We've got all kinds of sickness going on at school lately. The reading teacher on my team left early today with a serious sinus infection and double ear infection, and this is after I was out this weekend and the science teacher was out a day last week. Plus we've had kids puking all over the place, which always makes a day super fun.
The kids have been driving me out of my mind lately. I'm getting to the point where I'm done--and by done, I mean vacillating between not doing a thing to the wrong-doers and writing kids up for being mouth breathers. I sent a kid out of my room yesterday, and I sent another one out today. I don't do that. Usually I try all kinds of things before I make them go, but now when things are getting out of control, I don't have that kind of patience. Don't get me wrong, I still try classroom management strategies A-Z before I send them out or write them up...I just tend to try more earlier in the day when I'm in a better mood.
I've already had two taken from the same class and put in another classroom because of behavior, and there are about four more who could use the same kind of treatment. It's incredible how much the feel of my classroom can change with the addition or subtraction of just one student. It's also incredible how much it can change when a student doesn't take his or her medication. The past few weeks have been successive experiments in all kinds of permutations of these situations. We had a few days of perfection...then a few of distraction...then about a week or so of chaos...then a few more of distraction...and we're back to almost chaos again. Which, chaos is much worse after one realizes that perfection is attainable. And I suppose that, if I think of how things were at the beginning of the year with all my children in attendance, the now-deemed chaotic period would actually seem rather mild.
We've got the worst kids on the whole hall, as per consensus of the faculty, staff and administration who are familiar with our situation. We have the best of the best, but definitely the worst of the worst--and en masse, at that. I must say, though, that despite the outrageous behavior issues and gross academic inadequacies, these kids make me happy. Each one has redeeming qualities (or, maybe a redeeming quality for a few), and each one has really great moments when I know they're just kids who are figuring themselves out.
It helps that I know each one is a child of God, and even if I don't like them very much, and even if their daddy left them and their momma died and their grandma doesn't want to deal with them anymore, He values them. He sees them as He sees me, even though I have a great college degree and they haven't turned in a lick of work all year. He sees them as He sees me, even though I try my best to be kind and funny and helpful and welcoming, and they talk back and yell and fight and turn their backs. I'm a complete screw-up no matter how much I try to hide it, and they let it show for all to see. But God only sees His perfect Son's perfect record when He looks at each of us.
I guess that's what really counts.
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