So Far

The first day of school is really overrated. There is all this build-up, and then really nothing exciting. You can't really tell which new kids are going to be problems, or which classes are going to be the most difficult. There's really nothing to say about it.

My kids are still the smart ones. In fact, my homeroom is the 8th graders. I've known them for 3 years. They talk too much. It's a known fact. They are me as a middle schooler. So, rather than get all upset every.single.day.of.my.life, I've sortof embraced the talking. Yes. They talk. So we have debates and class discussions and they work in groups pretty much all the time. I let them have enough talking that when I tell them to be quiet, they generally are. Other teachers not so much. What is up with thinking that a 12 year old should go the entire day without talking? I don't get it. I'm really big on not wasting my own time, and yelling at them every other minute seems like a HUGE waste of time. They haven't shut up in 3 years, why get so mad about it? Especially since that's basically the only thing they do wrong. They don't fight, they do their work, and they do it well. They are respectful and nice. They're good kids. chill out.
The upstairs kids are still doing their upstairs thing. Still running, still being disrespectful, still completing zero work. Who has detention every day for a month? Yeah, my homeroom. For talking. It makes me want to scream.

Also, we have IST's for the first time in my life. These are Instructional Support Teachers. I guess the idea is that they are there to help you figure out how to teach something and give you resources? Well, she doesn't. I pretty much hate her.
I have big issues with being told what to do in the first place. I don't get why I should get a college degree only to be told EXACTLY what to teach, what to say, everything. I'm sure it works for some people. But no thanks, not for me. I don't go in order of the curriculum, so what. I do lots of projects and they are all my own, back off.
So, right, her mere presence makes me angry. Even when she seems helpful, I'm just so filled with resentment I can't listen. Even when she tells me I'm doing wonderful, it still seems condescending and unecessary. And then today. This woman. She comes in (AGAIN) to talk about my room, my lesson, my seating chart. AND SHE SAYS TO ME,
"just make sure you are really pacific about your pre-assessment."
That's it. I can't even hear you anymore.


And one last thing...(to be filed in that HUGE folder labeled "Crazy Principal"):
So, we had that huge "professional development" on caring and blahblah, yes? On the first day of school, before the students got there, she came over the intercom and told us that we were not, under any circumstances, allowed to talk to the children as they entered the building. They must silently go to their homerooms. I, of course, did not follow directions. But I would love a demonstration on how to "Build Relationships" with children without actually talking to them. Yes, I haven't seen you in 2 months, so I will completely ignore you in order to show how much I care.