New hair: [link]

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VERY NICE

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It's all sex-ah!

The front phone photos didn't do it justice, so I didn't upload them.

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Oh Cass. Apetite of gusto to your kitty. Your frustration is my frustration's twin.

Only I'm massively aggravated with myself right now.

After all the vet-going, bill-paying, anxiety-having with Bartleby this week, I somehow didn't pay attention to the fact that I left my work bag in the room where I leave the pooch when I'm out. I left for a few minutes to go talk to my landlord about cutting back some ivy where I think he may have picked up whatever gave him food poisoning. And to pick up the chicken I've been boiling for his superbland meals.

In the bag? In the room with a half-starved dog? Roughly a half cup of raw almonds.

Yup, my healthy work snack ended up in the dog.

I have absolutely no idea what impact this will have on his 'irritable' innards.

I could kick myself from here to hell.

No 'action' on our walk tonight. Gosh, perhaps his intestines are BRICKED UP.

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Hotttt! I like it.

I am watching Stargate 200. t flees to lj and Boxed Set

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Further: Great cut P.M.! Lily is adorable in that photo too.

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Nice cut Plei! Looks like you were able to describe your desired cut perfectly. Hott!

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The tuna, with some water added for reasons I cannot fathom, seems to be perking her interest for moments at a time so I just keep feeding her a couple of wee flakes at a time. Which seem to be agreeing with the Kittenish tummy. Mine, on the other hand, totally stressed from all this ... stress.

Yup, my healthy work snack ended up in the dog.

I doubt it will be for long... Hopefully while on a walk and as unmessy as possible though.

Poor Bartleby. Poor you, Beej...

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LOVING Plei's new hair.

HAPPY MEARA AND JEN K DAY!

Em, I kept thinking of things to type as I was reading, and Erin kept saying what I was thinking. We love Erin. It really does get better, but here are a couple of suggestions.

1. What Erin said about assigned seating. You get to assign the seats. You get to change them if need be. They get to EARN the right to choose their own.

2. Start tomorrow's class by leveling with them. Talk about the fact that you want this to be a good year, and you're feeling frustrated at the way the first couple of days went. Tell them that you are the teacher and they can't run the class, but they can be a part of the solution. Tell them also that you're new to the school and could use some allies. Some of the kids will see that as weakness, but you'll get a few who will come up (furtively after class) and offer to help you out.

3. Whenever things get noisy, just stop talking. Stop talking, stop moving, and just look pointedly at the talkers. Wait until there is silence (which there will eventually be). Calmly start talking again. (This technique doesn't work every time, but it definitely works better than yelling most of the time.)

4. Spend a class getting to know them. Do some team-building. It sounds cheesy, but it can really pay off. If you have a good counselor in the school, ask him/her to either give you some suggestions or come observe the class.

5. Find a teacher to be your mentor. This could be your department head or anyone else teaching the same age level. Ask him/her for info about individual students, the class, the school, or things that have worked for him/her in the past. Ask him/her to come observe you and give you feedback and suggestions as well. Note this pattern--the more people you have in your classroom, the better. Your colleagues will save you.

6. Start calling home on kids that are especially obnoxious. Sometimes the parents don't care, but a lot of time they do. Phrase it as a request for help rather than an accusation: "Hello Mr/Ms ___. I'm ___'s math teacher this year, and I've noticed that ___ is having a difficult time settling down to learn. I'm wondering if you could help me to get him/her off to a better start." Etc.

7. This one is the most important and the most difficult to accept. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. Accept that some days you will be convinced that this is the worst job on the planet. But mostly, believe that it will get better. Because it will. I promise.

Besides, I think Erin said it best:

Because teaching is a more societially acceptable form of maschocism than sporting 24/7 bondage tape and a flogger! (If a wee bit less exciting sartorially...)

ETA: Oh Cass and Beej! I'm so sorry about pets' sad tummies.

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Mmmm, Stargate 200...

Also, um... wait, was I going to say something? Shoot. Yay beer!

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