February 10, 2012

A LONG Week...+ The Saddest Note Ever

This has been a LONG week.  I know that sometimes when i read other teaching blogs, I think about how everyone else has the *perfect* classroom with *perfect* students and *perfectly* organized cabinets...but then I realize that sometimes the bad days are just less fun to blog about!  There's no need for me to go through my week play by play--it is Friday after all.  But I am not feeling great and have had a few students who have been a bit *off* these days...oh, and we ended on a bad note with me upset that the kiddos couldn't get the floor clean until 5 minutes after the bell.  (I'm a stickler about clean floors!)  I know that's nothing huge, but I hate ending the day upset!  Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  (Plus, I've completely fallen apart in terms of my workout/training schedule, and being out of the routine like that always makes me a little down.)

Anyways, I'm committing to making this a relaxing, refreshing, and productive weekend!  I started it off right with some napping in hopes of beating whatever the heck is wrong with me, some Downton Abbey, and a little online shopping...I have a problem...it's bad!!!!  I guess I figure that if I'm not going out and spending money, it's okay to shop a little bit...right??  I just discovered Lands End Canvas via a pinterest pin.  When I hear the words Lands End I think of hiking clothes and this ugly jacket I had from there in 4th grade, so I couldn't believe when I clicked on a pin of an adorable belted dress and was brought to Lands End Canvas!  Super cute clothes, and amazing sales!

In other news, I need to share this adorable note from one of my neediest and challenging students.  He wrote it to me last week after a couple of REALLY trying days together.  I know these kind of things lose their novelty the longer you've been teaching, but I don't think I will ever get tired of this kind of note, especially from a student like this little guy:

Dear miss teacher.  i am so sorry that i refused to do my work.  And refused to ask for help or talk miss teacher you are the best teacher in the world and i act like a Jerk im so sorry miss teacher this will not happen again
sinsely
Student

Oh. my. goodness.  In case you can't tell from the handwriting, spelling, and drawings, this letter is from one of my little LD/ED kiddos.  He struggles with reading, writing, and motor skills in general.  He has all sorts of emotional troubles, and we have had some particularly trying days lately.  On a few different days, this little one basically decided he wasn't going to speak, answer my questions, or follow directions.  (I swear, with my group this year, "I need you to use your words" is by far my most frequently used saying..)  Doesn't this letter just break your heart, though?  When I read the part where he said, "I act like a jerk," I almost cried.  It is so important to be in contact with parents when kids are struggling at school (or when they're successful!), but it breaks my heart when I think about the things that might happen after I call home, especially in a high-needs, low-income school like mine.  For example, I know this student's mother loves him, but I'm pretty sure he didn't come up with the phrase, "I act like a jerk" all on his own.  This difficult student has become one of my favorite kiddos of all this year--funny how that works.

What are you most excited about this weekend?  I'm excited to SLEEP and get healthy!  Oh, and FINALLY get myself back on track with training.  (I am NOT excited to work on grad school HW--just had my first class Tuesday to start working on my Reading masters and am already wondering what I was thinking...)

7 comments:

  1. I was a volunteer aide in a 4th grade classroom for a while...I got to work very closely with a couple of kids like this. They had such good hearts, such good intentions, and so little ability to follow through on those two things...I loved them and it was heart-breaking. You are a good teacher ... and a good person :)

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  2. I teach 2nd and we had a rough week also...I love when students take it upon themselves to write an apology when they know they have upset you with their choices, it lets you know that they are aware and compassionate which is a wonderful thing to see!!

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  3. I teach second grade and had a student like that last year who told the other students, "Let's kill Mrs. S." then said, "I command you to kill the teacher" repeatedly as if in a trance. It freaked out my other students, especially "D" whose dad is in the army. I sent "A" to the principal and explained to the rest of the class that "A" needed us to be his friend and that God had my back...I wouldn't be going anywhere until HE got ready for me to leave, so they didn't need to worry because I wasn't worried! As long as God wants me here, I'm not leaving. When He calls me home, you can't even stop me...so don't worry about me at all. I'll see you when you get to Heaven! AMAZING what happened after that..."A" became such a fabulous reader as did "D" and one morning when I got a little ill with another adult and asked them to just give me a minute, went to my desk and with my back to them, went "OOOOOOHHHHH!" (really like a scream/grunt combined)...one student piped up, "It's OKAY, Mrs. S., God's got your back!!" :) This year, "A" is in third grade on my hall and he's the first student to come and hug me as soon as they see me heading up or down the hall. God's good, all the time!

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  4. I can truly connect with this post...I teach special ed in elementary, and yes...they break my heart! Touch my heart too...but I feel for them all the time!

    I try and tell my own 3 boys how lucky and smart they are all the time...and that they should appreciate their abilities in school. It is soooo hard for some of these little ones and it really puts things in perspective,at least as a parent. Progress...not perfection is my motto!

    this weekend I am looking forward to getting things done @ here and catching up on some needed rest. I'm also looking forward to trying out a tri "swim" class tomorrow...hoping it will work out with my hip:) even thought I am dreading putting on a bathing suit in the middle of winter...ugh!

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  5. January and February are always tough for me too. It actually sounds like you're describing my life right now:) good weekend plans, though. I bet you feel way better on Monday.
    Barbara
    My Running Shortz

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  6. If you want to feel better about problems in the classroom this year just go and read some of my posts from Oct-Dec! :) This has been a VERY trying year for me in 6th grade due to laziness and lack of effort AND lying AND stealing!! :) We have 10 out of 51 that are FAILING the entire 6th grade right now! :)

    So, hopefully that makes you feel better!!!

    I'm starting my 7th week of my couch25k program next week!! :)

    Shannon
    http://www.6thgradescottforesmanreadingstreetresources.wordpress.com
    http://www.everystepcounts365.wordpress.com

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  7. We CAN totally relate can't we!? Thanks for your encouragement Friday! I hope your week has gotten better. We had Valentines Parties yesterday (ON A TUESDAY! YIKES!) But things went wonderful. Good luck!

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