Kleptomania

Well?  Here goes.  I have strong suspicion that one of my students is a Kleptomaniac and a pathological liar.   Also, he may have been the thief who stole the Samsung Mythic and I-touch from my son's locker on May 7, 2010.   Here's the activity that all my students were so cooperatively doing:  We read a story, in which a necklace is the object of desire, value and then turmoil for the main character.  My students were going to see how they too, were very much like the main character.  As my students were taking notes, a jewelry box of 10 various pieces circulated.  They were to each decide which piece held the most value and why, and write down in their notes, those details.  I continued about the author, and worked on a few points on the story's structure.  All went well, over 90 students did as I asked, and then two items in the box disappeared.  In all cases, I opened the box, and explained each piece, its relative value, either monetary or sentimental.  As I back-tracked with the box, it came down to one student with a ring box in his hand, and a second ring in his gym shorts left pocket, amid change.

In front of the class, I was forced to ask him to return the "jewels" to the box.  In front of his classmates, he said he thought he was to remove it, from the box.  No one believed him, as if that was the case, by the time the box got to the 11th person in the room, it would have been empty!   They all watched in disbelief as he pulled one ring from his gym shorts pocket.   My reaction was " $5.99 at Walmart."  Then I shook my head in disbelief.  How disappointing.

Last week, the same student came back to my desk, offering to "help" me with whatever I needed.  I thanked him and told him I didn't have any jobs at the moment.   Now, I realize that this is part of the MO, to offer help, scope out what he can see, offer his service, build a sense of trust, and hope that he can find items that are of his fancy.    His name goes to our SAP - Student Assistance Team, he needs help.

In my years of experience, I have seen this behavior out of three boys, who were thieves.  One, many years ago, broke into a classroom and stole a computer, over Christmas break.  About three weeks prior, he came back behind my desk and sat at the window sill that he would later break to get into the room.

Last year, a known community thief, also a boy, "did a stake-out" in my classroom, again, it was interesting to watch him, looking around, as if to see where the "valuables" were hidden.  I sent him to his next class.   In my case, there isn't anything valuable sitting on my desk; unless one wants to steal a book.  Have at it!   Also interesting, all of these have been boys, boys with low self esteem, loser types, with few friends, and broken or dis-functional families.    

I have seen this condition develop over my lifetime with a family member, and the condition of Kleptomania and Pathological lying to support it, doesn't go away.   My cousin served jail time for illegal disposition of funds, illegal electronic transfer, and was charged following an FBI investigation with 11 federal indictments.   He is not cured.   All along in his life, small thievery was ignored, tolerated, and it continued.  He lost a job, a car, relationships, and eventually ended up in jail.   To this day, at 50 years old, he is not cured.   I suspect that he will go to any length to steal, or take what he views as valuable, and at any cost.   A few years ago, I believe that he may have gone as far as attempted murder on one of his victims.   Our local magistrate has reminded us, that the only way to "catch" this thief, with a 40 year record, is by catching him on camera, through a set up.  Oh my.

What is it like to have your own child in the classroom?

Might make one wonder, what it is like as a public school employee to have your own child in the classroom.  It can be interesting, but it is much more difficult on the child than it is on the teacher.   Peers are relentless.   Peers imagine that somehow there are special favors granted for the teacher's child.  Peers think the child gets inside information about tests, or answers.  Peers think that the child "knows" things that the teacher has passed on.  Many staffers at this school have had their own children, and some of those staffers have looked for ways to provide their children "advantages."   To me, this is not fair to the other children, and didn't happen when my children were in my classroom.   
It is a fine line, but for 45 minutes, my child is a student just as the other 24 students are in the room. no more, no less.   The expectations are the same for each and every one.   Period.

Parent Toolkit!

Fall has arrived!

Some friendly tips from Sharon Randall, syndicated columnist, mother, and others:


In the drugstore, when I got lost looking for shampoo and ended up on the Back to School aisle, I saw a mother with three young children picking out school supplies.

The girl wanted everything pink. The boy wanted anything "Spider-Man." The baby wanted something to chew on. And the mother wanted a break.

"That's it," she said, "we're out of here!"

Then she popped a wheelie with the cart and made a run for the checkout counter.

I wish I could've seen what she had in that cart. The last time I went back-to-school shopping, my three were not much older than hers. But they were still doing homework with pencils, not computers. Things have changed a bit since then, in ways both good and bad.

Still, it made me wonder. What does a child really need for school? To find out, I asked a panel of experts - parents, teachers, grandparents, students and a few folks I met on the back-to-school aisle. Here in no particular order are 20 things kids really need for school:

1. A No. 2 pencil and a willingness to erase.

2. A healthy respect for themselves and for others, especially for their teachers.

3. An awareness that the world does not revolve around them and that they alone are responsible for their actions.

4. Parents (or grandparents) who teach by example a love for reading, learning and life.

5. An assurance that school is a good, safe place; their teachers will like them; and their parents won't leave town without them.

6. An understanding that school is their job and no one else can or will do it for them.

7. A system for exchanging communication between school and home; a backpack for notes that need to be signed; an emergency phone number that always answers; a quiet place and a consistent time to do homework; a daily chance to read aloud and to be read to.

8. A plan for getting to school on time every morning and back home every afternoon.

9. A pet to care for, clean up after and come home to.

10. A public-library card and regular chances to use it.

11. Someone to welcome them when they come home from school; to laugh at their jokes, answer their questions and listen, really listen, to what they say and don't say.

12. The power of knowing how it feels to give anonymously and sacrificially to help someone less fortunate.

13. The encouragement to try new things; the freedom to fail; and the chance to try again.

14. The gifts of being well-fed, well-rested, well-mannered and well-covered for medical, dental and after-school care.

15. The confidence to know how to deal with bullies (stand up straight, look them in the eye, don't start a fight, but don't back down); how to ask questions (raise your hand and wait to be called on); and to never, ever, stop asking questions, especially "Why?"

16. To feel they're the best (or almost best or pretty good, at least) at something; and it's OK not to be good at everything.

17. To spend more time with humans and less with machines.

18. To have nothing to do once in a while but look at clouds or make up songs or daydream.

19. More than anything (almost everyone who responded to the question said this in one way or another), they need someone to love them unconditionally, no matter what, regardless of their grades; someone to beam at them; someone to light up when they walk into the room.

20. Finally, they need to know that school won't last forever (despite how it may seem), but learning is a lifelong process.

Even if you're just looking for shampoo.

Sharon Randall can be contacted at P.O. Box 777394, Henderson NV 89077, or at 
www.sharonrandall.com.

Parents, 
As a veteran of the teaching field, I have a quarter century of experience seeing the global picture of what it takes to keep a student ready for the school.   There are several issues which keep students from performing their best, or doing well in the work place, at technical training, school, and post-secondary training, college.   It takes a concerted effort on the part of parents to see through it all.


In fact, the main stumbling blocks that come to mind which cause the achievement and success of students to suffer.

• Missing, skipping, or absent from class
• Overextending themselves
• Over-surfing the web, or spending hours a day with digital devices.
• Procrastination
• Going it alone, being overly independent, not seeking help from the teacher.