(Source: from-student-to-teacher, via wincherella)

girlwithalessonplan:

playpretending:

I can’t forget what I saw today; so many teachers punish their students for their own shortcomings. It is their own fault when they can’t manage their classrooms, and then they take away privileges and talk down to their students. Great teachers…

(Source: thisdelicatereprieve)

GPOY at work today.

THIS.

This. As a teacher, this is something I MUST remember every single day.

I’ve had a rough time at work recently. Then this showed up. Thanks, sweet girl, for the reminder of why I teach.

I am at a loss with one of my classes. As a whole, they refuse to follow procedures and expectations. I have tried everything I know to try- reteaching procedures, explaining the reasoning behind them, practicing them repeatedly, calling and conferencing with more parents than I have in the rest of my career combined, calling team meetings to discuss expectations, positive incentives and rewards, revoking privileges, different styles of teaching and activities- nothing seems to last longer than the immediate class period. The next day I’m starting all over again. On top of that, this class fights. Constantly. I hear “shut up” and “no, you shut up” and “get off my stuff” and “give that back” and “she hit me” constantly. I can’t seem to get through to them about compassion. Or the difference between tattling and important information.

My other classes are fine. I can’t keep going the way I’ve been going with this one. I don’t know what to do. What are your thoughts and ideas, Tumblr education?

I can’t figure out how to let EVERYONE reply to that with the new format. So send any and all suggestions to my ask box please. Thanks :)

To make a very long story short, a colleague was pissed at me because she felt I handled a discipline situation too harshly. She then personally attacked me, and told me I was “out of control” and “completely inappropriate”. This morning, I found out that she had gossiped about this to another teacher (This teacher prompted her to talk to me rather than gossip. Good for her.). I called a team meeting in which I calmly told her that the way she chose to handle it was petty and it was doing nothing to fix the situation with this student. Attacking me doesn’t get him what he needs. She then told me that he (the student) had been very upset, and had talked to her about my attitude toward him several times. I then asked why she hadn’t mentioned that previously. She said it was because she was too mad. Too mad to tell me what was going on so I could fix it? Not too mad to attack me, but too mad to give me information I actually need? 

I ended up having a great talk with this student. During the course of this discussion, it became abundantly clear that he had said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to her, and didn’t even realize I had been overly harsh with him.

The point? My team teachers totally had my back. They were there through the entire meeting, supporting me and offering their own wisdom without stirring the pot. I’ve always loved my team. We work well together and have a great time doing it. But today, we confronted adversity together. And we worked just as well as we do on our easiest days. Way to be a PLC and keep the focus about the student and his needs, not the adults’ petty drama!