempts were not as fruitful. Two kids were sitting on each other's laps and leaning all over me on the Metro en route to Wilson High. I told them to stop, and you're right, they just parroted back my words to me and continued. I got really incensed and called the school principal with a detailed description of the main trouble-maker. The office asked me to email the principal, Ms. Williams, with the details, which I did, but was told "that pretty much describes each of our students and we can't find and speak with the one you mentioned."
I am a mentor with a local program for high school kids, College Bound. I love it and think the program is very positive for the kids who are enrolled. This program is going to make sure that kids don't slip between the cracks and fail to graduate from high school. If a student is in the middle of a misunderstanding with a teacher, the program will help figure our a solution. However, there are a few boys and girls who come to the meetings every week and don't have their own mentor yet. I hope a few adults will be willing to do this! The mentors are a group of good people, racially diverse, age diverse but more on the young (20s and 30s) end of the spectrum.
Thanks, Elizabeth. I'll repeat, gauging the situation, deciding whether or not to take action, reporting it to the authorities, and mentor programs are the way to go when dealing with these rowdy, misguided kids.
What baffles me is Ms. Williams's comment about "that pretty much describes each of our students and we can't find and speak with the one you mentioned." Huh?! So you're saying that all the kids in your school are disruptive, disrespectful and don't listen to authority? Ms. Williams, you have no faith in your own high school.
Also, the comments have been opened to all Bloggers for the original post. I definitely want to get an open discussion going there!
