Monday, November 7, 2011

Day Fifty-two: Manic Monday

I think today started off on the wrong foot. And then found another wrong foot.

Was it the empty gas tank this morning and finding I left my credit card at home?
The email telling me that I had to have my students back by 1:45pm from our field trip next week? (Our tour of the museum starts at 2pm, and they are the ones paying for the buses in the first place)
The graduation on Wednesday night that I have to set up and design decorations for?

Or once the day started...
My first period class refusing to read so I had to skip to the next assignment?
My second period class where one of my best students insisted on lying on the table and taking a nap?
My third period class where a student hit another with a hanger when my back was turned?
The girls I walked by in the hallway that were about to throw down at the end of lunch?
My fourth period class that I had to give assigned tables to hoping they would do more working than hair pulling or bullying/flirting?

A few students did not come to 6th period today, but guess what? The ones that did all worked today. I'd go check on them periodically, and smiled to see they were making progress.

A few do's and don'ts I learned today about working with this particular student population:
Do remember the small victories.
Don't take it personally. A lot of teenagers are angry. It's not you. You just happen to be there.
Do get creative and be flexible.
Don't try role work. I tried to introduce them to character analysis in role as a psychologist. They just got angry and said, "Ugh, stop talking like that!"

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