Day 32

So my seventh grade class-the last period nightmare-is what is called a "SPAR" class, meaning it was intended to be a half-year class. They were supposed to be in a Tech class but when New Transfer Sucka Teacher (me) arrived they were thrust into my room as a "Reading" class, despite the fact they have 90 minutes of Language Arts second-to-last. That's part of the reason I have such management issues with them--they're already sick of reading and writing by the time they get to me, and I have to always keep them engaged with crazy projects or they go nuts. They're an extremely challenging group of 27 students, at least 9 of whom are substantially troubled and volatile on a daily basis.

I found out today that I had the option of keeping them all year (I never even knew it was an option) or ditching them for an as-yet-to-be-named class starting Jan 25th. At first I said "You, know, I think I'll keep them. They're horrible a lot of the time, and many are incorrigible, but I like all of them nonetheless." But then I thought better and said "I will tell you my decision after I teach them today.

I let their behavior today decide things for me. They were horrible and incorrigible, yelling, throwing glue and magic markers, breaking my stuff--not ALL of them, but more than half. I am trading them in for a new last period class.

It's a big gamble. There are a couple classes which are worse. There is a possibility I'll end up with 8th grade knuckleheads instead of 7th grade knuckleheads. But at least they'll be new knuckleheads, and I won't have the same stupid shit happening every day.

We got our train tickets for Tuesday. I've decided to do the Inauguration after all-despite my anger over Rick Warren and the Gaza situation. I want to be there.