Who said patience is a virtue?

What does it mean to have patience? I always thought I was very patient with kids and that I was a fun, energetic, and cool teacher but my Year 3's got me thinking yesterday.

So far, although I have loved teaching these amazingly cute and individual children, they are giving me the most run for my money that I've had since I started student teaching. I am not complaining though, because it really makes me take a good look at the things I need to improve on as a teacher.

Yesterday was a really bad day and I was going to title my blog post "Totally Discouraged" but I have such an awesome support system at Paparoa, that after ten minutes, I was feeling confident and like myself again.

With this class, I have been having a few management problems. Although I am firm, I feel like they have not been taking me seriously and after having tried all the routines Tanya uses, I was feeling hopeless.

I told them about the Marble Jar that we will be using starting Monday and how if they work well, listen well, follow school rules, and show respect, they will get to choose something that they can do as a class for the week. It seems to be the only thing I have right now, at least that's how I felt yesterday. Today was so much better though.... thank goodness

After yesterday, I just came home and thought about what I really need to do. I realized that although I was trying as hard as I could to be fun and do things that they like, I was spending so much time shouting over them that nothing was getting done. These two boys in particular, are really difficult and just require so much of my attention that I lose the rest of the class.

So, I came home last night and I thought about what I need to do to show them that I don't want to have to wait for them to quit socializing, I don't want to waste 10 minutes to give instructions because nobody listens to me. So, I used thinking fitness time today to go through synonyms of our school rules (not saying like that) and we learned the words 'benevolent' and 'venerate.' I added "continue practising to show respect' to our weekly goals and the day went ten times better! I didn''t freak out when they started talking nor did I feel like that meant I was losing control. Its just that there are some really chatty boys and where most times using silence would make a class listen, it only makes it worse for these guys. Failed tactic number sixty six.

Now, I have been trying to make them do things again if they can't do it right the first time and it seems to help.

But at the end of the day, I need to realize that losing a few seconds here and there, to remind them of rules instead of rushing to get something finished, is okay. At the end of the day, they only just children, little people who laugh over 400 times per day!, as Lindsay Forrest would say. They are just little kids who need more of my patience and less of my frustration. There are a few days that have been particulary hard and I was getting discouraged. And although there have been more good days than bad, I tend to remember the bad ones. I get lost in the potential for a teachable moment and I feel like I am spinning into the world of lost control. Dramatic I know, but basically true nonetheless.

So, despite my efforts to fight past the "student teacher" title with the kids, I am coming out more ahead than behind. Positive yes, but still a long way to go. I worked on patience and listening today and I feel it went a lot better. I want to keep working on management and understadning each one of them as nothing less than individuals.

Today, I felt a little more level-headed. I felt the sun was shining a little brighter, thought the leaves looked a little greener, and I felt that with just a little extra effort, I can have these kids seeing me for the real teacher that I am.

New news: Co-coaching senior girls cricket!

Teaching French to the Gifted and Talented group

And teaching 10 or so kids how to line dance to Cadillac Ranch by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for Cultural Day!!