And Nicky came as a baby pterodactyl born in a watermelon. Um, because.

Are you tipsy too? Because your post reads like you're tipsy too.

Kristin! Tell me you've had bad experiences with not having control over your classroom? Please?

Sorry, I was doing a good job of keeping my drukning* rambling in Natter until now. Will try to do so again.

(* [sic]. Left in to give evidence of just how potent vw's G&T was.)

Emily, sweetie, anyone who says they've never had classroom management issues is lying.

Some of it just comes with experience. A lot of it, though, comes with the kids you work with. Either way? Deep breaths. It gets easier.

Emily, I've found a well aimed eraser works wonders on the miscreant's attitude. I don't recommend it in public schools, though.

Emily, I've found a well aimed eraser works wonders on the miscreant's attitude. I don't recommend it in public schools, though.

My journalism teacher (in a public high school) used to throw his stapler. At students.

We got him a bag of sponges senior year, and kept a cup of water on his desk for dunking them.

It gets easier.

God, I hope so.

Actually... that makes it sound like it's been torture. It really, really hasn't. Bits of it I've downright loved, and I'm terribly fond of most of my students. But today, today sucked. Eh. It'll pass.

My second day of teaching ever, one boy jumped up and hit another, and the fight was on, for about 5 seconds, and then other boys jumped in, pried them apart, and I found out later the boy who started it had forgotten his medication that morning, so it was pretty much a given.

Then I was reprimanded for having poor control of my class.

I like the Kristin reassurance too.

What do you have for Green Man stuff?

Nothing yet, but I can make it happen if that's what you'd like.

I made many of these tonight: [link]

Then I was reprimanded for having poor control of my class.

Hsssss... Honestly, I think that's what bugged me the most. I mean, the lack of control over the class bothered me on its own, but this feeling that I've constantly got people looking over my shoulder waiting to tell me what I did wrong and what I should have done better is crushing. I think I'm better equipped now to deal with it if that conversation happens tomorrow, but right after it happened if someone had told me that I'd have burst into tears.

Oh yeah, I hate that feeling. It will get better, and those people are likely willing to give you pointers rather than reprimand you, but it's hard at first.

Hiked a lave tube, hung with lovely people, dad now in town, racing vroomss tomorrow. Need Advil. And nap.

Cassie, I'm glad you're having a lovely time risking your life and all that, but you have RESPONSIBILITIES, Missy! You have a Canadian to keep on a track with the sheer force of your love and don't you forget it.

That's one of the things I didn't have to worry about with my students. Whether they were straight out of 'A' school or had 10 years of fleet experience, they were all well disciplined. Still, some of them could be a little mouthy. Hence, the erasers. I think the few times I used them the students were more shocked I could actually hit what I was aiming at than that I threw them. (Hey, they usually started it. Spitballs. By 30 year-olds. I'm telling you.)