Day 64

For a Monday after a long week end things went pretty good, that is until Math. You would have been thinking I was teaching Greek for the past two weeks. Almost everyone had no idea what I was reviewing. I gave them the pre-test again and I am afraid not many did much better. They all but refused to even try the questions. It is very discouraging. My students will not learn their multiplication tables so in turn they do not know how to divide. I even let them use their multiplication tables. They still will not try.

The assistant principal came to my class today. It is not unusual, she tries to get to all of the classes on a weekly basis. She only stays a few minutes; it is always nice to have the students see the administration in the classroom. However, she was there to give my students a survey--on how they like their teacher. Of course she chased me out while it was going on. When I was able to come back into my class, one of my students gave me a note saying I was a great teacher. It mad my day, especially when latter on I went through math.

I had to take several of my students out of the classroom to my office to get to the bottom of some drama. One student kicked a first grader after the first grader kicked him ten times. What kind of fifth grader would let another student kick him ten times with out leaving and then kick the first grader. I gave him the appropriate behavior lecture and got him to promise not to do it again. It talked to the first grader because she is the sister of one of my students and the first grader comes by to see me every day. I asked her to leave my fifth grader alone. I talked to the sister and asked her to let dad know I had talked to everyone. I probably should have talked to the first grader's teacher, tomorrow. Finally, I heard that the kicker had called a sixth grader a whore. I talked to the other students who heard him say it. I will save this discussion for tomorrow. This young man is my new student and he is really driving me crazy.

I left work today at 4 p.m. so I could attend a class for new teachers. It was very good and well worth my time