I’m sure it comes to no suprise when I say these kiddos are not my most favorite bunch, however I’ve somehow muscled my way through and have officially completed Semester 1. Whoo! One down, one more to go!

If ya’ll will recall, I had been barking up a storm about the ridiculous hodgepodge’esque classrooms filled with native speakers sitting alongside those who don’t know basic phonetics to even more issues that I’ve chosen to refrain from sharing, because it’d just be a laundry list of rants…  but all in all,  I’d like to think I’ve done my best to bring all the students to a decent medium — even though, it meant I had to leave a few students behind without the necessary one-on-one attention and/or if  it meant I had to entrust the  patience levels  from those whose English language skills were above mediocre level.  I just had to do what I had to do.  Under EXTREME cases and ONLY under extreme cases, I sent notes home to parents reminding them to GET BOOKS OR AT LEAST MAKE COPIES OF TEXT BOOKS for their kiddos’ use for my class for goodness sake! alerting conduct/studies issues etc… things of which raised a few concerned brows on the Director’s face, but did I care? NOPE! I continued to truck along and DO MY JOB – that is, to edumahcate these lil rugrats – under my watch, under MY rules.

It’s funny, I almost felt the Director’s heart rate skip a beat a few times as since he feared any sort’ve direct communication on my part (though, he may think: confrontation) with the students’ parents. But this, I WELCOME! I am a firm believer in parents being ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS in their childs’ education. Their success growing up as an individual and citizen of global society is influenced by their surroundings  and credited to those around them; FIRST and foremost being their parents.   ( I heart my mom and dad.) And ya know what? Each time I had a direct conversation with a student’s parent, without fail, they thanked me for my CARE, ATTENTION, CONCERN and INVESTMENT in shaping their kid to be a better person: in studies and general, social skills. MMMHMMM! One parent even reached out her arms and gave me a HUG in APPRECIATION!

My philosophy: I don’t yell and I don’t go nuts on the kids (unless in EXTREME cases). I give them ample chances to improve (on whatever it is they need to improve on — especially in this school, where sensitivity levels amongst students/parents/administration is so high) and allow the kids, themselves to ACKNOWLEDGE AND CORRECT their own mistakes (whether academics or behavioral).   I find that at times, teachers/parents don’t give the kids enough credit on knowing what is right and wrong. THEY KNOW.

And while I’m at it…  there’s also  a HUGE difference when some teachers caress (yes, they do that here) and baby/pamper the students when they’ve done wrong. THIS IS A BIG NO NO!!!! THE KIDS ARE NOT BABIES.  They may not know how to drive a car at the moment, but THEY KNOW FUNDAMENTALS OF RIGHT AND WRONG. Don’t give into their babyface BS. THEY KNOW!

  • So let THEM TELL YOU why they are in trouble (instead of wasting your breath and their short attention span). And/or if they truly don’t know, they’ll ask and will be interested in your answer to them.
  • Let them TAKE OWNERSHIP for their actions (by thinking, stating and understanding their mistakes on their own).
  • Let them TAKE INITIATIVE (by solving and suggesting ways to correct their boo boos).
  • These are basic lessons of being a RESPONSIBLE student and kid in the world.

(Insert: PREACH! CAN I GET AN AMEN!?!)

I find that teachers often immediately yell and scream their heads off at the kids for  misbehaving or whatever the case may be, but teachers don’t allow for the students to acknoweldge and take OWNERSHIP for their behavior. But don’t get me wrong, at times, ya need to up the anty a lil bit and go ballistic on these kids to drive home your message.. (while you internally delight in the fact that the kid could sh*t his pants in any second)…. That’s when you know you’ve done your job well. :-)

Which brings me to the point of why I initially started this post. I’ve battled quite a bit this year at this school. One major battle was to get the administration to conduct an assessment placement test to properly divide the students in appropriately level’ed off classrooms, thereby optimizing teacher resources, TIME and adding VALUE to the education of these boogers and their parents’ paid tuition fees.

PRO: I’m happy to say, we are implementing an Assessment Placement Test for my 1st graders at the start of 2nd semester!! A WIN for me!!

CON: More work for me, as since I am the one leading, training and curating this placement testing endeavor. (sigh, how/why do I get myself into these situations many times over??)

PRO: Planning/teaching will be much easier. Classrooms will be less of romper room (at least my class, especially if I get the “advanced” kiddos, while the other kids will learn through basic games etc… which is what they neeeeeeeed.)  Students will be more attentive and learn at their capable level with alike peers, thereby gaining an actual education in a relatively competive learning environment.

CON: The Director is STILL overly concerned with parents. Now, I’m not saying to disregard parents’  concerns/comments, however, he truly only REACTS to issues versus taking charge of how to run HIS division. Little does he know that parents have reached out to me personally via email/in person to discuss matters of the different level/best education for their kids. And IIII am the one who is feeding them the necessities behind proper level/course material for the students, and it is the parents who have told me that THEY AGREE with me and will “adamantly suggest” to the Director, the advent of proper placements.

PRO: In actuality, the Director has no idea that I am the one feeding info to the parents who, in turn, are telling HIM what to do. Mwahahahhahahahaha (clasping my hands)

Oh, Hello Mr. Burns!! :-) ……

So there ya go. Fight and Win. That’s how I do! :-)

. . don’t burn the day. .