Students in the Hall, part 2

Hello everyone,

I received an email that raises some good questions (and illustrates my point) about keeping students out of the halls. The email is in Times New Roman below; my responses are in CAPS.

There are always kids in the stairway near my room during my conf. What do I do
about that?

FRANKLY, SOMETIMES YOU WILL DO NOTHING. HOWEVER, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT DOING NOTHING OUGHT TO BE RARE, THOUGH SOMETIMES YOU JUST WON'T HAVE TIME TO CHASE FERAL STUDENTS DOWN.

IF YOU CHASE THEM AWAY PERIODICALLY, THAT SPOT MAY DEVELOP THE REPUTATION FOR BEING A HARD ONE TO "KICK BACK" IN BECAUSE THE TEACHER IS ALWAYS CHASING STUDENTS AWAY. THAT IS GOOD.

STILL, SOME SPOTS ON CAMPUS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE BAD. IF YOUR CLASS IS NEAR THE PERIMETER FENCE OR NEAR A BACK OR HIDDEN STAIRWAY, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE A PROBLEM.

MY CLASS ROTATIONS USED TO BE ROOMS 221 AND 222 (TWO OF YOU HAVE THAT ROTATION NOW). THEY ARE NEAR SOME OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS HIDING SPOTS ON CAMPUS. (THE THINGS THAT GO ON IN THE SOUTHEAST STAIRWAY OF THE 200 BUILDING OUGHT NOT BE DISCUSSED IN A FAMILY NEWSPAPER.)

IT WAS AN ONGOING BATTLE FOR ME TO KEEP STUDENTS FROM DOING ALL SORTS OF SHENANIGANS AROUND THAT CORNER OF THE 200 BUILDING. I NEVER GAVE UP, THOUGH THERE WERE DAYS I PRETENDED NOT TO HEAR BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM.

Who do I contact about that problem?

FOR THOSE OF YOU AT GRIFFITH, I WOULD ASK MS. MEYER THIS QUESTION.

AT GARFIELD, THOSE OF YOU IN THE 600 AND 700 BUILDINGS HAVE PERMANENT CAMPUS AIDS THAT ARE ASSIGNED CLOSE BY. IT'S A SIMPLE MATTER TO CALL A CAMPUS AID TO HELP YOU. THERE IS ALMOST ALWAYS ONE IN THE MALL AREA NEAR THE 700 BUILDING, AND THERE IS AT LEAST ONE GUARDING THE DOOR IN THE 600 BUILDING. (THESE BUILDINGS ARE AT TWO OF THE FAVORITE ESCAPE ROUTES OFF CAMPUS, AND THE AIDS HELP STEM THE FLOW.)

THE REST OF YOU MAY HAVE TO GIVE A QUICK CALL TO THE MAIN OFFICE AND TELL THEM THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS MISBEHAVING IN THE HALL NEAR YOUR ROOM. THE MAIN OFFICE WILL THEN RADIO CAMPUS SECURITY.

USUALLY BY THE TIME SECURITY ARRIVES, THE STUDENTS WILL HAVE RUN OFF. DON'T LET THIS DISCOURAGE YOU. SECURITY WON'T BLAME YOU. THE STUDENTS WILL GET THE IDEA THAT, IF THEY BOTHER THE TEACHERS IN THE AREA, SECURITY WILL BE CALLED. (IF THE STUDENTS RUN AWAY, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN SECURITY COMING, WHICH IS IN YOUR FAVOR.) GETTING THE IDEA THAT THEY CAN'T "DITCH" WITH IMPUNITY IS AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVE; DON'T BE AFRAID TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU MAY ALSO CALL CAMPUS POLICE DIRECTLY AT EXTENSION 2055. OUR TWO OFFICERS ARE VERY GOOD AT RESPONDING TO CALLS SUCH AS THIS. NORMALLY, YOU WON'T CALL THE POLICE UNLESS YOU'RE SEEING SOMETHING ILLEGAL (DRUGS OR A FIGHT; MAYBE WHOLESALE DITCHING).

I ALSO RECOMMEND ASKING THE STUDENTS FOR THEIR PASSES OR ID'S. IF THEY HAVE NEITHER ONE, THE MERE SUGGESTION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CALL THE OFFICE USUALLY SENDS THEM AWAY.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO STILL REGULARLY GIVE YOUR STUDENTS PASSES TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND GET DRINKS DURING CLASS--SOMETHING THAT FEW STUDENTS EVER NEED--LET THIS GIVE YOU SOME IDEA WHY I TRY TO PERSUADE YOU NOT TO DO IT. MANY OF THE BAD THINGS THAT HAPPEN ON CAMPUS ARE CAUSED BY STUDENTS WHO SAY THEY NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.

I ask them to move but they just move out of sight for a while and then come back the next
day.

ONE OF THE REALITIES OF OUR PROFESSION IS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REPEAT OURSELVES. IT'S PART OF WHAT GOOD TEACHING IS ALL ABOUT--REPETITION. A FEW VISITS BY SECURITY WILL GET THE POINT ACROSS--AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT TRACK CHANGE.

JEFF COMBE