First Day

My first day... how to put it? Beginning half was alright; harried and out of whack, but alright. I ended up taking some of the other classes off of the teacher's hands, since I technically didn't have any classes today since my students have to be tested into my course.

The sixth graders were WONDERFUL! I had them first and they were an absolute breeze and joy--terrified, sweet, and went along with everything I wanted them to do. Seventh grade tried me a little, but they knew their limits and actually apologized for being nutty a few times. Then I had lunch and relaxed, not that I needed to. But then came the 8th graders, the poster children of last year, apparently.

I wanted to shove books down their rotten little throats.

THEY WERE HORRIBLE!! Perfect little poster-children for the rotten core of America, and it made me wonder and wish why I ever wanted to become a teacher. One boy immediately threw attitude in my face when I asked him to get against the wall--"I am against a wall." Mr. Walker, the gym/health teacher and on my related arts team, had to ask him why he was giving me attitude. From the moment I got them they hated me with a passion, snickering and saying to each other, "She's a bitch. Damn straight, I can't stand her."

O.O I'd never met these kids, and they "hated" me already. I know part of it is because I'm new; they wanted to test the newbie. However, another part of me realizes it's just them being snotty kids. I just don't understand the snotty-factor! I don't remember ever being this shitty.

I yelled. I am not one to raise my voice, and I was hoping I wasn't going to have to. But it looks like I have to play it hard. I said, "I'm getting pretty sick of the disrespect you all are showing me. I asked you a simple thing--to read silently (only because they were so rude that I had to mellow them out before getting to be fun with them)--and what do I get in return? Talking. I'm not able to play games with you guys like I did my other classes because you can't even follow the simple instructions of reading silently. Until you can stop your chattering you get to sit here in silence and not play a fun game. It's your own grave, keep digging."

Eventually, by the end of the hour, I got to play hangman with them. It was a real challenge to get them to be quiet, but the moment it was truly silent--when I felt they were actually concentrating on being good--I asked them if they could handle a game of hangman. They did beautifully after that, up until the last 2-5 minutes of class time when they went bonkers again. But damn was it a challenge! And I was just so angry with them.

I have to think of it this way: I cleaned my classroom to my point of liking, and then I decorated and made it pretty. It took an entire week to do so, so what makes me think a single day of teaching will be any easier? I have to clean the kids to my liking, and then slowly let them decorate themselves to my liking--not too showy, but allowing them to display their feathers and personality.

Now, where's my broom?