News at Home: After Spring Break…
Y’all I went back to work feeling refreshed and ready. Good thing too, because 1 of my kids lost their damn minds this week! In general, my class was great and it’s funny how after a four years in Kindergarten nothing these kids do can really phase me. But still, it would so be nice to just have them behave. But the kids that have little structure and discipline at home always come back from break ready to try and get back the “I do what I want” mentality they just enjoyed for a week at home. sigh If only parents could truly see the impact their parenting styles have on our classrooms and, in turn, our schools.
To make matters worse, my administration is not handling discipline well. I’m about to go into a rant, so feel free to skip to where it says rant over…
All of the problematic students in Kinder have gotten into the habit of running out of the classroom and taking themselves to the office. It’s where they want to be. They are motivated to be bad because they want to go to the office and I don’t send my kids to the office because I can handle it on my own, or with my team. So they take themselves. Which, if they were getting appropriate discipline there, they would not want to do. And I got my confirmation of my suspicions on Friday.
One of my students on Friday started the day off by running out of the classroom, but he didn’t go to the office. He just wanted me to chase him and give him all the attention. And I knew this, so I didn’t. Instead I kept teaching, aware that he was in the hallway and I could both hear and periodically see him as he ran up and down the hall. I refuse to stop teaching when I have 21 other students doing exactly what they are supposed to just because one is acting up. He’ll get my attention during playtime, when everyone else is playing. When that didn’t get the response he wanted he tore down the decorations on our door (which are all velcro and very easy to fix lol — and I made him fix it, during his playtime). Anyway when that also didn’t get the response he wanted, he ran to the office. They returned him at lunch time, although I told them when I called that he needed to be brought right back to class.
At lunch, when I was not there, another student was in his way so he decided to handle it by biting the ever loving shit out of the students arm. There was blood, y’all. I hope that parent throws a hissy fit and makes my administration do something, because I’ve done all I can do. Anyway, he was brought to the office as a result and got to eat his lunch in the office with the AP (Something he loves to do and I would rather setup as a reward for him for good behavior, instead of something he gets as punishment).
He returned to class in the afternoon and after spending his recess sitting out, practicing how he should have been behaving and doing the work he missed and fixing our classroom door decorations, he actually did well for about an hour (interesting how he improves after appropriate discipline, huh?). Then it was time for graduation practice and he acted crazy again and because he was trying to hurt another student, I had to restrain him. He tried headbutting me, calling me a stupid mean teacher (I’m so broken-hearted lol), and using profanity loudly (shit, fuck, damn… yep, he’s 5). Once he was no longer in danger of hurting another student I let him go, because, again, I don’t reward that behavior with attention on his terms. He’ll get it on my terms.
Well, he took himself to the office. Shortly after that, I took my kids to specials (Music) and found him skipping his way to Music. He was holding crackers and a soda. I asked him what he had and he said “a treat for being good.” For being good? When was he good? I asked him that very question and he said, “I’m going to be good in Music.” So it was a treat to leave and go to Music. Hell no! I am not going to sit back and let you have a treat in ADVANCE for promised good behavior after a day of such awful behavior. And especially not to take with you and enjoy in front of the 21 other students who actually did what they were supposed to. So I, the stupid mean teacher, took his treats away and tossed them in the trash. I told him to go to Music and be good. He yelled at me, of course, and guess what? He took himself back to the office. Where, I later learned, he got more crackers and soda.
OMG! So I was livid and sent my Admin an email – so it’s documented – of why I felt they were not only undermining me as his teacher, but reinforcing the very behavior we were trying to stop. I asked that they stop giving my students treats without talking to me first about whether they deserved it and if one of my students showed up at the office, especially this student, to please send him back immediately, without ANY kind of reward. And that I would much rather setup a system of rewards for good behavior.
My principal replied that she agreed and had been unaware of the severity of his behavior. He was in the office! How could his behavior been deserving of a reward!?! face palm
Rant over for those that were skipping…
Anyway that was my only issue this week, beyond just not getting out of work at a reasonable time a single day. I did have bookclub which was fun and since the place we went to had some fully cooked sushi, I actually got to enjoy some semi-good sushi. The stuff I really wanted is raw 🙁
Otherwise it was a decent week and I actually don’t feel to tired. So yay! Hoping next week will be a good one too. But I have morning duty which means I have to be to work 30 minutes earlier every day and that’s going to be a real struggle.
I also have my one-on-one for spin instructor training on Wednesday, so I’m nervous as hell about that! Wish me luck, I need it! It’s the last step before I teach my own mock-class and then audition to work at the studio.
My big quandary this week has been – do I apply for other jobs or stay at my school another year? Both my gen-ed team members are leaving, meaning I’ll be alone with two new people next year and that sucks, especially since after about a month, I’d be leaving for maternity leave. And the way my school is now, they are unlikely to hire anyone of real quality. The best I can hope for are a couple of brand new, but great-potential teachers. :sob: So I’m considering finding another job – since (very long story made short) I probably won’t get disability payments for maternity leave anyway. And, as of now, pregnancy is not considered a pre-existing condition and if I can make the switch before Trump and his assholes screw that up I could still have insurance. And there’s a couple positions for management level positions at two pretty great daycare centers close to me… which I normally wouldn’t be interested in, but with a baby on the way, I see a major potential perk. So yeah, lots of things to consider.
Blog News
Super excited that I not only have posts already scheduled for this upcoming week, but I managed to visit blogs a few days this week! I plan to reply to comments today and spend some time visiting. Super excited to be getting my blogging mojo back!! 🙂
Last Week on the Blog
- [18 Mar] The Red Queen: A Paranormal Fantasy (Wonderland University Book 1) by K.N. Lee ★★★★
- [20 Mar] When the Gods Forget by Kennedy Daly ★★★★
- [22 Mar] Read Me Romance the Last Few Weeks
- [22 Mar] Securing Brenae by ★★★★½
- [22 Mar] Halfway Girl by Tessa Bailey ★★★★
- [22 Mar] Snowfall by ★★★★
- [22 Mar] Because of You by Jenika Snow ★★★
- [24 Mar] Sunday Post with Berls | After Spring Break…
- [24 Mar] Change of Genre, New Security and a Bus ~ WIR & SP
Coming Next Week From Me
Sunday
Sunday Post with Berls
Monday
#FitReaders ~ Eating Healthy During Pregnancy (March Summary)
Thursday
Just a Few Magic Potion Mysteries Berls Read
Friday
Read Me Romance… playing catch up!
I guess I forgot that I haven’t visited since last Saturday, so I missed all the Sunday posts. I hope you’ve had a better week. That is a tough decision on the job. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll work through it whatever you decide.
I salute you! I could not survive teaching, in general, let alone teaching a class full of teenie kids!
Good luck with everything.
Well… hopefully now that you’ve put your concerns and issues in writing, you’ll get better responses from the admin. And I hope you aren’t blamed for the biting incident. Sounds like this kid needs some serious discipline and positive reenforcement.
Lord, you have the patience of a saint. I can NEVER be a teacher to young kids. I am a parent and can barely stand my own much less 20-30 of someone else’s that I can’t punish? NO WAY! I hope this week is better and glad you email the principal and have documented it all.
Mary
This is why I haven’t returned to teaching, I no longer have the patience for weak admin and undisciplined children (and parents).
I hope you find a good solution.
Have a great reading week:)
For goodness’ sake..that is ridiculous. Here they would have suspended the child because of their zero tolerance policy, regardless of his age.
I taught for 8 years and totally felt your pain there. Thankfully, office visits when they happened were reinforcements for me and not the child. LOL
Hope things go well as you work out what you want to do with your job and insurance sitch.
Way to go getting your posts done.
Have a good week, Berls!
Thanks Sophia Rose! Yeah, it makes a BIG difference when the administration is reinforcing you. I used to have that and totally miss it 🙁 I’m leaning towards putting my resume out there and seeing what options I get and then going with the best one. If nothing hits that seems really good, I can just stick it out for another year.
Have a great week!
I really think you have the patience of a saint! I help with Sunday School every other Sunday and one class is 6-7 year olds and they try my patience so much and I only have to put up with them for a few hours I couldn’t do that everyday all day!!!!! I think as far as the job thing goes that it never hurts to put applications out there and see if you get any takers, if not then you will be staying at your school another year. With as much trouble as you seem to have had with this school I think it wouldn’t hurt to try for a different school or those daycares! 🙂 Good luck!
Have a great week!
Stormi
LOL it’s amazing how much doesn’t even phase you after a few years of teaching Kinder. But it definitely does take patience and there are times where I run out of it 😛
That’s kind of what I”m leaning towards too Stormi. Apply, see what bites I get and pick the best scenario. I also feel like I could always stick around until Dante is born and then just not return. It wouldn’t be very nice of me but I don’t feel particularly loyal to this school. Problem is, I will probably feel really loyal to my kids and their parents by the time that comes around. So we’ll just see what happens.
Have a great week!
So many exciting things happening and decisions to make. But you have some options. Glad to have you back in the blogsphere. Have a beautiful week!
Here is my Sunday Post
Thanks, it’s good to be back 🙂 A lot of decisions to make, but I’m excited by the potential of change. Change always feels like a nice, fresh start .
Have a great week!
Too bad about the kids that are acting up in your class after the break. And that’s too bad the administration doens’t handle discipline well. I hope they change things up as that’s annoying.
That sounds like a difficult decision regarding your job and I hope you find what works best for you.
Thta’s awesome you’re getting your blogging mojo back :). Have a great week!
Thanks Lola! Yes, it’s frustrating and I really hope after my stern email to them they fix their shit. Ugh! It’s more frustrating than the kids, because the kids are kids… administrators should know better.
Fingers crossed a decision with the job comes easily 🙂 Have a great week!
Sorry about the kid. I can’t say much about your kid since, I have been there with my son and his behavior. When he was younger the let a lot slide since he was young but now it’s just harder.
Good luck with the spin class, fingers crossed. The Day Care place sound like a great option plus your spin stuff and I think you would be ok.
Yay for blogging, now it’s my turn to disappear. 😉
Have a great week, Berls! Happy Reading! oxox
That’s the problem – they see young and go way to easy on the kids. They are not babies anymore. And this student is perfectly capable of good behavior, he has no excuse.
The daycare does sound like a pretty good option right? I think I’m going to go for it and see what happens. If I get it and the pay is good, maybe that’s a sign.
Here’s to both of us being around for a little bit lol!