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Thursday, March 13, 2014

A Flustered Day

      Today I had a mom come to school to "beat" me as she had done to her son so she told others. She was upset because her child made extremely bad grades on his report card. I listened to her complaints and tried to be reasonable. I even showed her his grades so far this term. According to my class, when I turned to get the papers, she made as to "sneak" me. The papers only made her madder so she grabbed her child and stormed out of the room. I was ok with that since I had a room full of third graders ready to learn.   
   She went to the principal to get her son out of my class. Wrong! By the time the principal was done, she was mad as a wet hen at her son. My principal has seen me teach and knows that the kids are working and learning every minute!
     See I give the same tests and follow the same procedures as the 2 other third grade teachers. Students are given a study guide at the beginning of each unit and we go over it every day until the test. They have to practice responsibility and keep track of their work and papers.
     The students are learning and behavior is 1000% better than it was the first day I walked in.  This is a fact that can be proven by answers in class and lack of discipline problems. Before I came, the discipline dean was in the room more  than in his office. Now he stops in to see what  they are doing. 
     The only thing I don't teach them is Writing. I know where I am short. But I asked a master teacher to teach the writing class. In exchange, I am giving her a custom quilted Lone Star quilt. For me it is a great deal since I do not understand Four Square writing. For my students, it is turning into a fantastic deal since even the slowest writers are become good at writing multiple paragraphs. For the master teacher, it is an unbelievable deal since she is getting a quilt free for doing her job and getting a head start with the students she will be teaching next year! Win Win Win!
       My principal was worried that this incident  would make me decide to quit.  I just used it to accent our vocabulary words -flustered and clutter! They know that when I get flustered in class I hold my face on either side and then when I get home, I sew in my cluttered studio. They all commented that I would be sewing tonight but should be de-cluttering my studio. Vocabulary words used correctly! Win win Win!
Later Gators! I am off to make more lemonade from these lemons!

1 comment:

  1. I knew you were an amazing teacher! Those kids (and that momma) are so lucky!!!!

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