Awesomeness and Tuesdays are synonomous

I love Tuesdays.

In the race for the most awesomeness day of the week, there are clear front runners and clear losers. I've always liked Thursday because you're so close to Friday, but obviously Friday is awesome because it's basically the weekend. Saturday is pretty cool, but you're getting a little too close to Monday, and Sunday is bittersweet because, yeah still the weekend, but all you can think about is how the next day is Monday. You could make an argument for Wednesday being a positive day, because it's Hump Day, and then, of course, Monday is not even in the running. Then there's Tuesday. Sometimes lost in the crowd of days of the week, Tuesday just kind of hangs out, right after Monday and right before Wednesday, still considered the beginning of the week. The slower of the days if you will. But I love Tuesday. It's never going to beat Friday or Saturday, but it's for sure winning the bronze medal. At least this week.

Tuesdays are my A block days. The good kids, if you will. These kids are not talking when I'm talking. They are independently working when they are supposed to be independently working, discussing when they are supposed to be discussing, overall, they are readily participating and excited to learn. Although these may sound like simple tasks, not all of my students have been up to par. But, on Tuesdays, I expect to see this, and I am usually satisfied with the results. The days when the students are excited to learn are the days when I am excited to teach. Again, sounds simple, right? Right. It really is, it is that simple. I smile more on Tuesdays, I laugh more, I joke around more, I teach more. Truth is, they also learn more. It would be easy to say that these are all my GT (gifted/talented) kids, but they're not. They are kids who know that it is disrespectful to talk when someone else is talking, especially when it's a teacher. So, I have come to the simple conclusion that this is exactly what I have to teach my B block kids. It's possible, I know it is, and I truly believe that they will learn more if this is done.

Following the rules/directions is directly correlated to learning more. How do I get this across to them though. It's really become a guessing game. I'm trying certain things with one period, and other things with the next. Across classes, my consistency is non- existent, I have none. We'll just call that differentiated teaching for now though. I have to look at it as if these are skills they need to be successful in life. After all, they are. The frustration that comes over me when I am giving directions and a child interrupts me to ask what he is supposed to do, while I am literally telling him what he needs to do, actually pains me. All I want to say is "If you did not interrupt me you would know by now" but I have to go about it much differently. "There is no talking when I am talking." Place a yellow warning card on desk. Start instructions over. I can't wait until someone videotapes me so I can count just how many times I have to give each direction. Sometimes, I would put money on the fact that I repeated the same direction at least 14 times. Today, I gave a direction to 1. Close your notebook 2. Put it under your desk. Some kids got it on the first try, some got it on the second, a few on the third, the rest on the forth. Except one boy. He was just not paying attention. Spaced out. Own world. I don't know. So, I said it a fifth time, a sixth time, louder, a seventh time. By now all of the kids were looking at him. Finally, the kid sitting next to him nudged him and said "dude, come on" His response, "whaaaat?" At this point, I repeated the directions for an 8th time. Still nothing. A ninth time, now he's looking around. He then looks at me. I look him dead in the eyes and repeat the directions for the 9th time. Then he looks at his notebook. Then at me again, almost for approval. "Yes, close it close it, oh my dear lord please close your notebook" is the look that I gave him. He closes it, and looks at me for approval again. I make a gesture that somehow described the action of putting it under his desk, and then it was done. The general feeling in the room was relief. Except for this one kid, who really did not understand that we just waited for him. So, I went into my speech about following directions the first time. Opening my eyes when I looked at him, and he mouthed "sorry" to me. It's something, I'll take it and run with it. But the fact is, this does not happen on Tuesdays. The frustration is not there. The tension in the room is undetectable. It is a different atmosphere that needs to be in all of my classes, not only for all of the kids' learning, but for my sanity. I'm on this roller coaster ride, where one day I'm high on teaching, and the next day I wonder if I'm cut out for this. Then the next day comes and I remember why I'm doing this, and the day after that I can't wait for them to leave. I'm high, I'm low, up and down, it's stressful to say the least. Add to that the lack of sleep and all my other responsibilities as a TFAer, and I am beat. Just absolutely downright beat. I thought finals week in college was hard, I welcome myself to my new life.

But, at least I can look forward to Tuesdays.

6 more days...

Caro