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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 20, 2011 0:41:48 GMT -5
Scott stood by the coffee machine, pouring himself a cup. He was still new here but things weren't terribly different to what they were back home. The students were a little more unpredictable but then teenagers in general were hard to predict so that was hardly a challenging change.
They paid well enough but considering they had to teach high risk students, Scott still wasn't certain that the pros outweighed the cons. It was definitely dangerous but he was more worried about his daughter. Would she be safe here? Should anything happen to her, Scott just couldn't forgive himself. She was really all he had left and this was the best situation he could come up with.
He didn't have to the time to keep her home-schooled and he couldn't afford any good tutors to teach her and she couldn't go to a regular school. None were really equipped to handle her and her schizophrenia. Anna was on medication but sometimes it just seemed like it didn't help at all. It made the things she said just a little less disorganized but it still failed to help her completely.
This was the best he could come up with. She would be in a school with counselors and psychiatrists to help her and she would be able to lead a semi-normal life, all while under Scott's close supervision. It wasn't the best job in the world but it was the best thing for her, as far as he was aware.
Placing the jug back in the holder, Scott sipped his coffee and moved to the table in the middle of the room. Sitting down, he opened up his news paper, scanning the headlines to make sure he was keeping up with current affairs as he drank his drink.
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 2:54:15 GMT -5
The history lecture today, was good. They hired on a new teacher and well Summer kind of felt bad for the dude. She always felt bad for new teachers when they came to Hawthrone, because they really didn't know that half of it. Sure, they could act strong and pretend they did, but they had to deal with a lot of crap. More then the normal student that was obvious. Summer could be quite the handful in class though she tried not to be noticed by staff memebers because flying under the radar was a lot better then having them watch you, but then you were constantly watched by them on a twenty four seven basis, but well she was a sneaky girl. Not once getting caught carrying huge ammounts of cash to go buy drugs which would be there only give away.
The side effects of her not having something in her system ever scared her. Of course, they could give her a lecture or lock her in somewhere and tell her she was here to quit, but they didn't really get it. The girl was so use to her high or being drunk when she didn't have stuff that she didn't know how to function properly without it. A dependency would be the proper term, but today she was just on some lame tylenol shit. She had to pop like four or five of them just to get her through that class. If not she would have been shaking and ansy and end up leaving mid class to go find something more potent. Something that would give her body what it needed.
People liked her better when she could function because when she was on drugs she wasn't a bitch, but when she came down or when the side effects wore off shit happened. This weak stuff she took made it dangerous to have followed her new history teacher in the lounge, but she had questions. She needed some help on his lecture, because she didn't quite understand how he was going to test on this material and Summer liked to keep a decent grade point average of a 2.0 at least even though she hated school.
"Um excuse me I know I shouldn't be in here, but I tried to catch you before you left class but I was sort of slow..." she said biting her lip and flipping her hair back so it wouldn't get into her eyes. It tended to do so a lot. "I was kind of wondering more about your teaching methods really then the lecutre itself, but I kind of needed bits and peices of it explained to me....again" she said hoping that he would be cool with doing that. He was sure each teacher had a profile of the students so once she told him who she was then he would be alright, because she wasn't dangerous or anything well she didn't tend to be...
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 3:11:55 GMT -5
The classes weren't too bad. Scott did what he usually did and hoped that some of the students at least took in a bit of what he was trying to teach them. It was his first day but already Scott could see the difference. More students just weren't paying attention. He was used to a few that just didn't care one way or another but here it seemed more students would rather talk to each other, look out the window or just plain not pay any attention at all to what he was saying.
He tried to get their attention but they wouldn't even give him a chance. It didn't matter though, Scott was still getting to know the students, he still had to get those tests out of the way to see where they were at currently. He didn't think that most of them would do too well but he was willing to give them the benefit of a doubt.
Scott glanced up when he heard the door open, only to see one of the students from his class. He listened as she spoke. Apparently some of them did want to learn. Scott stood up and moved over to where the girl was standing. "We can talk outside," he told her. The staff lounge was for staff members only so it was best to stay outside in case someone else came in for a break and didn't want students hanging around.
Stepping outside, he listened to the rest of what she was saying. He had already gotten a list of names and risk levels etc of the students in his class. Some of it was a little more than he had expected but Scott was still willing to give each one of them a chance.
"Sure, what did you need explained?" he asked. If she needed more notes to help her then he could give her that, if she wanted to know what the test was going to cover then he could give her more details as well. Scott might not seem like the happiest person around with that solemn look he always seemed to have but he did care about his students. He cared about a lot of things, like his family. He loved his wife and although she died last year, he still wore his wedding ring. He loved his daughter and despite her problem, he did the best he could for her.
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 3:30:53 GMT -5
Academics at Hawthore kind of took the back burner with most students, and even to the school in general. Sure, they could hire teachers and they could have stuff and text books and resources the whole nine yards and force kids to come to classes, but the fact of the matter was that ninety nine percent of the tme kids wouldn't be taking notes. Here it kind of didnt matter if you passed or failed. This school was basically one big school with a bunch of kids with issues. The issues were the more important thing. How in the world was this place suppose to fix you? They were a little more lax then they let on. She still had drugs the only difference was her parents weren't here to watch her copy the lifestyle they had painte for her. In her opinion this school was a joke and they were luckky when students actually learned a thing or two.
The whole time that Mister Nickerson was teaching she could tell he cared. He put forth an effor to try and get his students to listen and she respected him for that, but surely the lack of attention would push him to be like other teachers around here. He'd end up trying to be a hard ass and fail and then he would pry give up and just do the minimal amount required,because she had seen it so many times before. Passion wasn't enough a lot of times you had to do some really odd things just to get noticed by these teens. It was a bit rough.
Honestly, Summer didn't know why she tried to keep her average up. She just figured that if she excelled even though colleges would take into account that she was at this place they would see she tried. Maybe they wouldn't care though. She kind of just wanted the option if it was presented to her. "Right okay I'm sorry." she apologized hoping it wasn't any trouble for him that she had followed him in there. Finally outside Summer opened her binder.
She kind of figured that maybe if she didn't tell him who she was then he'd be one less person judging her in this place so her name remained off. Sure, he'd figure it out sooner or later, but for now she didn't need to tell him.
"Well, alright I mainly wanted to go over your like teaching style...it helps me better in a class and I have these notes, but I missed out on some of the timeline, because the print and well someone's head was in my way so I was wondering if maybe I could finish copying it or something if that wasn't too much trouble..." she said startin off with that. Then she would get to the quesitons about is teaching. She saw the ring and kind of looked up at him waiting for him to say something. He had a family and here he was here? She wondered why he would come to this place. Surely, his wife was pry curious to what would make him want to work with these troubled individuals, but she didn't want to be quick to judge.
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 4:01:42 GMT -5
"That's alright," Scott said. He didn't mind it so much, especially since there weren't any other teachers in there to have a problem with it. Scott hadn't actually seen too many of the other teachers. He had met one or two of them but he hadn't seen anyone who seemed all that optimistic about the students here. Sure there were the few that were trying but most of them seemed to have given up on themselves.
This was part of why Scott was actually happy to see her there. He could definitely put her down as a student who cared about her studies and wanted to do well. So already, she was ahead.
It seemed she was trying to take notes. Scott had seen it, he remembered seeing her take a few notes but he knew the other students could be pretty distracting. The thing was that she had tried and that was enough for him.
"I think I might have a copy of my notes. Wait here," he said, going back into the staff lounge and looking through his things. He usually made a copy just in case he lost his notes. Finding it, Scott walked back outside and handed her the notes. They had a basic outline of what taught and where in the text book the full details could be found.
"They're not exactly notes but it should tell you exactly where to look," he told her. It was very neatly typed out and perfectly ordered so hopefully that would help the girl. "Did you need anything else?" Scott asked, usually teachers were pretty happy about having their down time to just relax in the teachers lounge but Scott was just happy to know he had at least one student who paid attention in class and wanted to do well.
Right now all he needed was his coffee so if she wanted to sit down and go through the work then he would gladly do that. Scott was the sort of person who was happy to help outside of classes. He was happy to stay in school for as long as he needed to, after all, his daughter was here.
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 4:30:59 GMT -5
Well, she hadn't noticed anyone else in there, but she didn't come to think there was just boundries you couldn't cross when it came to staff lounges and what not. "Thanks." she said with a smile trying to be polite and considerate all in one. She was sure that if she had gone in then maybe if a teacher went in they would think something of it, because well girls tended to be rather well promiscuous. At some point she could be that girl, but really she wasn't interested in seducing any teachers, becasue taht was just wrong and well he didn't want that rep because this year she had made some friends and was kind of enjoying i thoroughly. Anyways, it was cool of him to just be helping her in the hall way. There was few teachrs that she figured would do that.
Notes were Summers good friend when it came to learning well that and because when she looked at her notes they made sense to her and even if she had switched things up and didn't copy things word for word she would hear a repeat of what he had said and she had a visual aid straight in front of her, because she had indeed taken notes. She was a visual, auditory, and kynesthetic learner. The girl had to learn using all three learning style methods. A lot of times she would have ignored not knowing what she needed to and just go out or back up to the room at west wing, but she had seen him go to the lounge and figured it couldnt hurt.
"Alright thank." she said and she leaned up against the wall when he had left because well she didn't want to be rude before. Again she didn't care but she did and good gestures to keep her above the stupid radar at this school were easily sought out with her. She looked down at her watch and noticed the time it had been like three hours sense she had taken anything. She looked at her hand and maybe it was psychological but it started shaking. Pull yourself together Summer. but then her train of thought was lost when he came back out and handed her the paper. "Thanks this will help me out a lot." she said and put it into her binder.
"Actually yeah, the whole teaching thing I mean I do this with some teachers, but then I don't with all I just think history is kind of a cool topic so I was kind of wondering along what area's we were going to touch basis and like what methods do you use?" she asked trying to get a better understanding of the guy. She had managed to get her hand to stop shaking when she heald her binder to her chest and she didn't think he noticed but that didn't mean he didn't. She was just asking questions though because and interview process was a lot better then not knowing what kind of teacher one had to deal with.
"I mean but if you're busy and you don't have time because i did notice you were having coffee I'd understand I don't want to like interrupt your break or anything." she said just to be curtious about the whole situation. His last name played out in her head. She had heard that before maybe in one of her classes...was his wife a teacher here too? She was kind of not one to pry, but she did know she heard that name before possible
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 5:07:34 GMT -5
Scott was already impressed by the fact that she actually wanted notes and then again when she said that history was a cool subject it was even better. That was really the most he could ask of most of his students, that they learn to actually enjoy the subject and she had done that already.
Still, she was asking about his teaching methods and that was more than most students would do. He had a few really eager ones aiming to get into Law School or becoming doctors and that was understandable. They wanted to do really well but this wasn't the sort of school where you'd expect too many students like that. This was a school for those who needed a little more help and a lot more focus than most.
"Well, there'll be a lot of visual aids, slide shows. I'll do going down the time like so everything's going to be organized chronologically," he told her. There was no point in skipping events and complicating it when he could just go down a more sensible road.
"No, that's fine. If you want to discuss any of it, we can do that," he told her. he wanted to help his students and if they had questions then he wasn't about to turn them away. Scott worked to encourage a desire to learn. "How about we go find a picnic table or something and we can discuss it there?" he suggested. The exit was right near the teachers lounge and it led outside into the picnic table which would give him enough space to lay out his notes, discuss the class and still drink his coffee if that was what she wanted to do.
[[and then she can totally ask him about his wife or something or mention hearing the name >:] ]]
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 14:51:23 GMT -5
The girl was kind of impressed that he was actually using material from the books because well a lot of teachers didn't tend to do that. A lot of students tended not to relay to the book so the fact that he would go out of his way to outline it was impressive. Maybe he wouldn't be like the other teachers here at Hawthrone.
This school the students it was rare for questions she sort of got that. She felt kind of weird, because this wasn't her norm. She was usually like the rest of the crowd, but history was interesting to her for one reason. It told an actual importat story and she was sure that she wouldn't be in a history book, but these people mattered and for a moment she would try and connect herself to their significant story.
"Alright visual aids covered" she said pretty happy about that because then she would actually physically be seeing something and that did a lot for her and well it did a lot more for other students then they really played it out to be.
Summer when he said something about finding a picnic table she nodded a little bit. That would be a good idea, She had a couple questions about the questions they had went over and if they would be essential to the test and the chapter studies and what not. "Yeah, if thats not too much trouble" she said with a small shrug. Sure, she could wait right? She had came and approached the teacher and she might as well finish asking all her questions anyways, because he seemed to care and that made her seem to care just a little bit more.
[[yeah alright!]sounds like a plannn: )]
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 17:26:03 GMT -5
"No, that's fine, I'll be right back," he told her, going back into the staff lounge and getting his things. He had all his notes and books in neat order. Ever since college, or even high school, Scott had always been organized. It was what helped him learn. for him, color-coded notes and highlights and neatly written notes were what helped him focus and learn. even his files were organized with dividers and anything else he needed to keep it all in order.
He never really went too far with it though. Scott was hardly going to get obsessive about his organization but it definitely helped him and he would recommend it to anyone. Though everyone had their own way of learning and it was often up to the individual to figure out what ways worked best and it seemed for this girl, it was visual aids. Anything with images would help her remember and Scott could work with that.
Grabbing his coffee, he walked back out and gestured for her to follow and he exited and moved to the closest picnic table. He was always more than happy to help his students do well, it was why he was here and why he even became a teacher. He wanted to impart knowledge so if ever anyone was willing to learn and wanted more he would do his best to help them.
"Alright, what else can I help you with?" he asked, with his notes in front of him and his coffee to the side. Scott was a regular person and sometimes students failed to see that but he was just like anyone else. He was just to help them if they wanted that help and although not all teachers were good at what they did or even had the desire to help their students, Scott did.
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 19:17:52 GMT -5
"Alright thanks." she said and she zipped up her bag and she pushed it up over her shoulder. The halls were kind of packed with peple going back and forth to classrooms for study groups or what not. Then some were scrambling to go back to west wing and east wing and what not. It just seemed like a heavy traffic in the halls because last period was getting out and what not. Some classes ran slower then others it just depended on the students and the teachers really some teachers wanted t keep their students in the classroom once they got them there, because here it was somewhat rare?!
The dude seemed kind of reserved for a teacher. Sure, the teachers didn't get personal here with their students and she didn't blame them. She tended not to really care but he was a little bit shy it seemed just odd to her. She wondered why he transfered here she heard he had better job offers. Then all of a sudden he was dropped in hell pretty much. She was sure that he could handle himself though, because he looked rather strong. That is what she obsereved from his body type at least.
Finally, he had got his stuff together and he was back out in the open and he nodded towards the picnic tables. She followed and glared when people eyed her giving them a sarcastic ass smirk, because she could read their faces and body language. At one point this one girl that past really got to her she'd be remembering that face. She winked at her and then finally when they got to the table she ignored everyone else.
"Well, was kind of curious as to whether or or not you'd have a problem with me taping your lectures and I was going to ask couple questions about the questions about the chapters we were working on if you didn't mind...I mean not too many because I can understand most of it I just needed a little help" she said with a shrug. She put her bag down and took a pencil out of it as she opened her binder also taking the book out of her now open bag. |
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 20:24:28 GMT -5
Scott used to be a lot more social. He had a lot of responsibilities and that made grow up a little quicker so even at eighteen he was a lot more mature than any of his friends. Things sort of just went on that way and when Isabelle got sick, he got a little more reserved. He was happy to talk to people and make friends but having too much to worry about meant that more often than not, the man would simple be quiet and appear to be in deep though, rather than talking to friends and smiling or laughing. He just had too much on his mind most of the time.
Getting through the hallway and out the building, Scott didn't care to look at the people they past. He just kept that serious look on his face and walked out. He had always done a good job, or at least as good as he was capable of doing.
"That's fine," Scott said, he was pretty tolerant of most things and recording his classes was hardly going to be a problem. "If that helps you then do it," he told her. It would definitely help to be able to go back and listen again in case she missed anything so that was completely fine with him.
"Sure, where did you want to start?" he asked, flipping his own book open, to the appropriate page. He was happy to answer any questions she had.
[[if you dont have actually question, we can skip to the last one and just say he's answered it, that way they can just talk if you want]]
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Post by summer on Feb 21, 2011 22:21:38 GMT -5
Only when they got through the questions that she had come up with to ask and after thorough questioning she kind of felt bad for the dude, because all the other teachers didn't seem to come out and welcome them because they knew how they could be! Summer wasn't the favorite student around here, because seh asked questions and spoke her mind. To some getting your point across didn't really matter. It really got her heated when the teacher told her that there was only one right way to do shit. Or when their opinion was the right one, because it wasn't how it worke. She got a F on one of her abortion papers, because she wasn't in the same stance. The girl was smart even if she hated school.
The site of the ring mad her remember her next question. She fiddled with her ring on her finger because well it worked out better she had the object. "I don't mean to be a pain, but sir I think I've heard your last name before is you're wife work here?" she asked him raising an eyebrow. She was curious because she thought she knew someon with that name. Though she didn't because it was his daughter! She had never met the girl yet, because she didn't go out of her way to meet people.
As she waited for the question to be posed she put her hands under the table. She didn't want him to see them shake or notice. That would mean that he would think something and she didn't want trouble. It was kind of her being more self conscious about it. She didn't think it would look normal and that is when she usually got into trouble when someone noticed she'd get kind of pissed off. She awaited the response patiently. It got easier with time.
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 21, 2011 23:29:15 GMT -5
Scott had been happy to help the girl. If there was a chance to help his students excel then he would take it. He was also used to teaching one on one, especially with Anna back when she was getting home schooled so he used to giving time to students individually if he needed to. Although some teachers didn't like spending time outside of the class room, going through things they had already taught and repeating themselves again and again, Scott really didn't mind at all, as long as his students appreciated it and put in the effort to do their own study and do well in his classes. That was really all he could ask for from them.
Scott put his papers together, knowing that she would have been near the end of this session and that she was out of questions. She made move move to leave yet though so he stayed putting his papers in order, just in case she came up with another question, and she did. It wasn't about history but Scott knew it would be rude not to answer anyway.
He paused though and opened his mouth to say something but stopped again. How should he put this? "My wife died last year.. It might be my daughter you're thinking of. Anna Nickerson," he suggested. It was hard to have tell something news like that, especially when he always sounded so solemn about it all. He even knew what would come next. The sympathy. even if it wasn't words, it would always be there in people's expressions.
"She just started here today," he told her girl, deciding that changed the subject from his dead wife to his live daughter was a much better option.
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Post by summer on Feb 22, 2011 0:13:53 GMT -5
Summer found that he seemed pretty content with helping her. The whole one on one thing felt odd to her because not many teachers would be willing. That was what counslers were good for. Well, he wasn't counseling her he was helping her, but that was 'sides the point. The point was he helped her and she respected him for that now. He was one of the few teachers she could see herself respecting.
Summer put her stuff in her bag just because she was a clean person and organized and well she liked to put her things where they belonged after using them. That was weird to most people but it was just a habit to her. The was getting slightly irritated with her loose hairs so she tucked them behind her ears. It was sure to stay then!
Summr mentally slapped herself in the forehead when he said she was dead! That meant that she had just askd about the dumbed question she could! Why was he still wearing the ring though? "Oh um I'm sorry that was kind of personal I didn't mean to..." she trailed off and then he mentioned his daughter. She was fresh here today? That was why she heard her name. That is why she remembered it....A new student. "Oh yeah thats it..." she said with a smile. "Have you seen her around is she settling in alright?" she asked just to be nice.
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Post by scott ethan nickerson on Feb 22, 2011 0:30:44 GMT -5
"No, that's alright," Scott said. It wasn't even all that long ago and Scott could still remember her really well. It actually took him a few weeks to fully realize it because during the first few weeks after it happened, he found himself forgetting she was actually gone. Doing silly things like stopping at the confectionery aisle at the grocery store, thinking about buying her some of her favorite chocolate and then remember she was gone. It always the little things but after a while it stopped.
"I think she is," Scott admitted. "I wasn't really sure about this place at first but this is about the arrangement I could get," he told her. This was the only way he could have her in a school where they would understand her condition and take that into consideration. It was also the only place where he could keep an eye on her and make sure she was alright.
"How do you like the school so far?" he asked. She had been here a while so he assumed she would be better able to tell him if the place was alright, if there was anything he should worry about. Anna was pretty resilient when it came down to it so Scott knew that she would be fine but he still worried about her. He was her father, it was sort of his job.
She was growing up fast though. It seemed like only yesterday the girl was about three years old, laughing and smiling and now she was fourteen.. Only four years younger than he had been when she was born. Scott and Isabelle had Anna when they were pretty young but the handle the situation really well. In fact Scott was sure that Anna was about the best thing to happen to them.
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