Because I gotta...
... focus on the good.
I feel like a bad teacher lately because I'm getting behind on paperwork and grades are do soon, so I want to focus on the good. I believe this time last year I already had pens and pencils thrown at me, and major fights in my classroom. This year I can actually get my kids to sit and listen for a little while... so here's the good:
*I had a student sitting and writing with me the other day because he didn't do his classwork. In the middle of his reading over his story he announced, "Man, this actually sounds like a story! I'm pretty good at this!" That was awesome.
*This morning, several of my students said, "Ms. Detlef, you look pretty today." Okay, this is definitely gloating, but it's nice to have 22 students in the morning that respect me enough to give me a compliment.
*I'm starting a school newspaper, and I've had a bunch of kids sign up for it. I really feel like I need a mental health day, but then I think... wait... the newspaper needs me! I actually feel like I might find a niche in the school with this project. Other teachers are talking about me in... positive ways! Students are excited to come see me. This rocks.
*I'm seeing such positive changes in my one student who was a holdover from last year. It could have been awful-- she could have disrupted my class for the whole year like she did last year, but now she's one of my best students. She said the nastiest things to me last year, but this year I've overheard her telling other students, "What if Ms. Detlef was your mother-- you wouldn't treat her like that!" and "She's a person, you need to respect her." It's like she's taking ownership over me. She's handing in all of her homeworks, and with her comments, it's easy to see that she's really learning in class.
*I have a bunch of immature young boys in my classroom, and I've been able to find what works with one of them. I called his mother several times, and she seemed really frustrated, and I asked her if I could hold an afterschool detention with him if he misbehaved... even once. She agreed that I could hold him, and after I did it twice... he's been fantastic, and even concerned about his behavior-- asking me every day how he did and if he's improving. I tell him that he knows the answer to that question, and he's probably going to end up being rewarded on our class trip on Friday.
*I'm taking my kids to see a movie-- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" 3D with my friend, Brandy-the-math-teacher. It's totally voluntary. I'm really lucky that I have a young coworker who's willing to give up some of her me time afterschool to be with our students.
There's actually more that I'm leaving out. Wow. I'll have to work on these positives more often!
*
I feel like a bad teacher lately because I'm getting behind on paperwork and grades are do soon, so I want to focus on the good. I believe this time last year I already had pens and pencils thrown at me, and major fights in my classroom. This year I can actually get my kids to sit and listen for a little while... so here's the good:
*I had a student sitting and writing with me the other day because he didn't do his classwork. In the middle of his reading over his story he announced, "Man, this actually sounds like a story! I'm pretty good at this!" That was awesome.
*This morning, several of my students said, "Ms. Detlef, you look pretty today." Okay, this is definitely gloating, but it's nice to have 22 students in the morning that respect me enough to give me a compliment.
*I'm starting a school newspaper, and I've had a bunch of kids sign up for it. I really feel like I need a mental health day, but then I think... wait... the newspaper needs me! I actually feel like I might find a niche in the school with this project. Other teachers are talking about me in... positive ways! Students are excited to come see me. This rocks.
*I'm seeing such positive changes in my one student who was a holdover from last year. It could have been awful-- she could have disrupted my class for the whole year like she did last year, but now she's one of my best students. She said the nastiest things to me last year, but this year I've overheard her telling other students, "What if Ms. Detlef was your mother-- you wouldn't treat her like that!" and "She's a person, you need to respect her." It's like she's taking ownership over me. She's handing in all of her homeworks, and with her comments, it's easy to see that she's really learning in class.
*I have a bunch of immature young boys in my classroom, and I've been able to find what works with one of them. I called his mother several times, and she seemed really frustrated, and I asked her if I could hold an afterschool detention with him if he misbehaved... even once. She agreed that I could hold him, and after I did it twice... he's been fantastic, and even concerned about his behavior-- asking me every day how he did and if he's improving. I tell him that he knows the answer to that question, and he's probably going to end up being rewarded on our class trip on Friday.
*I'm taking my kids to see a movie-- "The Nightmare Before Christmas" 3D with my friend, Brandy-the-math-teacher. It's totally voluntary. I'm really lucky that I have a young coworker who's willing to give up some of her me time afterschool to be with our students.
There's actually more that I'm leaving out. Wow. I'll have to work on these positives more often!
*