these kids are being mad aggie

aggie- slang for aggravating, usually accompanied by the term "mad" to mean very aggravating.

If you spend a day on the third floor of NHCS ) where the middle schoolers are, it'll be literally five minutes before the phrase "mad aggie" is used. It's usually used when talking about a teacher or faculty member.  For example, "Ms. Mark is being mad aggie today" means "Ms. Mark is being annoying today."  The students like to use it for the teachers, but I think the students (one in particular) were being mad aggie today.

Last week, we signed up for times to be observed by Danielle and/or Erica.  We had to pick two different parts of our day that we wanted feedback on, so I chose morning reading and lunch/recess.  Erica came to morning reading this morning to watch the insanity.  Yesterday, I signed JA in for being disrespectful, so I hoped she would be better today.  She was better in the sense that the mumble was comprehensible and the talking back was less, but it still wasn't a good morning reading session.   Demerits were given out, eyes were rolled and groans and sighs all made an appearance.

After final circle today, I stayed behind to meet with Erica about it all.  This was the first time I've felt like crying because of City Year and I don't even know exactly why. It's not that what JA is doing is hurting me, I think it's more that I have tried everything I know to get her to just sit, read, and be quiet.  Erica talked to her after morning reading.  She was just saying how disrespectful and rude it is of JA to act that way towards me and how she's 13 but she's acting like she's 5 blah blah blah.  Hopefully that will help.  Erica was also saying that I should talk to JA tomorrow during Course Coaching (after school homework help).  Hopefully tomorrow will go well and she'll be in a good mood when we sit down to chat.  It's just so frustrating because she's awesome when she wants to be, but she also knows how to be completely rude and disrespectful. Erica was saying that the key is to suck up to her while really getting what you want.  So, saying "you know I was really excited when I saw you were in my morning reading group because I know you're a great reader and so much fun to hang out with in Course Coaching, but I feel like we got off to a rough start in morning reading and I was wondering what you think needs to be changed to make morning reading better since we both have to be there."  ie we have to be there and I'm in charge, but if there is something I can do to make it better for you...let me know.

Needless to say, morning reading is definitely the hardest part of my day and starts the day off on the wrong foot, but I think the conversation with Erica really helped. Hopefully JA will be in better, more respectful, mood tomorrow and that our little conversation will go over well.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi