Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Some days it seems more like a circus than a school here. Today was definitely one of those days. 

We started at 7:50 with a staff meeting where we were told we weren't filling out minor office referrals like we should. OK, point taken. Minors are for infractions the teacher deals with. Majors are when you send a student to principal for 'harsher' consequences. 

I have probably filled out 2 yellow minors all year... until today. Not because my kids are that on task. Not because I have that kind of perfect classroom management. Nope. Simply because I do not have time. If I honestly filled out a yellow slip for EVERY time I deal with student behavior, every time I ask a student to remove a hat, to get on task, every time I deal with disrespect, insubordination... filling out slips is all I would do. 

Part of the issue with me is that teaching special ed, I deal with some pretty high impact kids, with some fairly intense behavior issues. Some of their 'yellow slip infractions' are to be expected. Maybe not tolerated... but expected. Do I really need to write them up for EVERY instance?

But back to the beginning.. we all left the staff meeting a bit bristled and frustrated, and late for first period. 

The tone for the day was set. We were crabby which set the kids off, which set the snowball storming down the path, gathering steam as it plowed down the halls.

One was sick and wanted to go home but there was no one at home to get in touch with. 

Another was angry because his computer didn't come back from the repair shop today.

Another did get her computer back so all she wanted to do was get onto Skype and Spotify and enjoy her computer.. forget the assignments she had to do on it.

Another was mad at me because my sub yesterday left her name as being disruptive.

Another is being removed from her 2nd foster home since Christmas to be moved, this time to a different school district.

Another is upset because his mother is talking about taking a job several hundred miles away. 

and.. and.. and... 

so the day unfolds.... 

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