A Long December

and it's only the first week. I have to say that I left school for Thanksgiving in absolute love with my students. They were polite, they cranked out seven paragraphs for me in one sitting, and they chatted enthusiastically. In short, we bonded.
The story this week has been far worse. I skipped school last Friday to take my GREs (they went so-so, incidentally) and found a gushing substitute on Monday. She said my kids were calm and kind. I was so happy Monay morning; if only such bliss had lasted.

While the behavior has been nothing to call the dean about, there has been zero listening and cooperating. Lord of the Flies, our latest book project, has thrown them for a loop. They want to read Zane and other romance novels. They can't stand all the description of the island that opens the book. So I've slowed down the pace and I'm going to utilize Sparknotes as best I can.

Oh, incidentally, the principal came into my classroom today just as one of my biggest ADHD punks had whipped out a cellphone. She and my AP (who has been friendlier lately) pulled him outside and gave him a stern-yet-gentle talking-to, while saving their head-shaking and scorn for the boy's frazzled teacher.

So by the transitive property of authorityness (in other words, shit flows downhill), I yelled at all three classes today. I just gave up on being kind/patient/understanding. It worked. But I have to not yell at them again for at least two weeks in order to save the power of yelling for when it's really needed.


13 instructional days and counting til Xmas...


Ms. S