I tried, I changed, but still am getting divorced!

[newmama]

thanks for your support, ladies!

ughhh. had a BAD day!

1) apparently I really ticked off some parents and they tattled on me to the principal!! What happened was that they stuck their head in the door just as we were all trying to line up for lunch, get calm and orderly, get lunch boxes, and stay quiet enough to walk down the hall. We weren't there yet...kids were horsing around and my little disruptive kid was weaving in and out of line. WHile this is happening, a mom opens the door and her daughter comes running out of line to see her. All the kids go "is that your mom? hey look, it's her mom!" We were already running late for lunch (you can't get too behind because it messes up other grades).

SO the mom says "we just want to peek in!" I say in a friendly way "oh, okay! are you picking her up for lunch?" (parents do that sometimes) "no, just "peeking in to see her!" and the class is getting all crazy while I am trying to figure out what the mom needs. So I said "ok, well I'm sorry but it's not the best time- it's kind of interrupting right now! But I can definitely talk to you later!" and I said it in a very friendly way. NOW I TOTALLY did not mean to say "interrupt"--it just came out! I could have just said "oh, well I can talk to you later!" I didn't think much of it other than regretting saying "interrupt."

so then the principal comes in to see me during prep and tells me that the mom felt pushed out of my room and she was already skeptical of public schools and the mom said she has the right to see what her daughter is doing and that her daughter told her that I have been brushing her aside (yeah, like 6 year olds talk like that?)...
baloney!! what's funny is that I moved her desk to the front yesterday(before I knew about her parents) because I could tell this girl has a mind of her own (my mommy says this, and I get to do this, and I don't want to do it like that...etc.) so I knew she needs a little extra attention and once she likes me she will listen to anything I tell her. (some kids don't care about the rules- they just care about the relationships. And she has never been to school before or daycare so she isn't used to some adult other than her parents telling her what to do!)


LUCKILY my principal told me she had my back, that she didn't think for a second that I was super rude and neglecting her daughter. SHe told the mom to talk to me directly (and told me to contact the parents) and assured her that it was probably just a bad timing issue. AND IT WAS! So I emailed the parents, apologizing for the misunderstanding and assured them that they can come in whenever, but the worst time is around lunch.

AND then
2)I have a student who was in a developmental kindergarten last year....why he is in a regular ed classroom the following year is beyond me! But the issue is that he does things like push his desk all around the room, hit kids with books or throw pencils at them or just slaps them, spits on kids, comes up to the ELMO projector and waves his hand, and cries when he doesn't get his way.

UMMM...I do have a whole class that I need to tend to and get to know! I know he is a sweet boy but struggles too much. HE LOVES books (can't read) and art. So what happens, folks, is when your child is in a class with a kid who is majorly disruptive, your child will not get as good of an education unless that child has some assistance of some kind. It is the truth.I wish more parents would complain so the kid can get help. Any kid with severe learning and behavior issues deserves compassion and adult assistance. I truly enjoy working with this little boy 1:1 (he is attentive and sweet) but it is when he is supposed to be at his desk or joining us on the carpet or lining up when it is a problem. (80% of the day)

I spend soooo much time redirecting that child, interrupting everyone else's learning, starting over, helping that ONE child. It isn't fair to my other students and it isn't fair to HIM! He is thrown into a class without support and it is too hard for him, let alone that it takes away from others' right to a FREE and APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.


3) the kids were "done" by lunch time and they certainly were "done" at 1:00. 2 more hours to go! I had 6 or 8 kids who were eager to learn! They were attentive. Too bad the other 14 were checked out. How could 6 year olds make a grown woman want to cry??? But this is why I was so eager to teach 2nd grade. It's okay. It will get better in a couple of months.

4)The rest of my team wants to start reading groups ASAP and I haven't been able to assess all of my students yet because of that disruptive kid!!!

so I have requested assistance and I will be insistent on at least 45 minutes of some help per day for 4 days so I can try to figure out what my kids can read!

5) I have to go in again this weekend.

SO life will get better. But it sucks right now!