Teacher Frustration

It is really starting to be apparent to me that I am a better teacher with my team teacher. Having her out on maternity leave is starting to make me feel like someone cut off my right arm. This is funny to me because in the past I always thought team teaching was a stupid waste of resources. This was even when I was the team teacher, rather than the lead teacher.

I guess it just goes to show the difference a good match can make.

The kids in my classes this year simply do not understand the concept of following directions. The worst class of all is the gifted class. They are told to read silently, they literally talk the minute I say begin. When I ask them to stop, they do for two minutes, then they are back at it. I separate people, I discipline, nothing is working. I feel like I am turning into an ogre. I mean I can feel my skin turning green and my ears becoming funnels just thinking about it. I can't imagine what I look like in class. I wouldn't be surprised if a donkey, (who sounds like Eddie Murphy!) discussing onions and parfaits and layers, joined me in the near future!

Battle of wills is never a good thing in class. And to be fail this is not a willful thing on their part, I think, or I keep telling myself. Mostly no one has really made them stick to this before. I'm going to have to come up with something and quickly if I want this to be a good year all around for all of us.

Wouldn't t be nice if it was as simple as it is in the inspirational movies about teachers. Or even the books. While those movies and books are encouraging I also find them depressing. There is so much that is left out, the trial and error, the sleepless nights and no cool theme music to get your blood pumping. Those books and movies also make it sound like (or make me feel like anyway) that the rest of us teachers must be inadequate slugs who accomplish nothing because no one is making a movie about how I finally got little Tommy to do his homework once a week rather than once a month. Then there is also the fact that high school kids, 9th graders in general are just so different than any other year. Then again all grade levels will tell you that their year is unique. We are all right I imagine.

When I first started teaching I preferred 12th graders. "I can reason with them," I said. "9th grade is too close to middle school." But as a teacher I am more challenged (and therefore sometimes more rewarded) by 9th grade. I just don't have as much hair (what with all the pulling it out.)

Robin will be back on Monday. This has to get better.