I didn't know feet could hurt this bad
My little 7th graders are the sweetest, dearest dears I've ever seen. They're so little and cute and sweet and I just love 'em. My 8th graders? Not so much. Okay, I know I will love 'em. Some of 'em. Probably.
Maybe.
Lemme give you the scoop. I have to teach for six periods, but I only have four groups of kids. I have two groups of 8th, and two of 7th. My 8th graders ALL scored in the "minimal" range on the state test, so they have English for two hours. Did ya catch that? I have the low scoring kids for two hours. Then I have another (worse) group of low scoring kids for another two hours. (I don't know what karma I must've sown to deserve such an arrangement.) Then, finally, I have a regular 7th grade class that lasts 55 minutes, and right after that I have another regular 7th grade class.
My "off" period comes at 10:30 a.m. By the time the day was over today, I was barely hanging in there. The last class was real mellow, and they didn't make it any easier. I'm not complaining though-- mellow is fabulous! But did I mention that I got up at 5:00 this morning, and got to work at 7:00? Yeah. That doesn't sound like a big deal until I tell you that our school day ends at 4:00.
Four of the clock, people.
I stayed around after school to call some parents in my super bad 8th grade class, and I think I contacted enough of them that word will spread that I do actually call parents. Maybe that will help. There were plenty of other things I needed to do, but calling parents took an hour and I have to be out of the building before 6:00, so I just came home. I have to do the work at some point, but I can't face it yet. To nap, or to tough it out? So tired.
It feels like someone tied me up and beat me on the bottoms of my feet. And I'm barely awake. But I can tell you that as soon as I stop beginning my sentences with conjunctions and misusing commas, I'm gonna be able to teach these young'uns a thing or two. Bad as some of them are, they're nothing compared to what I dealt with in 2005-2006. A lot of their writing looked like it was in need of some serious work, but I guess that's what I'm there for.
That, and to end sentences with prepositions.
Maybe.
Lemme give you the scoop. I have to teach for six periods, but I only have four groups of kids. I have two groups of 8th, and two of 7th. My 8th graders ALL scored in the "minimal" range on the state test, so they have English for two hours. Did ya catch that? I have the low scoring kids for two hours. Then I have another (worse) group of low scoring kids for another two hours. (I don't know what karma I must've sown to deserve such an arrangement.) Then, finally, I have a regular 7th grade class that lasts 55 minutes, and right after that I have another regular 7th grade class.
My "off" period comes at 10:30 a.m. By the time the day was over today, I was barely hanging in there. The last class was real mellow, and they didn't make it any easier. I'm not complaining though-- mellow is fabulous! But did I mention that I got up at 5:00 this morning, and got to work at 7:00? Yeah. That doesn't sound like a big deal until I tell you that our school day ends at 4:00.
Four of the clock, people.
I stayed around after school to call some parents in my super bad 8th grade class, and I think I contacted enough of them that word will spread that I do actually call parents. Maybe that will help. There were plenty of other things I needed to do, but calling parents took an hour and I have to be out of the building before 6:00, so I just came home. I have to do the work at some point, but I can't face it yet. To nap, or to tough it out? So tired.
It feels like someone tied me up and beat me on the bottoms of my feet. And I'm barely awake. But I can tell you that as soon as I stop beginning my sentences with conjunctions and misusing commas, I'm gonna be able to teach these young'uns a thing or two. Bad as some of them are, they're nothing compared to what I dealt with in 2005-2006. A lot of their writing looked like it was in need of some serious work, but I guess that's what I'm there for.
That, and to end sentences with prepositions.
In some dark, twisted corner of my mind, I envy you. You already have the first day under your belt, and you are well on the way to training your feets. AND you have called some parents. I hate to call parents. I am more likely to send the note that needs a signature. That's how I roll.
Here's some wisdom that somebody passed on to me the first year I taught 7th and 8th graders. The 7th graders will get worse as the year goes on, because they are turning into 8th graders. The 8th graders will get better, because they are turning into 9th graders. Seems simple, but I have seen it year after year.
This little theory doesn't work if you teach HS. 9th graders are The Devil's minions compared to HS kids.
Posted by
Hillbilly Mom |
7:59 PM