Detention

I handed out my first detention of the year today. A kid - a pretty smart kid - decided it was funny to take someone's backpack and hide it in another part of my room. He did it right when the bell rang, as he was leaving the classroom. He didn't steal anything, but that kind of prank is unacceptable.

On the other hand, Devil Kid has been quite an angel. He listens, participates, is quiet when I need him to be, takes direction, and is generally pretty happy to come to school.

Which makes me think: mischievous kids are manageable. They need re-direction a lot, but on the whole, their attitude and personality are light. Kid-like. Normal.

First Detention Kid, however, has an attitude that stinks to high heaven. He is smart, and he is bored out of his mind in pre-algebra. He lacks the maturity to handle algebra 1 (that and his STAR scores were right under the cut-off mark). He's cocky, obnoxious, and mean-spirited. If he were an adult, he would be on par with those loud talking-heads who spout their opinions with no facts to back it up.

First Detention Kid is also passive aggressive. Subversive. He also has the dangerous skill of setting the mood in the classroom - he's quite clearly the leader, even though he is usually quiet. I need to re-seat him away from his more gullible classmates. I haven't decided if I want to put him front and center, or way in the back corner.