I need to be at work in 25 minutes, but I am still on my couch, in my pajamas.  I’m foggy, tired, and full of random thoughts. Do I still remember how to do this? Did I plan enough things to fill the morning? I wish we hadn’t had a homework/organization meltdown at home last night. I wish I hadn’t woken up with a migraine this morning. Is the ...

But Open House is tomorrow!  Now check out the current state of my classroom, and tell me how on earth I will be ready by then?! It didn’t help that I was in trainings all day long, and had only an hour during my lunch break and an hour and a half at the end of the training to work in the room.  (On the bright side, however, there are some ...

Little One is struggling, and we are struggling right along with her.  For about two weeks now, she has gone way backward in terms of her behavior.  She comes in sad, or manically happy, which soon veers into tears or yelling.  She desperately wants the other girls to like her, but almost seems determined to screw things up in one social situation ...

When it was time to line up and go home today, I was on my own.  My assistant was at a literacy training, and my Americorps volunteer was on her lunch break.  I had my three little ones who ride bus 2 wait on the hall bench, and I tried lining up the rest of the class, who ride bus 1.  Finally I asked the bus 2 kids to go up ahead and wait by the ...

It’s like Lord of the Flies downstairs in our cafeteria every morning.  Last year was the first year that our school breakfast became a madhouse, and it’s even worse this year. The kids get off the bus, come in the door that’s closest to my classroom, and pass me on their way to the cafeteria.  I used to just wave my breakfast eaters on, and have ...

Yesterday was even more difficult than I had expected. I got to work early, but it still wasn’t early enough to get everything done before the big meeting.  The meeting was actually quite productive; Mom showed up, with Little One in tow, and Mom was very helpful.  (Little one came over and collapsed on my lap, not long after I had mentioned that ...

Ms. Dorothy, I have a student in my 3rd grade class who throws tantrums. He gets violent and throws things and screams very much like a toddler. What can I do to make him stop? -Frustrated Teacher I wonder what kinds of things trigger these tantrums, the frequency, duration and situations surrounding them that might be a clue to what is going ...

So the horrible cold I had the week before last turned into a horrible sinus infection.  On Monday and Tuesday I was faltering, and by the time I went home on Wednesday I could barely stand up.  In fact, I had to get a ride home!  I stayed home (and in bed until 11:45 am) on Thursday, feeling guilty that it was still only September and I had ...

Yesterday was a bit of a stressful day.  One child came in with a note explaining that his/her absence for the last two days was because of visits to Child Protection.  I was shocked — could not imagine there being a problem in this child’s family.  I was still trying to connect with our social worker, because she found out that another child had ...

We made it.  Today was hard for all of us.  I woke up with a migraine, and Miss Slinger was tired and stressed from having her car get towed because of the snow (she spent the evening — and a lot of money — getting it back).  The kids, like the little emotional barometers they are, reacted accordingly.  There is a little girl in my class I ...