Hello readers.
... what a week. Thank the stars tomorrow is Friday. And it's payday.
I have to admit, the adjustment to going back to work, as well as going back to kindergarten, and then being faced with a bunch of wild kids has been... very difficult to say the least. Last night, I was giving up. On everything. This morning, I woke up and my attitude was : " Welcome to Mme's Army Class!"
What is the Army Class, you ask? It's where I've had enough of kids bullshit, and I am laying down the law. It's where no one moves unless I say so. It's soooooo not my personality, but that's where we're at, and that's what we need. A month or so of LAW, with very clear lines and no wiggle room, and then we can enjoy the rest of the year.
So, how did Day 1 of the army go? Honestly, not terrible. I am exhausted beyond belief because it's way harder to get through the day as an army sergeant than a police woman. That being said, I'm fairly certain you won't believe that this was a "decent" day, or you will wonder what the hell I've been dealing with the past few weeks if this passes as a normal day.
So, we started the morning with the same routine - arrive, change your shoes, take the things you need out of your bag and then you can go in class. Once in class, you sit on a chair and wait (Warning: This is NOT my usual routine, I am NEVER this "mean" with kids, but I have to be very firm with this group).
So, we are sitting and waiting. The kids are talking among each other (in English of course, because why would a French school be full of French kids??). As soon as I start talking, the law is being put down. " Madame..." SHHHH! "But.." SHH! "I have to..." SHH! Yes, this seems harsh, but bear with me.
So, I laid down the law. No, you may not take all the toys out at once. No, you may not throw toys in the class and against the windows. No, you may not walk all over the toys instead of picking them up. No, you may not TELL me to pick up YOUR mess. No, you can't say "no" to me when I ask you politely to do something. No, you can't run in the class. No, you can't bite others. No, you can't pinch the people you don't like on the cheeks. No, you can't stand there and pee on the carpet cause you feel like it. No you can't spit in people's faces. No you can't climb on chairs and tables and counters. No, you can't tell an adult that you will kick them or hurt them. NO, NO, NO.
So, after 45 minutes of this, I let them play. I must say, it seemed alright. The day as a whole, with most of the kids, was okay. However, this still happened :
- 4 kids ran away from the class and into the school yard all by themselves, for fun. (This is NOT the first time that they have done that).
- 1 kid ran around the entire class trying to hide from my ECE. She gave up on him,
- That same 1 kid, threw rocks in another kids face and when an adult intervened threw rocks in her face too.
- That same kid threw toys in my ECE's face at the end of the day.
- This same kid hid in the washroom during recess and tried to flush big sticks down the toilet.
- 1 kid decided to give herself a haircut and cut her hair with scissors while we were doing a craft.
- 1 kid was screeching for half an hour because she lost her stuffed toy (that she hid in the class and couldn't remember where).
- 2 of my kids school bags disappeared at the beginning of the day, and after hours of searching for them, mysteriously appeared at the end of the day.
- 1 kid hit another one on the head with blocks
No, that one kid who did the most has not been suspended. No, I don't work in a school for angry/aggressive kids although I often feel like I do. No, I simply have a classroom full of kids that unfortunately were left to do as they please for the last 4 to 5 years and now I have to teach them some manners.
I'm off to bed... army day #2 tomorrow.
Goodnight!
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