Ms. Meanhead Day Two

I'm halfway through Tuesday lessons and I'm trying to keep up my meanstreak where it's due.

My first lesson was nice and the kids liked my review game, so in turn I my head spiraled 180 degrees to Ms. Niceface. We accomplished a lot and even had time for an activity at the end.

The next class of kids didn't move from their congregation outside in the hall and looked to be eating lunch at 8:55 in the morning. I'll never get over the Hungarian pastime of eating sandwiches as snacks all day long. They didn't move even when I beckoned them inside my room and they started shifting only when another teacher started yelling at them to get up. This is the class that stole my dice. We no longer play games. Instead we will do worksheets from here on out. I sat at my desk and graded other papers and got up occasionally to help everyone. Towards the end, the kids got disruptive and I immediately flew to the door and threatened to boot any kid out if I felt like it in a "come on, just do it again...do it again!!" fashion. I also told a girl that I didn't "damn well care if she ever felt like coming to my lesson again, because I'd rather not see her face." Whew. What happened to me?

The third lesson was a group of sixth graders. Their English teacher came in and asked me what I was going to do with them. I told her that I had a description lesson planned. She said, "okay, but can you do a little bit with films and have them write a film review?" I said, okay sure. I'll do half and half. So I began with films and attempted to be more strict, but it's really hard to be strict when no one understands English. You have to yell and gesture maniacally and the migraine medication that I took that morning had left me dozy and foggy, so I couldn't muster up the desire to yell.

When I told them to write the film review, they all said that their English teacher, the same one who had told me to have them write it, gave it to them for homework. They showed me the film reviews and they looked finished and beautiful...unlike their homework for me. So, I decided to move onto my activity, but they didn't understand and it took 10 more minutes of explaining that we weren't doing the film review anymore. The lesson I planned was completely ruined because of....well a lot of things.

I'm tired of this and my next two lessons are with little kids who cry when you don't call on them.

Yes, this has been quite a rant, but isn't the point of ranting getting it off your chest?

At least I'm not entirely alone. When I tell my colleagues about my troubles, they say, "we're having the same problems." One was quoted with saying, "I cannot WAIT until this school year is OVER."