If you would have walked by my window at around 6 pm yesterday evening, you would have found me cross-legged on the floor, sobbing over a stubbed toe.
But the tears weren't really about the stubbed toe at all. I was crying because it was - as they say - the straw that broke the camel's back.
I'd had a rough day. Week...2 weeks. I've been having a rough few weeks. Your first year of teaching is no joke...
Anyway, yesterday I had a substitute teacher. The whole English department did! We were on a "data retreat" where we spent the whole day in a long meeting about MYP, IEP's, GTT, IB, FI...WTF? IDK.
In the afternoon, there was some planning time. So that was nice.
As I was saying, it was a long day. I walked away from it feeling this much more inadequate and that much more like I'm breaking all my students, and ever so slightly irked that my life has seemingly disappeared. School, home + chores, grading, sleep, school!
And then I stubbed my toe. I'd had enough! So I cried for an hour without being able to articulate why. In fact, I couldn't articulate anything at all.
So as you can imagine, I got ready for work this morning in a languid fashion. I was unsure of how I would reign in my already rambunctious kids after a day-long-party with a sub. But when I walked into my room, I was greeted with a blackboard filled with drawings like this:
(this one is actually a few days old, but I forgot to take pictures of the ones today).
They said things like, "We miss you Ms. Hansen - period 1" and "Tristen loves Ms. Hansen" and "we love you!" and "Ms. Hansen is the most awesome teacher ever."
When they actually arrived in classes I found out that the sub:
1.) called a student in first hour (my perfect class) a slut. uhm...what?
2.) made her own rules despite me leaving her our class norms.
3.) referred to herself as the rockstar sub.
4.) allowed students in 6th hour to get into a physical altercation that left other students feeling unsafe.
Needless to say, the students were happier than ever to see me. There were many requests that I "never, ever leave again."
Of course, they felt differently at the end of the hour. But that doesn't stop them from drawing hearts for me. <3 p="p">
But the tears weren't really about the stubbed toe at all. I was crying because it was - as they say - the straw that broke the camel's back.
I'd had a rough day. Week...2 weeks. I've been having a rough few weeks. Your first year of teaching is no joke...
Anyway, yesterday I had a substitute teacher. The whole English department did! We were on a "data retreat" where we spent the whole day in a long meeting about MYP, IEP's, GTT, IB, FI...WTF? IDK.
In the afternoon, there was some planning time. So that was nice.
As I was saying, it was a long day. I walked away from it feeling this much more inadequate and that much more like I'm breaking all my students, and ever so slightly irked that my life has seemingly disappeared. School, home + chores, grading, sleep, school!
And then I stubbed my toe. I'd had enough! So I cried for an hour without being able to articulate why. In fact, I couldn't articulate anything at all.
So as you can imagine, I got ready for work this morning in a languid fashion. I was unsure of how I would reign in my already rambunctious kids after a day-long-party with a sub. But when I walked into my room, I was greeted with a blackboard filled with drawings like this:
(this one is actually a few days old, but I forgot to take pictures of the ones today).
They said things like, "We miss you Ms. Hansen - period 1" and "Tristen loves Ms. Hansen" and "we love you!" and "Ms. Hansen is the most awesome teacher ever."
When they actually arrived in classes I found out that the sub:
1.) called a student in first hour (my perfect class) a slut. uhm...what?
2.) made her own rules despite me leaving her our class norms.
3.) referred to herself as the rockstar sub.
4.) allowed students in 6th hour to get into a physical altercation that left other students feeling unsafe.
Needless to say, the students were happier than ever to see me. There were many requests that I "never, ever leave again."
Of course, they felt differently at the end of the hour. But that doesn't stop them from drawing hearts for me. <3 p="p">
1 comment:
It gets better! Everything gets easier and you will find balance.
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