Spring Fever....

So, the weather just got EXTREMELY nice and I'm already thinking the year is over! I went and bought some veggie plants (tomatoes, chives) and I'm really excited! The tomato plant already has some little green ones on it!

I LESS than 3 months until the end of this year. CRAZY! Plus, TAKS will be over and all the crazy pressure to keep learning a new topic every day will be relieved greatly.

A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with a student and his THREE parents..... I basically made the kid hate school and my class because I was "negative". I'm pretty sure the kid is just an emotional mess as it is--puberty is hitting these kids like the plague hit Europe. Overly sensitive, moody, and dramatic. I exaggerate... they're overall pretty freaking awesome kids. I just have to remember to keep my pockets full of tickets and the yelling to a minimum. It turns out that yelling at the class is probably not the best method all the time. Somewhere along the line I forgot about positive reward (not positive reinforcement, which is something else entirely...the psychologist in me still lives!)... anyway, quick fix.

I'll be moving away after this year and no longer teaching because of my fiance's job, and my love and desire to be with him wherever and always. I won't be teaching in the new location because I can't have a job with so much stress and work. I need our first year of marriage to be as stressfree and happy as possible. I can't help but think this is a MAJOR blessing... otherwise I'd probably be staying at my school and being pretty unhappy. I can't say at all if I'd keep teaching next year if I wasn't getting married and moving away. Here's why:

-I'm pretty sure I don't belong in an elementary school; my talents are wasted in many ways, and my skills just aren't up to par with the generally cheery and lighthearted elementary teacher. I think it's because I was never a lover of children, and I'm not yet a parent so I don't know how to naturally interact with them. It's definitely a daily struggle to realize what's appropriate for their age and how to communicate best with them.

-I REALLY don't like working in a upper/middle class school. The parents are CRAZY. For a while, I cringed every time my phone rang. I was terrified of what complaint, crazy questions, or down right rudeness was going to come from the other end. I just don't get it. Why in the HELL would a parent call and try to start an accusatory, angry fight with the teacher that their kid has to spend the rest of the year with!? How STUPID can you be? And NO, I'm not mature enough to not punish your kid for what you do..... sort of.  Then of course there are those angelic parents who come in religiously every week to help copy or do whatever stupid thing you have to do that's not in your job description. I LOVE them, and I don't think they exist outside of elementary school or rich schools. Strange dilemma. The other teachers seem to be used to the crazies, but I just can't imagine enduring that kind of unwarranted criticism. I'm just the kind of person who will say something if you are being a jerk/rude. I did to a parent over email, in a tasteful way of course. He backed down. It's just ridiculous. Parents and future parents: don't be the jerk parent who questions everything, assumes wrongdoing, and complains about EVERYTHING possible. Be ULTRA conscious about the tone of your emails, or better yet, call so that there are no misunderstandings. Never go to the teacher angry. Never assume that your "perfect child" has accurately described whatever they're talking about. They're children. Their memory and perception is feeble. Question them before jumping to conclusions. 

-Teaching  self-contained (all subjects) should NEVER be attempted in 5th grade. It's the bane of my existence, and all I can think of is how much EASIER and WONDERFUL it would be to teach only 2 subjects. My fellow teaching friends in 4th and 5th concur. It's just plain horrible.

I think that's all I have for now... it was incredibly negative I think, but I'm actually in positive state of mind. I was just communicating my past frustrations. I've been praying devoutly for the passion and commitment to do a good job with my remaining time here, and it's paying off : )

God is glorious, He chose me, and I have no idea why, but I love it.

crazy 1st year teacher.