This week at school...

I have yet to find the right words to adequately describe this week at school. It wasn't a horrible week. It wasn't a great week. It was an crazy week. It was an exhausting week. Fist fights before school. Students can't remember locker combination after being in school for four weeks. Fire alarms randomly going off. More conferences than I had a both parent-teacher conferences last year. Website planning. Students getting jumped after school. Crazy and exhausting is about as close as I can come.

WEEK 4 REFLECTIONS:

1. Sometimes you have to throw out the book. I had a rather awkward interruption in my classroom this week that threw all of my students out of focus. We were making huge progress that in a matter of 15 minutes was set back two weeks. In hopes to jump start the recovery process I did some last minute changes and just gave my students the opportunity to "hang out" with their teacher. Did it work? I don't know.

2. Break it down as far as you can. I have been struggling to get my 5th and 6th graders to learn the procedures in our class. The only come every other day and forget everything I tell them by the time they have class again. This week I broke it down to the smallest step by step process I could. Did it take forever yes? Did they get it right yes? Did I praise them for it? ABSOLUTELY!!!! Will they remember next week? Please, Jesus help them remember.

3. Don't be afraid to show students their potential. I have a handful of extremely talented musicians. I pulled a couple of them aside this week and told them they didn't do their best work. They complained and said they were still ahead of everybody else. Although it is true it gave me the chance to help them stretch their dreams. Today the ring leader of the pack made a comment in class about needing to step up and then took his instrument home for the weekend to practice. It is the first time it has gone home all year!

4. Some people are just crabby some days...don't let it bother you. I approached a colleague today about some situations we are having in the band and orchestra classes. I did it to try and protect her and her time. I explained we would take care of the issues from our end so she didn't have to. Her response included a long lecture about how I don't understand the world today and how financially hard it is these days. Really?! Hmm...