Long Time no post

Sorry, sorry for the long break. It has been a crazy week at work. I got a new student who everyone told me was big time trouble- like a “for real” dangerous character. I was prepared to try to get rid of him immediately but, being a sucker for all rejects and underdogs, I liked him right way.

Day 2 he threatened one of my long-time students whom I love dearly. Soo– got my threatened kid home safely and the trick was getting rid of “Nicco” without him thinking it was because of his threat to my other student…otherwise my other student could have been in real danger.

So, I was told by my higher-ups to find a reason to suspend him by the end of the day. Unfortunately, before we knew about the threat I had given him a little pep talk about how well he was doing in our class, and his little face had lit up as if no one had ever told him such a thing before (which they probably hadn’t as his big challenge in math right is figuring out how to add two numbers together) and as a result of our conversation he was a perfect angel for the rest of the day. After school we caught him on a minor detail and suspended him and he was so bewildered and I felt awful, even though I knew it had to be done.

I had to call his mom who was equally bewildered since the reason we were giving for the suspension really was ridiculous and I got to hear about how she’s a single mother, and her son has problems but since he’s doing so much better can’t we please please just give him a chance…and she had talked to him and he said I was the first teacher who ever liked him and said he “did good”- uhg, it was all heartbreaking.

Today my kids, whom I love dearly, were all little monsters because they were so shaken up after yesterday- I had to send 4 kids to the office and suspend Danny- who is one of my favorite students (I know, I say that about all of them but it’s still true). Ironically, they all seemed much happier after being sent to the office and/or suspended… I think they just wanted to be reminded that there was structure and control in the classroom. It was my first time suspending or sending anyone to the office and I should have done it much earlier in the the day

Anyway, it was all pretty crazy- but rather then being happy that it’s the weekend I’m really anxious for Monday so I can reset the tone of the class back to our normal mellow, family-like environment. I find it irritating I have to wait two days to set things right again.

I’m sure all change my mind tomorrow when I don’t have to get up, though.