Yesterday I made a conscious effort to be positive, energetic, and animated when I taught. Usually that makes my class time go better--if I'm excited to be there, they are too. And then I'm moving so much that I don't notice if they're chatty.
Yesterday I had first graders, one of whom spent the class crying under the long counter on one side of my classroom until I told her if she didn't participate in class, we'd have to talk to her teacher later. She came out long enough to be obnoxious and disruptive so that I had to discipline her again, which provoked more sobbing as we walked back to class. Literally sobbing. Her shirt was wet from her tears.
Another student spent the day pulling sheets of colored and lined paper from my small supply, drawing pictures, and handing them out to other students regardless of me asking her to just sit down.
Two other students decided that having the freedom to move around the room (we were exploring how music can make us feel) meant they could roughhouse and wrestle where they thought I couldn't see them. When I called them out for it, one of them got his feelings hurt and refused to talk to me for the rest of the class.
The rest of the class was restless, chatty, and did not stay quiet for more than about two minutes at a time, which is usual for first graders.
There are good days, and there are bad days. This was a bad day.
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