A Generational Curse

Here are a few interesting statistics I read today about the drug problem in Rochester, NY. In 2008 there were 752 lbs. of marijuana seized, 71.8 lbs. of cocaine seized and 215 grams of heroin seized. There were 136 fire arms seized. There were 870 drug related arrests made. There were 396 search warrants served. I read these statistics in the City Newspaper...September 23-29 edition. For the most part, these events occurred in the neighborhoods where my students live.

Is there a connection between the above drug statistics and my students? Many times, I fear. Speaking of drugs and their use and abuse...this morning I had quite an experience with a five year old boy who had not received his medicine for the day. I must say something about children and meds. I think it is a tragedy of the highest order that so many young children need to be on meds. Something is seriously wrong in a nation where so many people need to self-medicate...either with illegal drugs or with drugs to alter a child's behavior. I understand there is an appropriate place for meds but my class experiences are often altered profoundly by them. My little five year old sits quietly and is pleasant, responsive and does tasks as assigned while seeming to enjoy the lesson. Today was different. When I greeted him at the door...he shot out of the classroom like a bat out of Helena. I needed to retrieve three other students and he was long gone before I could blink. I lost him for several minutes but he ended up at my table located down the hallway. He was, however, underneath it. The lesson commenced and he promptly picked up an orange crayon, looked at me, screamed and snapped the crayon in two. Within minutes he had clambered up onto the chair and then onto the table. He was up and down during the duration of the 30 minute lesson except for the brief moments when he ran over to the wall and kicked it, rolled around on the floor and made snow angels and ran out of the door to stand briefly in the rain in the playground. He quickly returned to the table and scribbled madly with the broken orange crayon all over his work, his neighbor's work and the table. He attempted to eat the crayon and ran it all over his lips like chapstick. When I announced that I would have to let his teacher know how his morning had gone, he glared at me, screamed and ran down the hall to glare through the windows at another class. He turned around and ran right back and commenced slashing wildly with the orange crayon on his paper and the table. I informed the other students that they needed to ignore him and finish their work. Considering that they are five years old, I think they handled it fairly well. Toward the end of the lesson, a social worked strolled by and I asked if she could take him. I left him with her and I can only hope that a phone call was made home to inform the parents that they must either provide the medication or keep him at home. We shall see.

From one angle, I see the humor in all this. I have been teaching long enough not to fall apart because a five year old is out of control. I actually laughed when at one point he looked at me and said, "My Mom prays to God for me". I closed my eyes briefly and pictured that praying Mom. I appreciate kinetic energy, multiple intelligences and experiential learning. However, in this case, the kinetic energy is border line atomic, the intelligence of the person who did not give the medication (prayer or no prayer) could be questioned, and experiential learning is fine until a student violates the rights of all the others in the classroom to receive an education. I do not know why this particular family does not give this child his medication. I will tell you what I have observed over past years. When children come to school without meds it is usually due to the following reasons: the parent(s) do nothing about obtaining a new supply when the dose is finished; an older sibling takes the drugs for personal use or to sell; the parent(s) oversleep and let the child get on the bus on his own; the child comes to school and is given an emergency dose by the nurse but the dose does not take effect soon enough.

Many parents abuse illegal drugs before, during and after pregnancy. Many home environments exist with chaotic schedules, loud music or domestic violence and blaring television. My students end up needing drugs to calm down so they can learn or they need the drugs to develop "normally" after fetal drug and alcohol poisoning. Our mayor stated recently that Rochester is experiencing a generational curse and I would concur. It is a curse which starts before the womb and affects childhood, education, mental and physical health, the neighborhoods and eventually the prison system.

This little five year old is a sweet and sensitive and intelligent boy. He has so much potential. We shall see how things go tomorrow.