stress i will not let you drag me under!

It's only day 5 of school and i already ran out of patience for one of my students. every day it's been an extended interaction that included leaving the building and destroying school property. today he ripped down my welcome posters outside my door and shredded them. mind you, this kid is in 12th grade! he throws temper tantrums like my two year old does. and i know he is acting out because he wants to test the new staff and he's upset because of all the horrible things his mother has done to him in the past but my empathy has an end point and i'm just about there. i'm really tired of my stuff getting destroyed. i spend a lot of time trying to make my classroom look inviting and he ruins it in five minutes.

i know, i know, this is what i signed up for, but it's still frustrating. hence why i'm venting here. and of course once again i get two days' notice for an IEP being due, which takes about an hour straight through but since I can never sit straight through it'll probably take me all day. AND these godforsaken lesson plans take me all freaking week to write now so i'm way behind, it being already wednesday tomorrow and all. i'm working on them now so maybe i can have a chance to breathe.

now because of this kid i've got to redo my seating arrangement and laminate all the names so he can't rip them up anymore. I'm going to laminate EVERYTHING i can possibly laminate so he can't mess my stuff up. I'm also going to buy my fall decorations at the dollar store so if he does manage to mutilate them at least i won't have invested too much money in them!

The certificate coordinator is also bothering me about going back to school and there's no way i can handle school and the job right now. i know i have to in order to keep my position but i just can't right now. i'm hoping by january i'll have a few months of stability under my belt and maybe i'll be able to handle an online course. i did tell her that. i think she's aware of my situation thanks to the rumors that circulated (even though i never confirmed them).

BUT on the bright side all of my other students are excellent and i believe it will be a great year if i just don't let the one student ruin my day.

thanks for listening as always.

There's always that one, but yep, don't let him bring you down. You have a tough job and anyone who thinks it ends at 3 has no idea what teaching entails. I feel for you and wish you the best! PS I hated lesson planning

It's okay! On of the kids in my sophomore class threw fishing bait around the classroom and another one took the desks apart!

can you get a TA?! Ask around. There is this teacher who puts up signs asking and begging for everyone/anyone to sign up -.- haha!

I feel for you, I don't know how my teachers handle my classes (Then again now and then they do lose it)

but, really you are AWESOME to be a teacher, I mean... that's kind of what I want to do with my life. Right now it all seems so bleak but if you can do it then... hey! Maybe I can too!

It gets harder but you make such a difference!

I'm proud of you! I have faith you can do all of this, but really... talk to the kids about getting a TA! Talk to the other teachers, all my teachers are always sharing the jobs and tasks. Also ask for idea's?! I'm sure your not the only one with this problems...

I wish you well!!!!!

Lillyleaf

Wow! Well done for keeping it together, I am in awe of you!

Oh I get that wildflower - those students are horribly stressful.

Just keep doing your best to not give him the satisfaction of seeing you upset. Next time he destroys something you should say "Hey, thanks. I really didn't like that one but needed an excuse to get a nicer one. Got any suggestions?"

((I love pulling the rug out from under them like that... they might get madder but I tend to walk away.))

My major behaviours are so far doing pretty good in class! I got one of them to talk to me when he was crying - and I let him know I was super proud of him because he put his head down on his desk instead of getting up and swearing or storming out of the room. And he ACTUALLY came into the hall to talk with me. I was so proud!

The other major behaviour threw his noteboot on the ground so I sent him to the hall. Then to the office when he wouldn't come back in when I asked. He did some great printing practice while there and did great work the rest of the day. (normally his teachers has made a huger deal out of picking up that book and gave in to him... not gonna happen in my room! He's already tried to beg me to do his writing for him, so I said he was just trying to be lazy and no dice, I wasn't doing his work - then walked away. Guess who did a great job on his work?!) - I fully expect in another week this is going to totally blow up, but ahhhh welll! I plan to remind him of all the great choices he showed the first full week. aha.

I am that student. Don't worry, if he doesn't get it by his mid-twenties, society will make sure he never has a chance to.