MacNamerica: Bipolar Coaster

Today was a classic example of the numerous emotional highs and lows I experience during any given weekday. I was somewhat inspired by those lame feelings poster I saw in the school social worker's office. Enjoy the peek into my day.

7:45 am: Anxious
Lack of planning from last night (combined with the coffee I had to drink to combat sleep deprivation) makes me nervous.

9:10 am: Cautious
During a reading assessment, a student completely shut down while I asked him about the book he had just read which I know will piss him off for the rest of the day. And he's a hitter. Crap.

9:35 am: Hopeful
Lesson plan on putting line breaks into poetry seems to have FINALLY convinced students to stop putting periods in their poems.

9:55 am: Frustrated
The hitter gets into a fight, leaving me no choice but to take him during gym time (my break).

10:15 am: Angry
Meeting with the assistant principal about her observation of my teaching last week is off to rocky start when she tells me I lack any management skills. This coming from a woman who never taught a grade lower than 6th. And from a woman who has been in my room 4 times other than the observation (each time to check bulletin boards).

11:00 am Smug
After faking my way through a plausible reading lesson, my assistant principal enters the room and engages in a conversation with a student during work time that leads the student to hysterically cry and run around the room as the principal follows her yelling (which by the way, I don't lead this child to do). Ha ha you old bag, shows you what you know about little kids.

11:02 am Enraged
As the girl sobs loudly at her desk the Assistant Principal informs me that her "private" conversation with the child has sufficiently calmed the child and that I should employ such tactics to maintain control of my class. Then she leaves. Yeah, thanks for that.

12:20 pm Depressed
During lunch time I cry for about 20 minutes.

2:50 pm Happy
Aboubacar grows 3 levels in reading after showing 0 growth from September to January. THANK GOD!

3:50 pm Ecstatic
My lowest students stay till 4:45 today. Whereas last week they were out of control, this week I have them on lock down and they actually seemed to understand my lesson on plural words.