*breath*

(First off, hello to my parents, who requested a link.)

This week is so much better than last week. I don't think this has anything to do with the kids themselves -- one girl (the same one as usual) got suspended on Monday for the passing of graphic and violent notes, my two crazy boys (turn-into-mush boy and Pinball Machine Boy -- I think I'll start calling him Pinball in this context) are still completely nuts, and the rest of them are as obnoxious as ever. But Thanksgiving was restful and rejuvenating.

Even if I did scare a few of my relatives with my response to "so how's teaching going?" which was basically to smile brightly (not -quite- maniacally) and announce "I hate it! It's terrible!" Heh heh.

Been having two kids per day up this week to help me with various projects -- two on Monday to help cut out paper squares for math, and two each yesterday and today to clean out various closets. I am ALMOST finished getting the previous tenants' stuff out (I'm dealing with layers of detritus here. I almost feel like an archaeologist). Today I found a crate full of first-grade science textbooks, including the teacher's edition. Apparently they've been looking for it since September.

Instituted incentive pads on their desks, with a smily-face for each day ended on a green card (as opposed to the yellow warning card, the orange first-consequence card, and the red note-home card.) At five smilies, they get a small treat (piece of candy, pencil, eraser, etc.) and at a whole page full they get a big treat (fun lunch with me, free homework pass, some other things I've yet to think of.) It's kind of depressing how few kids wind up with a green card every day. It's also kind of depressing how much I have to bribe them to behave themselves. (Not that it works for all of them. Maybe once they see the incentive sheets in action?) On the bright side, this is a cumulative reward system, so everyone has the hope of getting it at least once, as opposed to Fun Friday, which some of my kids are basically never going to achieve. Sigh. I don't like school-wide behavior systems, or at least not this one.

Four phone calls home tonight. One to attempt to reschedule a conference, one to try to find a note home that the child did not return, one to make contact about a missed conference for Pinball Boy (hopefully next week) and one for turn-into-mush boy that I've been meaning to make for almost a week. Did not call Note Girl's mother, even though I meant to, because I forgot to bring her phone number home. I'll try to call her at lunch tomorrow.

Not at all sure what to do with Note Girl. She's very angry about a bunch of things, and I'm having trouble getting through. Hopefully they can get her into CATCH, which is a school-based therapy program. She needs to talk things out with SOMEONE.

Basically, I just wish my room were larger. If I could actually separate my students, there might be fewer disruptions. But as it stands, I can only get them maybe four feet from each other, which is nowhere near far enough. And enough of them have interactive problems that the calculus of room-arrangement is REALLY difficult.

Also, grades are due at the end of this week. I have nowhere NEAR enough done on that (nor do I have a whole heck of a lot of work, but I'll do what I can.) I also need to submit two writing samples by Friday afternoon. Guess what we'll be doing tomorrow and the next day...


Just realized that i left my phone at home and P is probably trying to call me. (on top of everything else, my computer is dead, again. This time, under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Sigh.) Off I go.