Oh and TPRI training I finished last week came in handy as I had to administer TPRI the other day. The administration was easy enough but the aide assigned to cover my room pulled a muscle in my class and had to be wheel chaired out before I got started. My ADHD darling told me he didn’t take his meds ( and he didn’t have to tell me as he trashed the room after being reprimanded). Another darling who sees the counselor every week for temper tantrums had just got back but lost the sticker she had issued and promptly melted down, and another angel got very sad over not getting her place in line and she promptly went boohooing and wailing and rolling  spilling pencil sharpener shavings and the now evac’ed aide’s coffee on the floor- oooh is that a bad combo. I had to maneuver her by pulling out my cell phone and suggest I may call mom or dad. This came about merely by chance, and I pass it on to you because I was checking the time to see how late we were going to be to music, and she at least would rise and be mobile for 20 feet or so before trying again and prompting another phone pull. I learn fairly quickly. Previously just carrying the parent info folder did the trick but oh man pulling the phone got much quicker results although it got louder wailing with it too.

My school did schedule a sub to come watch my class so I could do the testing but they also had a fire drill scheduled and it happened as I was picking my kids up from music so I didn’t have any of my all-clear stuff etc. It ate up a good bit of time too. All in all I still got 14 kids done. The others finished today when unsuspecting army volunteers came by and I shanghai’ed them into watching my class so I could finish.

I had a second lunch today so I am almost at lunching 10%. Today was burger and tots and it looked good and the kids seem to appreciate me sitting with them. With the limited lunchroom aide coverage we have, it helps the overall lunchroom being there to open packages, escort ones to the restroom and keep the kids seated and focused on eating.

I had to yell in my class after silently mantra-ing I would not every day… and it sucks but it gets results albeit I fear short term ones. I have not cussed or said shut up which I heard a more veteran teacher do as I performed my TPRI out in the quiet confines of the hall. Still it sucks to have done it. Goals to set, goals to achieve. I’m still a student.

TPRI stuff coming up so I need to learn how to administer the reading assessment on the palm device. Need to start gearing for parent teacher night. Got to decorate my room and prep their sample work folders.

having lunch or a portion of lunch with the kiddos has been helping them and they are one of the better behaved groups in the lunch room while still enjoying lunch and being kids. Still have some that are struggling with this is a school and not daycare. One that the color change or note home system isn’t effecting because I have no home support. A little of the spoiled untouchable princess syndrome….

Somehow I got snookered into being the grade level rep for Family Math Night. Heaven help me- like I need to take on more…. Oh I got to schedule my content test!

I’ve had more poop (despite being applauded for taking the initiative I have been instructed to never change a student again but instead to send them to the nurse to do so- and I am really really ok with that), more tantrums (you know chairs being thrown, biting, hitting) but still no cry day (by me).

I have marked off lunch though. I had my first lunch since beginning teaching. Yesterday a yummy yeast roll with my kiddos and today a slice of pizza and some chocolate milk. They really ate it up as it were. So did I! It helped some with my kinders and I do feel as group we are getting it together and coming together.

There is some learning and some instructing- we are making progress towards our first 90 days ( normally 30 days for other grade levels). I am looking forward to Digimom’s computer lesson in the lab soon. Progress reports go out tomorrow and I feel like they are honest and constructive and I have them done! I am getting a better handle on getting work for the week done the week prior. So it seems to be coming together some.

My principal still insists we can’t be first year teachers anymore but she has been giving me some useful pointers and some encouragement.  My grade level helped me when I was handling hall way meltdowns and they had already  dropped off their kids. I try to help them all the time and they returned the favor so we are coming together too. I stay with the music teacher upon occasion another first year teacher and I typically pop in and out to help the aides during lunch. I also try to help with recess. Lots of kiddos seem to know my name in our grade level and I don’t think it is entirely because I am the only male.

I miss my corporate life when I could text my wife all day, take a longer lunch or just decide to cut for the day, but I can see why I wanted to get into teaching and feel like I am getting closer to being where I want to be.

We had a special meeting for the 20 or so first year teachers at my campus regarding classroom management. General line is be consistent, stick with it and it stinks even for veteran teachers….oh joy!

I had an up and down day even with how I behaved not just the kids. I pushed past the boundary of raising my voice on two instances and it kills me. I tried the stay silent things a few times but there is no chance of compliance. I did go to bed early, but still no lunch at school. On the good side one child and his mom brought me a bag of fruit!

Not in the manual moment of the day: My one ward who behaves because if he doesn’t he’s ‘gonna get a whoopin’  has not been towing the line despite the implication of a note/call home this past thursday and today. He became beligerant to the point of tossing furniture, and knocking over things and just grunting back sounds when talked to.. not too off the beaten path as far as five year old tantrums go- really more like 3-4 but hey, the NitH moment came when after I had the AP in to help corral the young kinder and he settled some, the mother showed up. Now I didn’t see it but the youngster reported that his mom gave him some juice in the very few moments she was there and then for the next few hours he was.. um very mellow. He ramped back up by day’s end to wailing about getting a bad mark on his behaviour chart in his daily take home folder and began a teary rolling on the floor. To the point that when the time came, he had to be physically escorted out with the class. Mom just demurely smiled and said thank you and bye and ushered him off.

Ahhhh tomorrow just a few hours away… fruit is nice but I need chocolate!

Today my two troubled ones toed the line very well for them and pretty much as an average student… but the rest of my class collapsed. A poorly executed assembly disrupted the day and took away their PE, was long, and got them off rhythm. Then they slowly unraveled, and so did I. I had to deal with a girl that pooped her pants and just sat there seemingly unaware. I was in small group centers rotation and working on reading when another student got my attention. See, the handbook says to keep an eye on the room but do your best to ignore all the tugs and pokes of those not in your guided small group. Glad I dismissed that and rescued my furniture and got the girl changed. She just sat there like this was business as usual. In the meantime, one of my usually good performers – good because if he gets a bad report I am fairly certain he gets his behind blistered – was melting down to the point of kicking things, throwing things and just whining/grunting demonstrably, because he had gotten a color change, and the end of the day was fast approaching. I just couldn’t get a handle on it all flying at one time. I felt my planned activities were now boring them after being routine, and I just felt like a poor teacher.

Had a useless meeting after school that was redundant to one I had at new teacher induction – as in same videos – and had to cancel another required class which I will have to take later. Just inconvenience but made the day longer than it had to be.

My girls are doing great at their school, but it was hard to be cheery. The wonderful Digimom has tons of supportive praise and resources and I probably didn’t seem appreciative but I am. I just not in a frame to process it right now. We’ll see what tomorrow holds – it’s friday – hopefully not a stormy one.

My two that have issues had bad cases of them today. Bless the rest of the class for riding the ride and doing their best to hang in with Mr Spear during today.

Got home at 7:30 after grade level meeting, making copies( since I am still living a day ahead in some instances regarding prep) and picking up something for me and the Digimom to eat.

Three kiddos out today and my class down to 17 so only 14 to manage and then one went home early. You’d think it was an easy day… at times it was. I still had my two special kinderkids remaining so they made sure to fill the day. One just has a hard handle on being chastised and I am not around at lunch or lunch recess (well for portions of both and I have been popping my head in more) and when sat out of recess he just melts down in classic 5 year old fashion – well prolly what most would imagine is three year old fashion. I have talked to the aides about not “pulling his pin” (which is removing his clothespin thus denying him recess) but not all of them and I have told them he is the only exception. I feel for them but they only have to deal with him for like 15 minutes I can be facing a whole afternoon if they go hard core on him, and they tend to. If we can just get him over this one period I think he will be better. He is smart and ‘hyper’ but I am getting a handle on working those two aspects. It’s just he has this negative self image that goes into warp drive once he is chastised. I’ve learned how to maneuver but others haven’t, and while the world doesn’t need to cater to him I feel he will grow out of a majority of this just by getting older.

My other special is doing better in little steps. She threw a tantrum because she didn’t get the right food at lunch and then didn’t want to leave recess either. So melt down when witnessing kinder A’s meltdown. He, I got calmed down. She just spiraled ever more defiant. She eventually ran from the room when she found her other antics of kicking, hitting, tossing furniture, wandering the room etc were not playing out as she had hoped. Fortunately another grade level teacher was in the hall coming back from impromptu recess and I just moved my kiddos into her room while I gave a measured pursuit – not in the kid handbook but in the dog handbook, don’t run after them – they will think it is a game.

She ended up to the office. While I apologized to my AP for the imposition she offered nothing but understanding and support. I had the inner chuckle today in our staff meeting when they talked about during observations that we provide a seating chart so they can discuss students by name afterward. I am pretty sure- no I am definitely sure they know two of mine.

More books to fold and staple – my 8 year old prodigy daughter is helping – bless her. I love my kids. I certainly have a spot in my heart for my kinders too.

On the bright side with only two that are ‘problems’ left (one of those I have a decent handle on) the day went pretty well and I was done at the end of the day, tidied up and was ready to be on my way. I have some prep work between now and next week but not a lot.

More support rolls in and the ever super Digimom is going to go over some tech options to spice up my plans. Still managing the clock and just getting them from point a to b and every now and then some learning slips in. Is it profound no, but I am always challenging them to think about what they say- what I read- what they listen to, to ask in their heads where is this going? what part did they understand- what parts turned to noise? So hopefully they will slowly become aggressive thinkers. I also am working on them working together and being courteous to each other. To not be focused on dodging or assigning blame but focusing to take care of the problem, accident or softening a grevious insult.

I feel better that I will make it and not be a statistic. I am still nervous about observations coming up. I need to be thinking along lines of assessment and grading tools.

Right now it’s the weekend and I got to have dinner with my family and I am not -completely- worn out. SO good week all in all.

I’ve started some parent calls for both good but mostly troubling behaviour- I always try to include encouraging words even for my mischievous kinders. So far they have been well recieved and hopefuly we shift to predominantly good story calls. I have 3 out of 18 that are real trouble and one I feel I have a handle on. I have informed Digimom that they all really work well and know their stuff when on task but it’s the keeping on the tracks that is so laborious and draining. I say I have told her so I can begin prepping the TAG rails when it comes time to cough up students from the class. Really it will be good for them to be pushed and challenged and use their creative pent up energies with a teacher better suited to it. ;p

Feeling a little more bolstered but I will start having my efforts observed and critiqued- must focus- they are just there to give me help and support. I must try and not take it as “omigod- they gave you a probationary certificate- who do we call to revoke that!?!”