runs away from Beej

Hey, anything short of screaming at kids that they are worthless/stupid or telling them that you hate your life and it is all their fault (pretty much direct quotes heard from my counseling office) is likely to impress me.

Hair hot! Kid cute! Teacher Bitches supporting!

I love this place.

Em, sorry if that was information overload. Maybe I should have just yelled, "DOWN WITH DIRTY, ROTTEN KIDS! BAH!"

No no, it was good. In fact, I may print it off. I just went off and read fanfic and then planned a little with AcrossTheHall!Teacher. Honestly, I'm okay with forgiving myself -- I just wish everyone's (not here -- at school) advice wasn't, "It'll be okay. You just have to not let them get away with anything," because that's exactly what I'm beating myself up for. So, you know, I KNOW. I could more use some encouragement that, hey, sometimes we're not as hardassed as we ought to be, but it won't necessarily doom the class for the whole year. Just keep trying.

Hey, I just made myself feel better! I will keep trying. It's just, a whole year of trying to explain that, yes, you CAN divide 8 by 7, and Roberto, stop talking to Erick; Edibald, this is your only warning that the hood has to come off; what's a negative times a negative? Erendira, spit the gum out in the trash can; no, it's not time to leave yet... Well. It's daunting. Thanks, everyone. I would just like this week to get over with, please.

Hey, anything short of screaming at kids that they are worthless/stupid or telling them that you hate your life and it is all their fault (pretty much direct quotes heard from my counseling office) is likely to impress me.

Yeah, anytime I get too down on myself for not hewing to good teaching practice enough, I have to remind myself, "At least I don't store urine in jars in my classroom."

Emily, I have something inspiring to say about various math teachers I've had in the past, except that I'm way too tired at the moment to give it the full treatment. Just remember that this year, you are on a learning curve. You WILL feel inadequate sometimes. But you WILL be learning by experience, and you WILL make changes and get things together in the long run. It sucks that you have to go through this now, but the end product - a great math teacher - is worth the pain and frustration. My math teachers not only taught me about the magic of numbers, but also taught me how to assemble a sensible notebook on any topic, gave me confidence (If I can learn algebra/trig/calc/stats, I can learn anything), taught me that sometimes a hard-earned C means more than an easy A, taught me how to ask for help, taught me how to stick with things I think I don't like and get satisfaction from them anyway. You WILL be doing the same things for some of your students. This is a precious gift, and like the pain of childbirth, once the pain of your first year is over, SO WORTH IT.

Oh, heavens, do I wish I could find all my old math teachers and tell them how much they meant to me. Emily, I swear by all that is Buffista, twenty years from now, someone is going to be saying these same things, and wishing they could contact YOU to say them to you.

I had one- pre something calc or algebra- who not only taught me stuff I use to this day, but was also kind enough to let me hang out in his room when I couldn't face lunch.

A toast: To teachers!

what's a negative times a negative?

New hair: [link]

exhales slowly and deliberately

Yeah.

Emily, you've got excellent teachers giving you great advice. All I can say from a parental perspective is that one of my harder, and most necessary, lessons was that kids (a) desperately need to know somebody is setting the boundaries and; (b) grow by testing those boundaries constantly.

Which is why my whole three-pronged parenting philosphy boils down to the intuitive (1) keep them alive; (2) love them a lot; and [perhaps counter-intuitively] (3) enforce boundaries.

It's the hardest fucking thing but respect flows from it.

Tummy meds helped tummy - good. Tummy meds made me slow and paranoid - less good. Flopped Kittenish on the chenille throw on my feet - quite good. Life is a series of cost/benefit analysis. Also a series of correcting typos.

Also a series of correcting typos.

Tell the drunk girl about it.