How do you behavior manage mental illness?

I walked into the building,
Like any other day,
Except this morning Angie's voices
Were getting in the way.
You see, what was supposed to happen
Was Ms. Connolly's period one
But instead of walking in there
She barged in and said, "Listen son!
If you fucking touch me one more time
You're gonna have an issue!
Imma smoke your ass and you'll be sorry
Because nobody gonna miss you."
"Angie honey, sweetie pie
Walk with me this way.
Please step into my office
And say what you gotta say.
Tell me instead of that little boy –
I know it's not the same,
But I want you here in school and calm.
Did I tell you that I'm glad you came?"

Breathe in, breathe out
Wash, rinse, repeat

I walked into the building,
Like any other day,
Except this morning Ciara was angry
Because Dean Sanders got in the way.
"Why he so pressed when I come
Always gettin' me in trouble?
It's like I walk up to the door
And he wants to serve me double.
I just got back from suspension
I'm not tryna stay home no more
But he makes it hard to walk in here
Without it feeling like a chore."
"Ciara girl, baby cakes,
Let's take a breath real quick.
Come with me to my office,
I know just the trick.
I need your help with something, please,
You know I'm always way too busy,
Could you set this all up for me –
Your headphones can blast Shy Glizzy.
If you're not feeling better in 20 minutes
I'll let mom know you'll be right back,
But I really want you here today
We can get you back on track."

Breathe in, breathe out
Wash, rinse, repeat

I walked into the building,
Like any other day,
Except this morning Izzy couldn't
Put the past in it's rightful place.
"Imma fuck that bitch up!
I swearta God I will, jus you wait and see.
Imma tear this whole mothafucka down!
Today shit ain't right with me.
Ms. Walker don't give me one of your peps
I already know what you gonna say.
There's nothing you can tell me
That takes that bitches words away.
She wants to hurt me, go ahead
Imma a get her back, it's understood.
She better sleep with one eye open
If she knows what's for her own good."
"Izzi sweetheart, you know you're my girl,
And you're absolutely right,
There is nothing I can do or say
That erases what happened last night.
But I do know that you made some good choices
This morning by coming here.
Let's make some more and sort it out,
There's nothing here for you to fear.
I'm going to love you through every moment
And hug you when you need it,
But use your words to tell me,
Don't give up, please don't quit.
You've come so far from when we met
And we've got a ways to go –
Let's keep up this journey together,
I need you to remember, I'm with you though.
You can sit with me until you're ready
To get yourself to class.
Take your time, we'll hug it out.
Then I'll write you your pass."

Breathe in, breathe out
Wash, rinse, repeat

When I walk into the building,
Each and every day,
I never know what's waiting for me
That is going to get in the way.
It could be the voices in Angie's head,
Or Ciara's paranoia,
It could be Izzy's anger problems
Anything could be waiting for ya.
How do you behavior manage mental illness?
Does anyone have a clue?
I'm willing to take help from anyone.
At this point, anything will do.
I don't know how to call a foul
Without a referee –
At what point have they lost control?
Many times it's hard to see.
The moment I meet one child's needs
Another's crying out for help,
Their attention seeking methods
Are less talk... more yelp.
Cursing, yelling, hitting, crying
Fists, tears, kicks, screams
Heartbreak, mind blown
All lead to shattered dreams.
Fear of failure, fear of success,
Fear of others, fear of responsibility,
Fear of disappointment, fear of life!
Frustration with their limited ability
To express themselves clearly,
Say what they really mean,
They are trapped inside themselves all day,
Their real emotions never seen.
If I were them, I'd scream too,
But that doesn't make it alright.
This is a school building, after all,
Screaming children must remain out of sight.

If that's how I was treated
When I was in the most pain,
I'd act out and be ridiculous, too
From screaming, I would not refrain.
You'd hear me screaming loud and clear:
"You're going to listen to me,
Whether you like it or not,
Because I will be what I will be.
Call me crazy, call me stupid
Call me retarded, call me SPED.
You can call me whatever you want
It can't be worse than what's in my head.
Just help me please, make it stop!
I want to get my education today.
I will clearly do anything for you to see me
Nothing can get in my way."
That's what I hear over and over
These unique cries are the same,
So my question for you is:
How would you stop my students' pain?

It isn't solved with a special plan,
Nor can it be corrected with detention.
I can't do all day therapy,
And they've already been given their suspension.
None of these are working,
It's only making them act crazier.
Try giving Izzy another suspension,
This "behavior management" doesn't phase her.
Until my school comes up with another plan,
Each and every day I will feel
Like I am failing so many of my children
Because I can't make an appeal
To our schools' forms of behavior management
That clearly aren't working for my babies.
They need a different answer, another choice
I need a "Yes, this works", no more "Maybe"s.

I don't know how much longer we'll last
Without answering these kids cries,
Because our system claims to meet their needs,
But Professor Umbridge taught me, "I shall not tell lies."
So I tell my children every day,
"I'm going to love you through this, bear with me.
I'll do my very best to help you,
I'm trying every day, I need you trust me.

For now, that is going to have to be enough.
I am truly sorry."

Breathe in, breathe out
Wash, rinse, repeat.




(Names have been changed to protect individual's identities.)