This has been a rough start to the school year. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but nearly everyone is walking around asking why we all feel worn out and exhausted like we do at the end of the school year. Good gracious, we've just started and we're dead tired.
Maybe it's the overload of paperwork that we have at the beginning of every year...and the fact that, for the 7th grade teachers at least, we're looking about about 30 more kids a year than we had last year. It doesn't seem like it would make that much difference but it does. (We have the same number of seventh grade students this year, but we're down to two teams...and overall, we went down 7 teachers). Maybe it's because we're still waiting to hear about our new standards and how the Very Big Deal Government Mandated Tests went and rumors out there indicate it wasn't very good (State-wide, I might add). And then there's the general student apathy which is nearly as bad as the parent apathy. Who knows? All I know is that it's been a rough start.
And then you find that little folded up piece of notebook paper on your desk.
Every year we send out an introductory post card to all our homeroom kids. Every year. The key is getting it done while you still can honestly say something good about the kids and haven't been around them long enough to really get truly annoyed. It's just one more thing we do at the beginning of the year, and considering I've never got one bit of feedback on these cards in the past, oh, six years, you sometimes wonder why in the hell we bother? I mean really...we're talking about parents who hang up on us.
So this is what I found, dropped on my desk by one of my homeroom kids, Very Nice Boy, on his way out the door the other day
"Dear Mrs. Bluebird,
Thank you for saying that about me and I have something to tell you. You are a great teacher that wants youre students to exceed and have fun at the same time. Also you are fun and kind and you are my favorite teacher of all time. Sincerely, Quiet Boy.
P.S. I really appreciate that what you said about me."
I wish I could remember what I said about him - probably something along the lines about what a nice kid he was (he really is) and how much I enjoy having him in class (I really do).
Notes like that make it a bit more tolerable...
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8 comments:
Our teams are feeling it too. We have the class we have heard about since they were in in 3rd grade. They are living up to the hype. We are tired and weary.
I seem to get those little reminders too, just when I need them.
We had a big faculty meeting this afternoon to discuss what we should say to parents who are up in arms over TCAP scores. Like our parents can even read the score reports, let alone care!! Our principal fed us all the fertilizer you would expect...Not expecting too much fallout at our little trailer park school.
Oh, and we are feeling exhausted too--it has been a rough start! Hang in there!
It's been weird in Vegas this year as well. I am more tired than last year but the kids have been more compliant and have more skills than last year.
We got a 'do over'. Most of the teachers changed assignments, all the students changed classes ~ 3 weeks into the school year. Some of the teachers even had to change grade levels.
We, too, are tired. sigh
That one response makes the four years worth it, doesn't it?
We've had a really tough start, too, with tough kids and difficult parents. Teachers are already tired. We're gonna hit 60% F&R, anyone else out there that high or higher?
I'm feeling very confident about this school year.
Notes from students--they can be so honest. I've kept a few (notes, not students!) over the years.
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