Folks -

Whew, I finished the first week! I've got 4 sets of students, and a group of
drop ins.... One group was like hearding cats.... I should have been so
lucky... After the first week my "view from the front" is that about 40% of
the students have some motivation, about 40% range from being dark, cool and
withdrawn, to only having a benign interest in learning; the remaining 20%
is split between kids that are really interested, and a few real trouble
makers - sometimes the same kid...

As for a "crisis of the week", I had a group of 'drop in' kids - they work
for about a half hour during their lunch... and when they all left I noticed
that one of them had just tagged the class door with spray paint. I
followed them all out, asked who did it, and of course, nobody knew. I then
said that the lunch work period was voluntary on my part, and that the shop
would remain closed for lunchtime work until the responsible person came
forward. I had the kid clean up the paint, and told him I may make him
paint the door.... I've reconsidered that tho' - I want to be more
constructive... maybe making some push sticks.

All of the kids in the classes have issues.... I'm learning that I am going
to have to modify my instructional methods - short attention spans, lack of
ability or desire to read and study.... kinda scary in a way to think of
where they will be in 10 years. I am trying work in other instructional
elements when I talk about how to do something, and there are some glimmers
there... One young gal, very headstrong - knew everything, but not the NAME
of things (WTF??).... she didn't know which machine was the drill press, or
the jointer, but she could use them and her skills seem competent - anyway,
I told her the history of the circular saw, and how a shaker seamstress
invented the circular saw blade in the early 1800's - and that most modern
saws all owe something to the lady - She *really* liked that story...
Another kid made a sword (THERE's the pointy stick connection) and I had to
explain, in some detail, why I wasn't going to let him take a 4 1/2" long
oak spear out of the classroom. The "kid" is about 6'2" over 200" aryan as
all get out with a mohawk, tats and a large inverted red star tatooed at the
back of the base of his neck. By the time his Senior year comes around, he
will have to turn sideways to make it through the door. I'll bet he already
has plans for a Trebuchet!

Apparently, I am also "righting the ship" in terms of keeping things
woodworking related - things seem to have been quite lax under the earlier
instructor. One of the kids asked me where the weight bench was - I guess
they had a weight bench in one corner - that explains the EZ Curl Bar that I
found behind the Shop Bot and the chart showing bench press results. Gone
also, I guess, is a "project car"(?).... I'll be getting rid of the carved
mushrooms and marijuana leaves that were done on the shop-bot. If any of
y'all need some of these carved on 6/4 clear pine let me know. You don't
have to worry about finish, either - they've already been burned with a
propane torch, wire brushed and covered in polyurethane. Some of the
marijuana leaves have had the incised portions painted in green. This is
okay, but in my opinion, the oeuvre of these examples lacks the depth that
the purple and read highlights that only Northern California KGB is *known*
for. If I can find a student's name on these lesser examples, I will inform
the local 215 Compassion Centers and I will grade accordingly!

All said, I'm going to go back next week, hehe... The class prep work takes
more time than I thought!

We don't need no education....

John Moorhead

John:

You've got your work cut out for you. Schools changed a bit
in the last few decades. Now, instead of a fight maybe producing
a fat lip, broken nose, a missing tooth or two - or all of the
above, it may involve a 9mm. Diseases that could be dealt
with via penecillin now can be a long slow death death sentence.
And drugs which use to just make you dumb and grin a lot
can kill you, or worse yet, not kill you but condem you to
a less than satisfying life. Add two parents working, or one
full time and one doing two full time jobs, a working single
parent putting in 50 hours per week to barely get by and
you end up with a disturbing number of "vampires" - sleep
days, up all night, sucking the blood out of everything around
them - survival of the fittest children in adult bodies.
Parent(s) don't have time for bowling, karate, ballet,
soccer, little league baseball, Pop Warner football ...
Hell, many of these kids don't get a decent meal even every
four or five days - if then. Family, if there is any is
typically hundreds if not a thousand miles away and there
isn't any support system/nry to fill in the gaps the "compassionate
conservatives" talk about but don't actually do anything to
help make happen. These kids' role models are other
12-17 year olds who haven't a clue about the difference between
existing and living. Any adult attention they get is usually
negative and being praised for doing the right thing is
a very rare occurance, and among vampires it's a sign
of weakness and "lame"

And that's where folks like you jump into the breach (sp?).
Finding the gifts and the goodness is hard work and it often
never is discovered. BUT - each year there will be a few
that respond. Those are the one's who'll remember you
long after you're gone. They may not understand your
influence and effect now - but they will. And if you're
really lucky some will let you know how you helped
change their lives. I used to tutor math after school. Twenty
five years later one of the "hard guys" found me somehow
and sent me an e-mail message. I didn't remember Dino
but apparently I helped him get out of high school when
he didn't think he'd ever graduate. That helping hand
that was no big deal to me was a big deal to him. You
just never know when a kind worf, a smile, a pat on
the back or a helping hand can make a difference.

It's the "hard cases" that are starving for someone to
care. And their the hardest to get to. But once in a
while ...

Hang in there - you're doing a good thing, and getting
paid. More wood! More tools! More TOYS!

charlie b

"charlie b" wrote in message
...
Family, if there is any is
typically hundreds if not a thousand miles away and there
isn't any support system/nry to fill in the gaps the "compassionate
conservatives" talk about but don't actually do anything to
help make happen.

Yeah, right.

If and when we can return to a more traditional family form, which is going
to be very difficult after all the effort Hollywood and the lefties have put
into attempting to normalize the abnormal "family," we might have a chance.
Until fathers are not demonized or portrayed as simpletons, mothers allowed
to be mothers, not just victims and career women seeking their own identity,
with kids portrayed as smarter than both, we're going to have problems.

Hell, the lefties won't even acknowledge the oft-demonstrated reality that
kids from intact families have lower rates of involvement in crime, suicide,
drugs and higher rates of educational achievement. Their idea of research
is to proclaim that children from "underprivileged" - there's a euphemism
for you - families are the opposite. Never bothering, of course to control
for the attitude of the parent(s) which caused them to drop or be thrown out
of school, and the defiance of authority which keeps them from any job
involving trust, and on and on as we spiral down the drain.

What we need is the courage to condemn, not condone. "Compassion" is easy
on a government salary in a guaranteed job....