A little help here?

Ugh. I have had a couple rough days in a row at school.

I seek your advice.

I have this student who has a rough home life. He is in his fourth foster home THIS YEAR.

He takes medication for ADHD.

I had him for homeroom last year, and the beginning of this year and last year, he was an ideal student. He was enthusiastic, polite, great at asking when he didn't understand things, basically a teacher's dream.

One day, he didn't have his materials. He explained that he changed foster homes the night before, and didn't have his stuff yet. Since that day, everything has been a struggle with him.

He has been picking little fights with people. Swearing, dropping N-bombs, and so on.

I knew that he was having personal struggles, AND not getting his medication, so I didn't necessarily think that punishment was appropriate.

So, when he really got out of hand, I would send him out of the room... Sometimes to the guidance counselor, sometimes to the principal.

Well, today, all of this blew up.

Another student in his class and him had a serious argument, ended up swearing at each other. I had been trying to get his classmates to keep ignoring him, but apparently, that is quite a task for 8th graders.

Anyway, she pointed out that he misbehaves all the time, is super dis-respectful to me and to his classmates, and nothing happens. Yeah, he gets sent out, but nothing more happens.

Now I'm stuck. I feel like if I explained the situation to her, she might be sympathetic and understanding, but it is not my place to do so.

What do I do? She's right. He's getting away with murder. But should he be?

Should the whole class suffer because he's going through a rough time?

Where does sympathy stop, and tough love begin?

Is he now learning that he can use hard knocks to get sympathy, and further, special treatment and fewer responsibilities?

It is not fair that he makes another student cry.

At the same time, it is not fair that he is going through what he is going through.

But, he can't reason that out when he is not medicated - when the foster home he's in straight up told him he is unwanted, and won't give him his medication.

So what do I do?

The bell rang, and I was left pondering all these questions, and near tears.

I couldn't wrap my mind around where to stand on the continuum between tough love and sympathy.

If you know me, you must know that tough love is not my forte, and that I err on the side of sympathy...

Anyway, at that moment, I get this tweet from Shaq "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Made me think even more...

What are your thoughts? Advice appreciated.

Oh, and on a lighter note, I learned a new term from my 6th graders.

"Eye raper." No, it is not someone who engages in forced sexual conduct with someone else's eye. It is someone who looks at someone intensely, creepily, and inappropriately.

And I was too busy trying to get them to stop being appropriate to tell them that the correct term is probably "Eye rapist."

Lawd. What goes on? These kids are 11-12 years old! They shouldn't be eye-raping anyone! Eww!

It hasn't REALLY been 3 months...

At least not since the big celebration of my birthday. I mean, yeah, it's been just over three months from my actual birthday, but not from the big party.

Anyway, these pictures are from three sources - my camera, Danielle's camera, and Nicole's camera.

They aren't in any order that they should be in. And, there were too many for me to put in order... Plus, I don't exactly recall everything from that night, so, I will just kinda narrate what I can from the pictures in the crazy order they're in! Sorry!

So, on my actual birthday, Nicole, Danielle, and I went out to Zaffiro's for pizza, because it was on a top ten list for pizza in Milwaukee. We also shared a bottle of wine, and the waitress (bless her heart) brought us a shot of Rumplemintz for my birthday. How nice! From there, we went to Cush. We had a little leftover pizza, so Nicole buckled it into the back seat of the car.




Here we are at Cush, where Bill kept handing over shot after shot after shot. Even though most of them were Banana, it was definitely having an effect!



And, of course, there was a re-do...



Then, after about a billion shots at Cush, it was time to go to Decibel. Nicole had shown me a picture of her and Sprinkles in which he was making QUITE the absurd face, and here we are trying to imitate it!



And here are Nicole and Danielle... Cute!



One of the themes of my birthday celebrations and this blog is the same picture on multiple cameras. Next is a prime example of that... The picture of Nicole and Sprinkles on her phone, and then the pictures of us trying to imitate it on the left and right on our cameras!



Jamie, Hope, and Erin were waiting for us when we got to Decibel. Here's a picture of Erin giving me some sugar!



And there she is, eating Hope's earring. Haha.



And, now we're on to my birthday celebration... But, don't worry, we'll be back, haha.

Anyway, of course, Cari came up for my birthday, and we kicked things off with a shot of triple sec. (If you are not sure why we'd be doing a shot of triple sec, you need to read this entry!)

And, of course, I did an "Alumni shot" from a shot glass that is a Badgers theme.... There is a line low on the huge glass for freshman, a little higher for sophomore, a little higher for junior, and a little higher for senior, and then one near the top for alumni. Did I mention the glass is huge?

Anyway, here we are in the kitchen, doing our shot.



By the way, my birthday dress struggles. I was running out of money at the end of Summer (one of the worst parts of being a teacher is not getting paid all Summer!), when it came time to buy my getup, and bought this that day. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes I think I look like a pregnant dominatrix.

Anyway, Lers came, of course, and here we are... She was all over the place that night, so this is the only picture I got with her!



And here are Cari and LL in VIP... I didn't schedule a table, but when we got there, Maj just took us to it! How nice of my lovely Decibel family to save me one! Maj was all incredulous when I asked her about it - "What were you just going to stand all night?!"



Here I am with Nicole, Cari, and LL. They are so gorgeous!



Here's Danielle and I, and a prime example of why I think I look like a pregnant dominiatrix!



Then my friend Malcolm's hairdresser shows up.... Uh huh....



My expression in the following picture is much like my expression when I look like the following picture...



Whaaaaaaat?!?!

Then Danielle and I tried to do bracelet arm. She was better at it than me.



I was much better at laughing hysterically.

Here we go. This is better.



Looking a little insane, right?!

I don't know what Nicole and Cari were so amused about, but the picture was cute!



And then here we are... Hope, me, Nicole, Danielle, and Cari!



Here's Malcolm and I... We look crazy!



And here's Malcolm, Hope, me making a crazy face, and Nicole!



Here are Cari and LL, with LL taking the head tilt to the extreme (possibly making fun of me - jerk!)...



And on to Nicole and I smashed against each other!



Here I am looking like a goof ass again...



And here is an amazing shot of LL. I love it! =D

It seems like every year, there is an amazing picture of LL taken on my birthday!



And shortly after (or before?) there must've been some good song on (as usual, when White Shadow is spinning!), because it seems as though Danielle and Cari have erupted into song!



The next image is flipped on its side... But, it seems that Danielle is too! And am I licking Nicole's arm?!



Wow, we look pretty brutal in the next one!

Unfortunately, it's here twice! I couldn't get blogger to cooperate with me and let me delete it!




Then Sprinkles came into the mix....



I look like a creepy struggle in that one!

In the next picture, I would like to point out whose head is straight, and whose is tilted! Ahem!



I would really like to know what is going on in the next one. Someone or something is captivating Cari and I, and Danielle is cheesin' for the camera!



Awww, look at Cari and Nicole!



And then Malcolm's hair stylist came back....



And here are Danielle and I, being absurd and laughing hard, as often is the case!



Here's quite the gang of ladies! LL, Melissa, Hope, Me, Danielle, Cari, and Nicole.... Damn, I have hot friends!



Nicole and I.... (Man, there are a lot of pictures. Is that all we did all night? If so, how did I get so damn drunk?



Nicole and Sprinkles... This picture is way better than the one we tried to imitate!



This one, a little less amazing... We'll say it falls in the middle.



Speaking of looking fantastic.... Hot, Cari, hot!



Nicole and LL, lookin cute...



Wow, this next one's intense... Look at Nicole's hand!



Remember this one?



Awww....



And suddenly, we're back to Cush, on my actual birthday!

I look like I am licking Scott's armpit or something. And Bill looks kinda creepy in the shadows there!



Nicole and Danielle....



Ok, that one was at Decibel, and this next one is at Cush.... How? So confused, and so tired of blogging!



And here's another replica picture.

If nothing else, I am noticing that the walls in Cush and in Deep Bar are painted the same glorious shade of maroon.




This one is from my camera, not from my real birthday, like above, but from the celebration with Paul (White Shadow). Here he is, and no, he does not remember this picture being taken.



At some point, though I barely remember it, I must've seen Troy.



...and wrapped my leg around him. Great. Classy! Ugh.



And yeah, there it is again. Stupid blogger!



That pic's a lil better.



Pregnant dominatrix above, hilarity below!




Twice! What was up with Nicole's face in that one?!

Danielle and LL love the next one. I guess I'm often making that face?



And of course, I had to take a picture with Dustin!



Nicole was apparently very thirsty for cranberry juice!



More familiar pictures ahead!





And that's it!

Ok, enough blogging... I am giving myself a few more minutes to laugh at Russian Brides (This one is my fav of my night so far! Then it's bed time! I hope I can fall asleep... I slept a lot today!