Wichitasnagglepuss

Have you had contact with people who work in Pupil Referral Units, or alternative provision? I'm not sure if they have anything like that in the US or the technical term for it, but I'm talking about schools where children with challenging behaviour are sent if they can't settle into mainstream schools.

Also your passion for life is inspiring.

Thanks for the reply! That sucks that there wasn't a whole lot of success in that regard, but I think that the referral units that have the best "on paper" pass rate don't exactly go the right way about actually teaching their students and the atmosphere they create doesn't really invite trust between students and teachers.

Over the past year and a half I've been working for various schools on an agency basis, and one of my shifts involved working in a school like this. It was only one day, but that was enough for me. The teachers were briefed as if we were getting ready to go for war, kids were searched with a metal detector before entering the building, and also had their shoes searched. They openly talked about fighting in class, and before my shift started, one of the teachers recommended that I put my lanyard (which had a key on it) inside my shirt, otherwise a student might take it and lock me in or out of a room.

I now work for a company that takes similar students but gives more creative control to the teachers in terms of how they deliver the syllabus. My student isn't receptive to me at all at the moment, so I'm using a similar approach to what you mentioned about using the newspaper as the textbook. We talk about current affairs, and I try to work in lessons that might apply to him, like avoiding internet fraud and stuff.

Also that thing about making the most of your life is really making me want to plan stuff for the summer holidays. Travelling alone isn't something I've ever done but the main thing that holds me back from going wherever I want, aside from money, is finding friends that will commit to it. A lone holiday might be good for me this year.