Is it wrong that I am counting down the days until school is over this year? You would think I had been teaching for years and needed a break, can you believe I've only been in the big, wide world for less than a year now? And I'm already exhausted.
The kidlets are driving me crazy. My patience has plunged from so-so to absolute nothingness. I have spent every afternoon this week doing extra work, work that isn't going away as hard as I feel I'm working on it.
Back to counting: 24 days of term left. 24 school days, that is. It's not that long, when you think about it. I'll survive.
Besides, I have New Zealand to look forward to.
(Fwee! Passport arrived today, complete with its photo that makes me look like a crazed psychopath! Fwee! New Zealand! Poor! Poor, Poor, Poor! Paying travel agent tomorrow and I am POOR!)
Today was not a good day.
The kidlets had apparently forgotten how to walk in two, straight lines.
I had ONE child out of twenty five bring back their homework (that I had spent AGES on, making little booklets and the like.. bastards!)
Eleven of them (again, out of twenty five) didn't even bring a pencilcase. Not a single pencil. (One day a rant will come about parents sending their kids to school with NO FUCKING EQUIPMENT, ROAR.)
I was very moody. So moody that we worked in silence nearly all morning, and that rarely happens. I'm not a fussy teacher who can't stand a single speck of noise; to me, as long as they're on task and working things out, I'm happy. Not today. One sound and their name went on the chalkboard. See? Moody.
After they were finished, I had them write up a paragraph about why it is important to listen to instructions. It wasn't for any educational purposes (except to check maybe spelling and punctuation?) but really, I just wanted to see what responses they would come up with.
"We should listen because if we don't, Miss S. will get a headache."
"If we don't follow instructions, we will get in trouble and that is not good."
And the classic:
"Listen to Miss S, because she is the boss of this class and knows everything!!"
Damn straight, kiddo. Damn straight!
17 down; 13 to go!
Hopefully (for your sake) the weather quietens down soon. Having spent a lot of time working with kids I know first hand how the wind makes kids crazy.
ReplyDelete17 days to go!
(enter horseshack voice here even if it shows my age)
ReplyDeleteOhhhh ohhhhh ohhhhhhh! MY submission for your assignment would be as follows:
Q: Why it is important to follow instructions.
A: Ummmm ,,,,,what was I supposed to be writing a paragraph on again?
BD
breathe darling breathe
ReplyDeleteyour anger is seething through your posts lately !!!
Thank goodness it's not just me that's been going crazy with the kids this year. Why do they seem so much more annoying than last year?!
ReplyDeleteMan your kids crack me up! They crack me up even more than my year 7 class who get topped by your class every time!
ReplyDeleteBring on that countdown!We have 8 days with kids left, 2days for reports and then 5 days of meetings. Total of 15 days and yes I am counting!
When I was a teacher, I'd make my 3rd graders type out really "meaningful" things as punishment, too. I was convinced it would teach them a lesson. And it did, sometimes...but usually I'd just get more frustrated b/c what they wrote was bullshit about 90% of the time. I loved being buttered up, though...admittedly. When they told me how pretty I was...or that I was the nicest grown up in the whole world...I ate it up. I'm not above bribery.
ReplyDeleteThis is typical end of year behaviour! In the last weeks all you do is count the days BUt don't get stressed. As Johnny has his 3rd meltdown for the day and it's only 10am just say to yourself - just 20 days to go. When Suzy is being a little witch remind yourself 4 more weeks then someone else's problem.
ReplyDeleteThe last weeks are about surviving! Another week and you can start to relax with Xmas activities and the last week takes care of itself!
Good luck!
It's so hard, especially so close to the end. I find that for the last month or two, my patience is worn down to nothing and I become Mean Miss Meg who makes an issue out of everything.
ReplyDelete