Try and Maybe Fail.

I've been thinking of an appropriate post topic and I think I would like to talk about my last lesson of the week, which was period 4 Friday afternoon. There are times where new experiences humble me but I have never been humbled or perhaps forced to witness the total unraveling of my classroom before my eyes, I type this because I was naive of the day to day problems that face teachers in the Public sector. Now I won't go into detail about the school I am placed at but lets just say it's in a suburb that isn't well off and is also trapped between two low Socio-Economic Status areas. It is very much a victim of its surroundings, my experience so far has at times been challenging with students that don't care for school or anyone that wants to help them for that matter. But last period Friday afternoon, was home to aggressive and bully like behavior from eight year 8 students towards teachers and their class mates alike. Constant actions that were by nature undermining class respect for the teacher as well as control over the class. This has ultimately lead me to my philosophical problem of where do I go from here?

At times I do think some students are pure Evil.

I posed this question to myself and to some of my colleagues, and was answered with "everyone has a bad lesson once and a while", to which I do agree with, but upon further reflection I have asked myself if students that are repeat offenders for what can only be described as continues disruptive, aggressive and bullying behavior be given any kind of pity? I ask this question because these eight students in particular have and continue to be trouble for the majority of the staff, at times I have thought that the behavior of the violent minority should never have priority over the majority of the students in the class who want to work and learn. I'm sure that this comment will upset other teachers, because we as teachers should never give up but I often wonder that all the time, effort and love of teaching we invest in problem students means that someone else is missing out. And it's typically the middle ground of students who are neither brilliant or violent. So why should they be denied a better education for the sake of a minority, who quite frankly don't care and go out of their way to show you that they are proud of it? 

I don't intend to give up on these eight students, so do not think me heartless, but there are times I do ask, what if there are others who are far more deserving of that same time and effort, I so readily give to challenging behavior.