Perspective

I was so frustrated yesterday. I had a new teacher come to my classroom to "learn" from my experience. Jeez Louise. She asked me how long I had been teaching and congratulated me for sticking with it. My class was a train wreck. Complete humiliation. I was so down.

Even though my hair was blue today (think exploded pen tucked on my ear soaking ink into my hair) and I was in a meeting till 8pm tonight, it was a good day. I know that my kids are not perfect. In fact, my class this year is incredibly difficult. But we will be ok. And I'm thankful for the ego check. Just when you're getting cocky...

Sleep tight!

Woohooo 1st quarter

Ok team.  Hope all is well!  I am off school for a couple of days for some district meetings and need to vent for a moment.

1. I sent 2 of my students to other teachers instead of the sub.  1 got suspended today.  Nice.

2.  The librarian sent me an email saying how different my class was when I was there and how much they needed me.  She had them for 30 minutes today.  This was nice but also means they must have been semi-out of control.

3. A parent sent me an email with an apology and feedback after the note home about her student cursing.  Great. 

4.  Finally, my substitute (WHO I LOVE!) only came to my school last year to sub for my class.  Everyone else at my meeting today was talking about how they tried to get him, but he all ready agreed to come to my school.  Since my school is a little high needs, he knew he could trust my kids last year. I sent him an email with a heads-up about this group, but he assured me all would be well...The same sub who came all last year has not responded to any of my emails today nor has he accepted future jobs I have pending.  Did this group of kids scare him off on the first day? I mean, I agree they are a tough group.  I have had more issues in two months than I did in last year with my last class. But I thought I had trained them well enough to at least somewhat keep it together while I was gone.  WOE IS ME. 

However, I have to attend these meetings.  I have decided to let go and let God.  I cannot control what happens when I am not there, even though I am tempted to keep Skype going with my kids all day tomorrow.  Please Lord keep things together until Friday.  Please let Mr. P (the sub) show up tomorrow. Please keep my kids engaged and calm.  And please, please keep me from staying up all night worrying about how they will act tomorrow.

Thanks for listening guys.  Pray for my bees...

Much love!

--Miss P. 

Getting excited!

I am sitting at home today working on several projects, including planning field trips and donorschoose projects and getting excited for the rest of the school year.  However, earlier this week, I was definitely NOT excited! 

As we approach mid-September, I feel like I am finally getting in a bit of a groove with my kids at school.  There are still definite ripples.  Last Tuesday, 9/11 was a super hard day for me and my kids.  Although the day has a lot of emotion involved for everyone in America, I am not sure that was the reason it was a bad day.  I did start out the day by talking to my kids about what happened. None of them were born in 2001, so it is a little hard for them to comprehend.  One of my little bees started laughing when I started talking about airplanes crashing into buildings.  This little bee has a traumatic past and lots of issues we are working through.  However, I got very frustrated when the other kids started laughing too and sent everybody to their seats.

I guess that's when the day started going downhill.  Probably the worst day so far this year (and still doesn't hold a candle to my days in middle school), by the end of the day I had three kids openly wailing.  No exaggeration.  I ended up calling 5 parents plus 2 grannies.  I had 2 parents come to the school.  I am not sure what happened.  Lots of disrespect, calling out, frustration.  I think the frustration was the cause of most of it.  I am just seeing more and more how sensitive my bees are this year.  I have so many that have such a low threshold for frustration.  Two of the outbursts started in writing, and there was one that happened (and continued) in math.  The writing issue involved spelling "around" and "sorry" (two separate kids).  They just could not sound it on and move on. They wanted me to spell it for them.  Oh my word.  Frustration, throwing pencils, sobbing, breakdown.  The math incident was subtraction greater than 10.  Guess what?  You can no longer use your fingers alone for 12-8 or 15-7.  Total collapse for one of my highest students who refused to try manipulatives or a number line.  She was so frustrated that she couldn't solve the problem.  My bees are super-volatile and fragile this year.  I have had some sad stories in past years, but I think the neediness of this group is pretty overwhelming.  It also doesn't help that they are a much bigger class than last year. 

The rest of my week was great (esp. after all those parent calls), but it takes a really rough day once in a while to make you appreciate the good ones.  This weekend, I stayed in Nashville and didn't head home to be with the family.  Although I miss them, it has been WONDERFUL!  I have applied for 2 grants and tentatively planned 4 field trips.  I have caught up on some awesome education sites/blogs with some fresh ideas for the rest of the year.  My kids may not be as well-behaved as my kids from last year, but I will do my best to make sure they learn as much or more as my bees from last year. 

Hope you had a great weekend, and yay for cooler weather! 

Much love,

Miss P

Life update

Soooo it's been a couple of months...

I am sitting here watching "The Wedding Date," and trying to think about how to condense summer and August into one post. Hmmm... Maybe a top 10 list. Those are my favorite.

1. Sister cruise in June to kick off summer. So great. Perfect weather, food, ports.  Minimal fights.

2. Wedding season with 3 weddings in 24 hours. All very different but great food and fun at all.

3. Vacation Bible school, which is always one of my favorite parts of summer.

4. Great family time and nature time at Fall Creek Falls.

5. Epic move. Three years in one house and moving to a much smaller town home = major stress. However, it was good purging. There were lots of thrift store drops and massive trash drop offs. I am settling in wonderfully with a new roommate. And missing my former roomies a little too. 

6. Stayed at the same school. Moved classrooms. Even in my 4th year of teaching (how is it my 4th year??), organizing and decorating a classrooms has not gotten any easier. 

7. Supposed to have very small classes due to the extreme neediness of my community. I had a ton on my roster, thinking it would never actually happen. And it did. Plus a few more. Yikes. 

8. Eight. That's how many of my kids cried or had an emotional outburst on the first full day. Six - the number of kids I overheard wishing they could go back to their old teacher. Interesting. 

9. Still really overwhelmed. Just finished the third full week; things are going better, but this group is still huge and still very different than my kids from last year. Lots more emotional issues with several students with majorly traumatic pasts. Several students are living with court-assigned guardians, have aggressive tendencies, homeless, etc.  Pray for them. Pray for me. 

10. More to come. Now "Mean Girls" is on. I can't focus.

Much love!

May May May

It's May, and we only have two weeks of school, and I cannot believe this year is almost over.  I am getting a little blue thinking about sending my little bees off to third grade.  I really thought about looping with them (or following them to 3rd grade), but I decided to stick around in second. 

Some highlights from today:  I am so thankful that today J and J read to me in their precious accents.  D moved up a level in reading!  Poor little K admitted his mistake and suggested he sit out recess--what a great man he is going to be someday!  He does have this little thing where when I correct him, he smiles.  I have tried to talk to him about this, but he still doesn't have it 100%.  M pointed at my white shoes and gave me a thumbs up. 

A asked me to be a greeter in her wedding.  LL is home safely.  And I just got a precious Save the Date (not to be confused with an STD!!) in the mail.  Thank you God that it's all ready Wednesday and the weekend is only two days away.

I am praying that when things get tough next year with my new class, I will remember these precious days like today.  All kids want to do the right thing.  Pleae remind me of this peace and joy when I talk about how hard my job can be and reasons I should quit and go to law school, med school, accountancy, etc.  Sleep well!

Hugs and love,
Miss P

It's MARCH!

So thankful for my family today. And my job. I have felt crappy all week and been a little blue. Last year, one of our good friends lost her mom. A couple days ago, one of my closest home friends lost her dad. I have a cold. I guess I needed some perspective.

Anyway, thank you God.

I am thankful that last night I got a mani/pedi (via a Groupon) and had a really good lady. She gave me the best hand/leg massage. I saw an old friend from home and her presh fiancee. I used their bathroom, and there was a ladder in there. A man was sitting on top on plywood in the ceiling. I yell in "okay to come in here?" He says, "I'm on this plank. Come on in. I can't see anything." Hmm...what does it say about me that I totally went on in and used the bathroom?

I am thankful that I love my job. I have presh kiddos, and my principal likes me. I also love teaching younger kids. This afternoon, I bought us a cookie cake and had them write "Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!" You can't do that in middle school.

I am thankful that I am feeling better. I am thankful that LL is safe and texted us today. I am thankful M got her first grad school acceptance letter. I am thankful for last night's Modern Family. Now, I'm watching "The Office." I love funny things!

Oh, and I'm thankful that tomorrow is Friday. Have a happy night!

Much love,

Miss P

Update on 2012

2012 so far:

• G-lady is doing better, getting stronger after scaring us with a big fall. She will turn 22 on 2/29 (Leap Year baby!). I talk to her every night and visited all but one weekend in 2012. She is walking around like a young pup.

• My bees are precious. I am still loving my second graders! :) I look forward to work everyday. Today, I felt crappy and stayed home. Two of them cried when I didn't come in. A couple had to go sit in other rooms to calm down. For the first time, I am actually considering looping up with my bees. They make me laugh. Recently, my cafeteria has been serving a lot of beans. So my kids have been a little gassy. After one too many eye-watering stink bombs, we have a new system. A child asks to "step out" before he or she needs to erm...toot. Now my kids will quietly ask to step out, and it's so precious. They laugh so hard at recess. They come in everyday and say "Good morning, Miss Parsley." I know what works for my bees. Some need humor, some need tough love, some just need a hug or a pat.

• I love planning field trips! An awesome hotel just agreed to give my kids an awesome lunch. We are talking free ballroom, hotel tour, complimentary meal! I am so excited. I won a field trip grant, and I am trying to maximize these funds. I also have a college visit in the works.

• Teaching where I teach is incredibly hard, and I pray a lot. Just tonight, I had a granny call to tell me they are being "put out." Everything will be put out on the street. Trust me when I say this is not her fault. She was helping out another child in my class, and now has problems finding anywhere to stay. Please pray that she and her granddaughter will find housing and not have to go to a shelter. I made some calls and gave her numbers to call. I called my principal, who recommended I pray. A lot. I have lost so many bees this year that I love so much due to homelessness. It's really hard to have them there and learning one day and then never see them again. Pray for my bees!

• We booked a sister cruise. In 121 days, I am sailing away.

• LL is doing great far far away. M scared us all when she was bumped the other day. She is doing well. And SJ and Hbs are also loving life. I am so thankful for 2012 so far. I will try to update you again soon!

Love,

Miss P