Ready

I am so ready for Christmas break...

Program practice actually went super well today (thanks for the prayers!); I think we're ready. Only one day left and it will be packed full of last minute pre-Christmas things. We'll have one more program practice in the morning, take a spelling test, do religion, and open presents. The board of ed serves us lunch and we watch an all-school movie at the end of the day. This year's movie is Emperor's New Groove.

After school today we teachers exchanged gifts. I had Pastor who's 'initials' were CM. I made him a Christmas manger/message sign. He actually wanted a Christian movie. Still, I know he likes nativities, so I think he was happy with his gift. I asked for DB, which stands for 'dry bag' for kayaking. I got a dog book instead. There was just enough room for it on my books-to-read shelf at home! Other teachers got Zero Soda, Pot Holders (piano themed, for the piano teacher), Colorful Yarn, A Blanket, Christmas Tie, and a White House puzzle. Most people were pretty close with their gifts! (WH stood for warm hat, otherwise, everyone else got what they wanted).

I got a text from a parent who's child had lost a lab homework sheet that needs to be turned in tomorrow. I know I had emailed it to her once upon a time, so I logged on to my computer to resend it. There, I found an angry email from a parent who was upset with how I handled an issue in my classroom today. She called me 'the grinch who stole Christmas from [her child].' That's a new one.

There was a drill by one of the computer desks which was in the process of getting fixed. During our morning work time, one boy picked it up and was running it in the air. I told him to stop. Then I said if he did it again, he would have to write his spelling words. The kid said, "20 times!" Figuring it would keep his hands off the drill, I said sure. Less than five minutes later he was at it again! So he had to write his spelling words. He was in a funk after that and didn't want to get his food for lunch. He wouldn't talk to me about it. If he had, we could've come to some sort of a compromise or lessened the amount of times. But he didn't. He went home and told his mom, who got upset.

What's even worse is that other kids were also messing with the drill but I never said anything to them about it. I blame it on Christmas brain and the billion of other thoughts going through my head... it didn't even register. Or they were doing it when I was out of the room or working with another student and not paying attention, or it did register and I told them to stop, figuring it was a blanket statement for everyone. But to be honest, I don't remember the timeline of events except it ends with the kid running the drill after I told him not to. The mom said she tried to call me after school but I didn't answer. She must've called my school phone, but I wasn't in my room and I didn't see that there were any messages. She never tried to call my cell, and I know she has the number. So I called and explained why he had to write his spelling words 20 times. I rambled waaay too long and hopefully I didn't say anything that would make her even more upset. We'll see I guess. Either way, there's only one day of school left and we'll all get a break from each other. Sigh. It's always something.