As I was getting ready to complete my day of school on Friday I received a message from a parent. It was a so-and-so is a bully message. I shared with a colleague and she reminded me that due to our new state anti-bullying laws I had to report it. As my administrator was about to complete a very busy week I had to share. What drives me crazy about the word "bully" now is that it is used in every situation. It is overused. It is abused. However, if a parent wants to create a stink they immediately use that word. Then they get a meeting. My administrator helped me to form a reply. Then we offered times that would work. Those of course came back with replies that no that wouldn't work. My administrator chose another day. Do me a favor. If your child gets in trouble at school ask them What part they had in the situation? Did they help make it better? Did they make it worse? More often than not the second party is not all that innocent. The good news about all of this is that for the first time I have back-up. I have administrations help. I don't have to do my best and figure it out on my own. It will be handled. We even came up with another plan to help relieve some of this issue and it is being executed immediately.
We often have meetings as teachers I refer to as "Not my child meetings." Yes, it could be your child. They are seven or eight. They are growing, learning, and making mistakes as they figure out the world. Yes, your child might to something naughty. Yes, your child may break the rules. Yes, your child may decide to not do work when they've always done it before. Your child is testing the strength of your boundaries. Yes, your child....
I have a boy in my class that I have a soft spot for. He is NOT the most well behaved. He is NOT one to follow the rules precisely. He is extremely active. There is an energy oozing out of his pores. He cannot help but be on the move. He is very bright. His life is NOT easy. He does NOT have a reason to trust women. I've had to work hard to make a connection with him and I have. There is trust there that I take very seriously. He fights reading and writing. Not because he is incapable. I think writing taps into emotions that are unbearable. Reading doesn't promote movement. Just for him I ordered a hardback Calvin and Hobbes book. "Scientific Progress Goes Boink!" He has been slowly reading through this. I made him promise as I handed him the book that he would NEVER call me Mrs. Wormwood. He didn't know what that meant but he did promise 😀! He came to me this morning as I was inputting attendance. He said "Miss Carpenter?" "Yes, I replied!" "I asked for THIS for my birthday!" and he holds up the Calvin and Hobbes book. I smiled a big smile at him. We've connected and maybe he will have just a little relief from his world.
I have had bouts of insomnia lately. I cannot seem to find a nice balanced sleep schedule. I think my sleep is as bi-polar as the "spring" weather. The bonus is that when I inevitably wake up I grade papers. I have a lot of grading to do. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Grading takes sooo much time. Correcting papers takes a long time but then... I have to input them. Which takes a VERY long time. So it goes. As I complete grades and input them... I have more in my box to do. It's like laundry. I do have June though.... In June I get a reprieve!
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