Happy 2010

Was I ready to end my two weeks of rest and relaxation in lovely California?
No.
Was I ready to come back to school and face those monsters that terrorized, tortured, and tested me (when it should have been the other way around) before winter break?
Absolutely not.
Was I dreading Monday?
Yes, pretty much.

So how bad was it?

It was ok. Not that good, but not bad.

After a surprisingly refreshing day of professional development (shocking), I was motivated once more to go in with that positive mindset, to get rid of the negativity that I had unwittingly absorbed from my coworkers, and close that achievement gap!

Then I have girls like A, T, and L in my 5th period that just make me want to rip my hair out. First day back, and it's attitude, off the charts. The other kids are getting tired of it, and two of my boys (who came back with what seems to be a new found desire to do well) could not hide their expressions of disdain for the girls' immature behavior.

However, I must say that the two weeks away seems to have been, for the most part, beneficial for both me AND the kids (most of them). So far, 2010 seems to have kicked off for me with a focus on that relationship building.

Before winter break, I think I was so caught up with the planning, the management, the disruptive and disrespectful behavior that I forgot how important it is to build the positive, rather than just focusing on eliminating the negative.

So it's all about conversations and getting to know my kids even better. I found out quite a few things like: which boys are the players; that it gets -20 degrees in Mexico; only girls wear snow boots...