(no subject)
My throat hurts.
My trail group this week would not listen to me for more than 30 seconds, and I had to give them a serious talk about Respect at least once every 2 hours. One of my campers went home because he was so disruptive, and 2 others had to call home and explain to their moms why they chose to misbehave at camp. The entire week was spent policing kids instead of teaching them, and it made me want to cry. After two example respect talks from admins at the beginning of the week, I started to form my own ideas about what would work well with my students. Mostly the Angry Librarian Voice. I don't know if I've been aggressively frustrated for such a prolonged period in my entire life. At the end of each day, I contemplated the merits of having a good cry and/or shaving my head. I did neither, but did Crazy Calisthenics instead.
Example Angry Librarian/Serious Susan/Do Not Mess with This Naturalist: "That is not what respect looks like. You chose to talk during your owl presentation, sass back to JV, and throw rocks at each other. Obviously you're not listening to what I have to say. So we get to sit here silently next to the fire ring until the next group comes back. I hear talking. Be quiet. Now."
I thought that by the end of the week, all my students would think that I was the naturalist from hell. But as they were leaving, the entire trail group enveloped me in an enormous group hug, and said that they didn't want to leave...they had so much fun learning about nature. That almost made up for such a high negative intensity week.
This evening I went out with a bunch of my coworkers/friends for tacos and mojitos. Delicious, non-soy, non-cafeteria food. I spent time with some different people. Refreshing!
Afterwards, I spent time with my housemates and JV just talking, and it's starting to sink in that my coworkers/housemates (we all live where we work, just in different houses) are my family for the next 10 months. Because with 14 hour days, M-F, I don't have the time or the inclination to go out and meet more people. People overstimulation.
My trail group this week would not listen to me for more than 30 seconds, and I had to give them a serious talk about Respect at least once every 2 hours. One of my campers went home because he was so disruptive, and 2 others had to call home and explain to their moms why they chose to misbehave at camp. The entire week was spent policing kids instead of teaching them, and it made me want to cry. After two example respect talks from admins at the beginning of the week, I started to form my own ideas about what would work well with my students. Mostly the Angry Librarian Voice. I don't know if I've been aggressively frustrated for such a prolonged period in my entire life. At the end of each day, I contemplated the merits of having a good cry and/or shaving my head. I did neither, but did Crazy Calisthenics instead.
Example Angry Librarian/Serious Susan/Do Not Mess with This Naturalist: "That is not what respect looks like. You chose to talk during your owl presentation, sass back to JV, and throw rocks at each other. Obviously you're not listening to what I have to say. So we get to sit here silently next to the fire ring until the next group comes back. I hear talking. Be quiet. Now."
I thought that by the end of the week, all my students would think that I was the naturalist from hell. But as they were leaving, the entire trail group enveloped me in an enormous group hug, and said that they didn't want to leave...they had so much fun learning about nature. That almost made up for such a high negative intensity week.
This evening I went out with a bunch of my coworkers/friends for tacos and mojitos. Delicious, non-soy, non-cafeteria food. I spent time with some different people. Refreshing!
Afterwards, I spent time with my housemates and JV just talking, and it's starting to sink in that my coworkers/housemates (we all live where we work, just in different houses) are my family for the next 10 months. Because with 14 hour days, M-F, I don't have the time or the inclination to go out and meet more people. People overstimulation.