Flashes of the Past

My students from last year have now found solace in coming into my room before school starts. This morning J, A, and R all decided to make their way to my school abode and interesting coversations ensued. We enter...

J: "Mr. A., you still finna use that card system to get people in trouble?"

Mr. A: "Well J, it was never a system that existed solely to get you in trouble. Rather, I was attempting to maximize your learning opportunities by tempering behavior issues."

A: "What you be talking about Mr. A?"

R: "Yeah my brotha from anotha motha, besides, I was always good."

Mr. A: "Fascinating R, evidently you have chosen to black out the time you chased down fellow classmates with scissors. Which was triggered due to the fact that we had nine vocabulary words that week instead of eight."

R: "What? I loved vocabulary. Give me some dap Mr. A."

Mr. A: "OK, but just a little dap."

J: "Ahhh, he still scanlous y'all."

Mr. A: "I told you before...scanlous 'til the end."

Career Options

M is not too happy right about now. He has been put through the torture of having his red card pulled, which essentially means I will be calling his mom. This frustrates M. I am trying to explain to him the importance of focusing on school and making better behavior choices. We enter...

Mr. A: "M, you need to start making some better behavior choices and focus on your education.

M: "I don't need to do that...I'm my own teacher."

Mr. A: "But I'm here to help you, and remember, the stronger reader you are, the better student you are. These can open up doors in life to more job opportunities."

M: "I don't care, I don't need a job when I grow up, I'm gonna be a hustla!"

Mr. A: "Hmmm, fascinating career choice, but perhaps we could focus on something a little more legal?"