Classroom Chronicles
Breaking Boundaries and Devious Licks
As we head towards the end of September, I wonder if I’ll survive the Fall. It’s been almost two weeks since school started and I'm exhausted. From fights in the classroom to fights at train stations, some students at my school have been acting recklessly. Recently, a quad of 8th graders broke the glass covering to one of the overhead lights. I heard the crash from my classroom and the scampering of feet. I texted the administration who came done and saw a couple of the students still in the hallway. Needless to say, the custodian was not happy.
While some students have gotten back into the school routine, others are still struggling with adjusting to expectations and rules. Remember, most of the students in my city haven’t been in school for over a year. Many were taught via Zoom classes or a hybrid model (half in-person and half-remotely). It was a teaching nightmare as many students wouldn’t show their faces during Zoom classes or attend many in-person hybrid classes. Yet, the administration held teachers to the same teaching standards and dinged our evaluations if we didn’t meet those standards,
Despite the stress and unfairness of the situation, many students did complete requirements in my class to move on to the next grade. And now here we are — September 2021, school is fully in-person with a full schedule of classes — some students are happy to have structure while others are running amok, causing havoc and destroying school property.
The destruction is due to a TikTok challenge called the “Devious Lick.” It’s basically a “destroy or steal from a school” challenge. Schools across the country have experienced an increase in thefts and vandalism. Students have stolen projectors, fans, and air purifiers. They’ve gone into bathrooms and smeared feces on the walls ripped soap dispensers off their stands and stole commodes. The students then record their thievery and destruction for their TikTok followers.
In the classroom, as the administration begins teacher observations, I’ve had students sleeping in class, reeking of weed, and using inappropriate language. Boundaries have been broken and need to be repaired. A reset is in order. Students need to know when not to cross the line. I plan to have a talk with one of my classes about their behavior. They need to increase their level of maturity and focus on their goals. Destroying school property and acting up in class isn’t the way.
Parents, please talk to your kids. Check their phones. Go through their social media posts. Know who their friends are. Peer pressure is high during the teen years. A good kid can go down the wrong path unless an adult intervenes.
