Chapter 44: "The Plight of Emo Kid"

I mentioned for a short time in my last post, Emo Kid, the kid who is extremely angry and emotional every day. Well, today he had a another episode of, well, himself, so I thought I'd explain it so everyone can appreciate the little guy.

Backstory:

Emo Kid is usually a very happy-go-lucky, smart kid. He's very competitive, and it tends to pay off, because I would call him a very close second to the smartest kid in class, who is the Korean version of the typical brainy kid. When I first started teaching him, he always cried when he didn't make an A or the top score in the class. His classmates told me that his father hits him when he doesn't score high enough, so I felt sorry for him, and tried to make the tests as easy as I could get away with.

However, I've heard nothing of his abusive father this whole term, and most of last term. But this kid's emotional outbursts have just gotten worse and worse. While I was shocked and disturbed at first, as my mother always says, you can get used to anything (she usually says this to dissuade me from watching violent movies or cursing or smoking pot or prostituting myself). These days he has these tantrums at least twice a week, and there was one week where he had one every day. And, now he doesn't just cry about test scores. Oh no.

Because this class is such a handful, I give them ways to compete in how well they behave, to keep them in some manner of order. I draw a happy face and an angry face on the board. If they do something good, like answer a question correctly in English or are sitting very quietly and paying attention, I write their name under the happy face and give them checks for every additional time. They get stickers for these "points." If they misbehave, I write their name under the angry face, and if they get enough checks after that, eventually I make them stand up or go stand outside, or something like that.

And now, on with the story:

Today we were studying out of their reading book. I was letting everyone take turns reading a short story (they don't seem to get tired of the rereads), and all the boys were freaking out over who would get to read next. I called on ADD Kid or somebody to read, and Emo Kid almost started crying, and he whined, "Teacher, whyyyyyyy....."

After that, I asked a question about a word in the story that they might not have known, to see who could answer best. Because they have to answer in English, it's hard sometimes, so I give a positive point to the first person who can define the word or at least mention a synonym articulately. It's often clear that they know what it means, but the goal is to get them acquainted with expressing themselves in English, instead of wild hand motions, sound effects, interpretive dance, etc. I took about two or three answers from the different kids (the word was "hatched") before the Smart One gave a shockingly creative and accurate answer. So I gave him the point. Emo Kid cried. I tried to placate him by saying he would have another chance.

On the next story, there weren't really any good vocabulary questions I could ask, but I thought one up. I asked every kid in the class, including Emo Kid, what they thought it was, but nobody could clearly explain, and eventually it came back around to the Smart One, who again, gave a good answer. I gave him another point. Emo Kid cried harder this time, burying his head in his arms, perhaps throwing his book on the floor. I can't remember, it all happens at least once.

I felt bad that Emo Kid took it so personally, so I told the class whoever finished the quiz at the end first would get a point. Emo Kid finished first, and answered all but one question correctly, so I gave him the point, despite protests from his classmates. He'd been acting up in class, so his name had been on the "angry" side of the board.

Emo Kid was satisfied, but one of the other boys said something to him while I was checking his quiz, and he hit the boy. I just don't put up with hitting and violence in this class (Emo Kid is the only one who does it anyways), but I didn't want to take his point away only 30 second after he'd got it, so I snapped at him and told him to go sit down. He did (crying), threw his chair around, threw some more books, before finally settling down.

Not a minute later, he got back up, walked around the table to ADD Kid, and hit him, for no apparent reason. It wasn't hard, but at that point I'd had just about enough of his antics. I erased his name, the bell rang, and we left Emo Kid beside himself with fury and grief at his lost sticker.

I don't want to sound heartless, because I usually cater to crying kids here, since none of them pull the crocodile tears on me. I feel like maybe I don't see or understand what the other kids do to make him angry, so I try not to call him out often, in case I'm not getting the whole story. But seriously, I do this routine several times a week. Emo Kid was upset, and that's unfortunate, but he gets upset not only over his losses, but other people's gains. ADD Kid always gets written up under the angry face, plus his mother dresses him like a homosexual! That's a major reason to have emotional issues, yet he's just as enthusiastic about class as if he were the smartest one. I'll probably handle another one of Emo Kid's tantrums later this week, and if I do, I'll mention it so you all can get a followup story :-)