Is it really Friday?
It may not be Friday, but it WAS my last day with the class from HELL. Amazing how three kids can totally ruin a group. The worst offender was out on suspension today, so I thought we’d have a semi-pleasant day. The other two had cooled their jets considerably after lost recess last week, so I had the overly optimistic hope that we could make it through one more day.
I should take my grandma’s philosophy and always look for the cloud instead of the silver lining. I’ll never be disappointed that way. Of course, I’ll be surly and un-likeable with no friends, but I won’t be disappointed.
So bad day. Bad, bad day. Not as bad as yesterday, but my nerves were so frazzled that by the time the dismissal bell rang I was ready to shout profanities at my two sweethearts.
Both of these children have absolutely no ability to sit in their seats or stop talking when asked to do so. I know kids are busy. I know they need to move. I don’t mind seeing a kid get up to sharpen a pencil once, or grab a tissue. I don’t mind kids getting a drink of water. I don’t mind quiet talking to a neighbor. (All of this during appropriate times of course, not right in middle of instructions). These two just can not handle that. The boy just can’t sit in a seat at all. I finally let him sit in the extra teacher spinny chair and spin around because it meant his ass stayed planted for more than 3 milliseconds. The girl? Well. . . I think the ONLY thing that would have helped her was a serious application of duct tape. The boy drove me insane, but I didn’t feel like I actually wanted to strangle him. The girl. . . ohhhhhhhh. . .the girl. Her mouth opens and her attitude comes out and she’s just lucky she isn’t in Catholic school where they can beat her with a damned ruler. I called her mom, took away her recess and sent her to the office. She was gone for a full hour, but back for the afternoon. She was still cocky.
During clean up time she and the boy started chasing each other. Literally RUNNING around the room. It was the busiest time of the day. I had to get everyone to get all their crap off the floor, make sure they had all their homework written down, and make sure all the chairs were stacked. I didn’t need those tow jackasses running around like little four year olds. I yelled, which I never do. I screamed, which I really never do. I grabbed them (gently) and stuck them in line, which I never never never never never do. Finally the kids were all in line, we were ready to go to specials, the two jackasses were in the corner slapping the shit out of each other, of course. I grabbed them again, told the kids to go to art as I followed them with the two guttersnipes [thank the thesaurus for that word, I hope it just means devil and doesn't have any connotations I am not aware of] both right by me, yelling at each other allllllll the way down the hall and threw them in the office on the way by.
I’m so happy that the vice-principal was at the school today. The principal is really nice and feels sorry for the kids (as do I) and wants to be their friends. I like her and think she does a good job in general, but she isn’t hard enough on some of the kids in my opinion. The vice-principal doesn’t put up with much shit, though he is very nice. He suspended both of the little fuckers for the next two days. I won’t be there, but I am satisfied with the conclusion.
It was just an incredibly stressful day with those two acting like fucking monkeys, then I had to make sure everything was in order and grade a bunch of papers. I was also chasing down kids trying to get make-up work out of them (as I’d been doing ALL week, since in a class of 18 only 4 had any ability to hand in papers without constant nagging).
I remember why I vowed I would never teach full time again. It’s emotionally draining. I become a grouchy, stressed out nasty person and I don’t like me when I’m like that. I don’t like walking down the hall with a frown so deep I can feel the wrinkles being chiseled into my forehead. I don’t like feeling like I could do serious violence against someone. I am not cut out to be a full time teacher. I can not handle chaos on a long term basis. I can not stand saying “Sit your bottom in the chair, sit your bottom in the chair, sit your bottom in the chair” over and over and over again. By the end of the day I was ready to say “Sit your ass in that chair or I’m going to duct tape it there.” I didn’t, of course, but I needed to. I just can’t do it. I’m not enough of a “go with the flow” type person. I need order. I need people to do what they are told to do. I always did what I was told to do. I never knew I couldn’t.
I just wish I didn’t already have a job lined up for tomorrow, but I will be doing a class at a different school on Thursday and Friday. I hope the class is better than this one. I don’t even know what grade it will be, though I do know it will be primary. Let’s hope it’s not K.
Then, just when I thought I could come home and relax, I opened my e-mail and found some major stress bombs that just about knocked me out. I am at a point where I don’t know what to do anymore, am not sure that things are worth the hassle anymore, and am just ready to say “my giveadamn’s busted” [new JoDee Messina song].
Then my underwire popped out so I not only had a major poking in my pit, but am now down to two good bras since the kind I like are discontinued.
And I couldn’t eat dinner because I was feeling stress sick.
And Lost was supposed to be a new episode but it was just a stupid retrospective.
And I know I am using really gross language but I can’t help myself tonight.
And my poor honey has been on a conference call to Australia for the past hour.
And he has to go to France for a few days in June. I guess technically I could tag along, but I hate flying and will hate it even more when my belly is bigger and if I do go I will be on my own since he’ll be working all day every day. And we’re trying to save money for the house and baby. And he’s going to try to hop over to Sweden for a few days to see his family, so that is even more motivation for me to stay home. Actually, I really like his family. They have been nothing but kind to me. I just don’t think I could eat moose meat while pregnant, and I don’t think they would understand that. Plus I get really stressed out since none of them really speak English and my Swedish is terrible. They have a really thick southern accent that I can never hope to understand, even if I was to live in Sweden for 30 years.
Things have to start looking up sometime.
April 28th, 2005 at 9:01 am
The Lost recap was REALLY annoying too, with a narrarator and everything. I’m DYING for a new episode!
April 29th, 2005 at 8:12 am
I was shocked at your language. I don’t mind because I myself am a potty mouth, but it is very obvious and that this class was from the devil itself. I’m glad your done with it.
Don’t sub that class again. You don’t need the stress.
April 30th, 2005 at 12:58 am
This sort of thing is why I don’t teach children. I would not be able to deal with it.
Karoni is right. Don’t sub that class again.
That said, here’s a possible solution (if you’re allowed to use it). I remember a teacher when I was about 10 who used to take our truly awful class out to the running track every day, and make us run. It started with two minutes then went up daily, until he had us running for thirty minutes non-stop, every day. We felt really proud of that – even the fat kids could do it (speed was never the point) – and, magically, we were really well-behaved and happy after our run. He praised us for being able to do what other kids couldn’t and we felt like superkids.
Well of COURSE we were well-behaved after that. We were TIRED. It was BRILLIANT way to get kids to calm down and shut up.