Oh Tuesday

Today was a frustrating day. I had two little boys start a shoving match because the one thought the other had purposely stolen his spelling homework so he would have to do it at recess. He got in the other kid's face, which resulted in a little tussle at the back of my line after recess.

Sigh.

Then we get to library, and two of my kids start flicking something across the carpet and causing a ruckus. By this point, I was worn down from talking to the other two boys about their behavior, and so when I asked one of the flickers to STOP, and he copped an attitude and started flopping around on the floor, I not so nicely told him he needed to go out onto the bench or to the office.

Sigh. (I did apologize to him later for getting angry, but this is a kid that can hold a grudge ALL DAY).

Another one of my students decided the story the librarian was reading was too boring for her, and laid completely flat on the carpet, and then rolled her eyes at me when I asked her to please sit up. When she did it again a few minutes later, I asked her to move to the timeout chair in the library, which helped. After library, she and another student got in another pushing tussle, and by then I had had it, and they were sent to other rooms.

I really, really tried not to lose my patience. However, it gets frustrating when I have 20 students who can follow directions and 5 who make it very obvious that they can't. Most of the students who have trouble following expectations have little to no parent support. I feel like I have a good relationship with my students, and sometimes I take it personally when they act the way they do.

I know it's the end of the year, and by the time school is over and they are on the bus, I've put things back into perspective. I mean, they are 8-9 and they solve problems the way they are taught at home, and at school by myself and by peers. I've had to develop a lot of patience this year with this group, but I do feel like I am getting better at letting things roll off my back...not necessarily that real problems go ignored, but just so that I can sleep at night :)

We have 20.5 days left. WOO HOO!