Remember Me?

Yeah, it has been two weeks now since school started, and it is not as bad as I usually expect it to be. That first week was lots of chaos, overcrowding (as yet again they used my homeroom as a temporary placement before "leveling") which has subsided a little bit.

My classes are still pretty crowded. 29 in my homeroom, about 25 in each inclusion class (meaning we have learning disabled or special needs kids embedded in the class), and 34 in my honors class. That last one is the problem, as it includes too many smart-alecks. Already been on the phone with a mother of one of them (who culminated his ass-hat-ness by holding up the quiz on Friday and asking me why I said there were three pages when he only sees two - meaning two sheets. Hell, the pages were even numbered!!!), and she seemed indifferent until I told her we would boot him out of Honors if his behavior didn't improve. That got her attention!

This year I am seeing things more as a challenge that I can meet, instead of a burden to bear and endure. Some of it is last year's success rate, which lets me know I am doing the right things, and this year I have vowed to do more of them. On the discipline side, I am going by the book - strict, following the discipline ladder established by the administration. I don't argue with kids, just tell them the problem and give them a chance to fix it. If they don't, they get consequences - again without getting into a debate or discussion over "why" - something I could get drawn into in the past.

On the social side, I take my lunch in the cafeteria to help out with the understaffing situation which leaves little supervision. This lets me chat up students, or have them call to me to show off - but in a non-classroom situation. It makes me a little more approachable, and helps show others around that I am putting in my time in a less than desirable situation.

I know I won't make an immediate difference, but this year I know I will make a difference somewhere, at some time, with some student. That is enough for me, even if I don't know it this year.