29 days left

>>Yes. 29 days left of school this year. Crazy crazy. I never thought I would survive. Let alone be winning awards. I'm very very proud of myself. I have grown up a lot this past year. Gotten braver, stronger, more confident. It feels good. Along those lines I had a parent in a 5th grade class came to observe my class to see if it would be a good fit for her son next year. She came with our director of special ed (for the district), the director of special ed (for the district her child lives in) and a person from the county. I was impressed with my students, my one aide in the room at the time, and myself with how well it went. Everyone was friendly, but I didnt really have much time to stop and chat. During which though, I heard the director from the other district say to the person from the county, "wow, it is amazing how much this class has changes" (since before I was there) and then when we left she said "You are awesome!" I am proud of us. i didnt even have to do things any differently since I knew they were coming to observe. We did things the same way we would have done whether there were people there or not. It did make my students nervous when they found out who was watching.

>>Ya know how I made that post on Tuesday, about how great it was to be back? and how amazing my students were, and How it was going to be a smooth rest of the year. I take it back. wednesday and thursday were hellish. Not hellish, just tough. I am being tested and I'm getting stumped and its hard for me to admit that. Wednesday, we started a new system where me or one of my aides is outside during lunch to keep an eye on Phillip. He has been hitting students, throwing things, slapping, etc. Tuesday went okay. The aide had to tell Phillip once not to hit students. Yesterday out of nowhere he picked up a rock and threw it at another kid. Right in the head. The aide pulled him aside and took him back to class. We talked with the principal and decided on a detention after school. I talked with mom and warned her. Then he proceeded to come back into class and play with his "private" area for the rest of the class period. Then, I have a student who is compulsively late. Everyday. he shows up 15, 20, 10, 5, minutes late. I have given him detention after detention. I am stumped. I dont know what to do. Today I made him a deal that he can be late as long as it it only 3 mins. If it is more, then he'll keep getting detentions. We will see.

>>Today Phillip did much better. Mom is fighting the detention but we are sticking to our guns. Steve today also stole 80 dollars from his mom. WE found out he HAD the 80 dollars and attempted to get him to let us hold the money until the end of the day. He refused so we called his mom and let her know. It turns out he had stolen the money from her. Mom came to school and called the cops to come and yell at him about it. Steve handled it relatively well. Without anger. Surprising.

>>What else. what else. I fell like a million things have been going on. But, I feel like those are the most major. I will leave you with a quote from the sweetest kid on earth Sam.

Sam: "Marcus, Steve, and Jaime, they always look at girls in inappropriate places! They always do! I dont. I tell them girls don't like that. They are always looking at girls inappropriately. When I look a girls I look at her face!"
Me: Thats good! and do you look at her personality?"
Sam: Yes! Thats very important too!
Me: Thats good Sam. Girls like that.