Apologies for my Absence

Hello my few followers,



I'm sorry I didn't write very much in the last few weeks. Last week it was spring break and the week before it was the week before and just absolute insanity. On Tuesday I went to a professional development conference and left my students to a substitute. Now my students have run off MANY substitutes over the last few years so I am always having a panic attack when I must leave them. The last time I had a sub I left a movie for the students to watch and they were pretty well behaved but I feel like I shouldn't have to show a movie every time I am gone. My students should be able to behave with a sub while doing classwork. So I left a lesson and gave a lecture on the consequences of misbehaving for a substitute. In January when I had a sub I came back and had over 10 detentions because my students were so bad! This time I only had 2 detentions so at least I see some kind of improvement.

Spring break was such a nice time of relaxing and I honestly barely thought about school. I work so hard during the time when school is in session that when I have breaks I try not to work on too much school work. I don't want to get too burned out.

On the Friday before break I had lunch and a talk with Betty (remember...she is the student I mentor). We had a good lunch and I bought her a candy bar again. She said "Mrs. - you know you do not have to buy me this." I told her I knew that but I wanted to do something nice for her. She was talking to me about how her dad wants her to visit him over spring break but she doesn't want to go. Now remember, Betty's dad tried to commit suicide with Betty at his house. She was the one to find him after he shot himself in the face. I don't blame her for not wanting to go over there. She asked me for advice but I didn't know what to tell her so I just tried my best. I'm not a social worker and I honestly have no training with those situations but I can be there for her and listen. Anyway, Betty was also pulling on her tank top because it was ripped all along the bottom. She said that she asked her mom for a new one to wear under shirts and it was 5 dollars at Wal-mart but her mom said she couldn't afford it. It broke my heart. I also found out a little bit more about Betty's living situation. She and her mom live in town over a tanning salon. I'm not sure if they pay rent or how they are able to live there. Her mom does not have a job or a car. I asked Betty how they got places and she said they didn't go anywhere. I don't understand how an unemployed mother of 2 can afford to live or properly care for her children. If she can't even afford a 5 dollar tank top from wal-mart it doesn't seem like it's a great place for her children. So, my husband and I went shopping a few times over spring break and I ended up buying Betty a tank top. I just couldn't handle knowing that she had to wear old, ripped clothes. I can afford to spend 8 dollars for someone who has so little. When I gave it to her today she said, "Mrs. - you didn't have to get this for me." She is so thankful and unselfish. She came in 2 more times to give me a hug and the day isn't even over.

The rest of my first Monday back has been pretty awful and the thought crossed my mind to just start running and not look back. One of my 8th grade classes is extremely rude and disrespectful. They complain about me as a teacher and say they "hate me." A student in the class even said "Why are you guys so mean to Mrs. -?" She didn't know I overheard her as this and I didn't hear the students' responses. When lunch started I felt like I was going to cry. How come these students are so hard to please? They were complaining about an assignment and the assignment was copying down definitions from the dictionary and using words in sentences. I'm not asking too much of them yet they act like 5th graders. Today I tried using the approach of ignoring them instead of yelling or getting mad. That seems to do no good. It's hard though when I can feel my temper start to rise and my face gets flushed and I start to sweat (it just so happens I forgot deodorant today too).

We'll see what the rest of the day brings...

xo,
Teach