Patience

Hello,

I needed a bit more patience today.

I brought in a new hockey game for the class (new to them.)  I wasn't overly appreciative of the way it was handled during indoor recess. The new giant Jenga game had a couple missing pieces. ("but we looked.") Our Rubix Cube's stickers have been peeled off and reapplied to make it impossible to do now. These are a few of the things that set me off. I announced that today's lunchtime showing of The Princess Bride was cancelled. I don't like to punish the masses for the actions of a few, but I've been feeling more and more that it is the behavior of the masses that is unacceptable.

We talked about it after lunch. I need positive peer pressure to do some work. I wanted people to feel like they let the class down at lunch time. People are making poor choices and then not taking any responsibility for them. Their main concern is how much trouble are they going to be in. I didn't get one apology until that I pointed out that I hadn't gotten one apology.  It isn't acceptable.

I talked to them about how much I am usually motivated to get things done for them to make a great school experience. Their behavior since I have come back is not motivating. I want to go straight home after school. Why should I go the extra mile when I feel like my stuff and I are being so disrespected? That's what I told them. I feel like it is important to be up front, and they made me feel lousy today.

We need to rebuild our stamina for reading and writing.  We need to rebuild our stamina for any type of output. We've taken some major steps backward, and it needs to change quickly. Classmates are once again talking over one another and directions once again aren't being read or followed, "I can't," "This is too hard," and "This is stupid," have crept back to the tip of our tongues.  Helplessness is back.

I'm not going to stand for it.

But I could use a little more patience.

Maybe tomorrow we'll take some steps forward.

Have a good night.

Mr. Shea