(This year) I lost my sense of humor.
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Graduation was today and there was about 2 hours of just waiting around time. We had to be there but there was nothing for most of us to do.
Two of my hellions (nemesises - is that a WORD?, banes of my existence) kept bothering me. They wanted their grade. I wasn't going to give it to them. They asked me a dozen times each, they asked other teachers to look in the system (it wasn't there - I saved them for last), they asked teachers they didn't know to ask me. Everyone said no. Ricochet does not have to tell you.
They weren't doing this together (beats me why) but would come to me separately to ask. One started by calling the office and demanding that THEY make me tell. (The staff laughed) It wasn't constant but it was persistent.
They even called their mommies to come to school and make me tell.
Two moms said (basically) "Are you nuts? Leave Ricochet alone and come home." (Uh, students had already been sent home and only these piranhas were still circling the halls.
The third one came to the school at quitting time. Somehow I missed her. (Wasn't hiding, wasn't looking for her either)
I repeat. It is not a sign of maturity if you call mommy when you don't get your way.
My point?
This year I lost my sense of humor. The ability to laugh at them. As we stood around twiddling our thumbs, another victim, teacher of theirs explained you only have to be more annoying and then they lose it.
One can't stand it if you write anything down. I have written my grocery list when he was annoying me (in initials so he thinks I am writing in code.) She wrote down every protestation that came out of his mouth, especially when he started getting angry, and laughed.
I forgot to laugh.
5 comments:
Oh my! It sounds to me as though you have had a tough year as a teacher. Maybe you need to take yourself some sabbatical time.
Laughter is good for the spirit. I do hope you regain your sense of humor!
I hope you get your sense of humour back again. Being a teacher must be a very tough thing.
Dropping by from 6WS
Suzy at http://suzyspics.blogspot.co.nz/
Sounds like a little thing called "burn out"....perhaps summer is coming along just in time! Recharge yourself!! Laughter is the only thing that keeps me from crying somedays, so if you don't have that - you're screwed!
I realized I'd lost it (misplaced it would be a better term) when several events during that teacher-wait time for graduation just gave me the giggles. I'd missed that and will get it back. It isn't burn out or a need for a sabbatical. It is a group of misfits who have been enabled and have absolutely no rules or limits. But they are gone and no one will look as bad again.
I have had those years. In fact, it seems that each year I have one class that is exactly like that. What adds fuel to the fire here is that whenever I start feeling like this, I start beating the crap out of myself for doing so because everything I ever read and hear is how about I shouldn't blame students for what are obviously my problems. How this is all my fault for not, oh, I don't know, putting them in charge of their own learning or something buzzwordy.
So, as someone who has been there time and time again, this post was refreshing and I hope the summer brings a much needed recharge.
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