Year in Review
So. I made it. This last academic year was a rough one. I had several challenging personalities that together created a classroom of chaos. I also had a handful of students that had struggles beyond their control but nonetheless brought that baggage into my classroom and therefore added to the classroom chaos.
Blondie-My sweet and strong-willed little survivor. She bounced into my classroom Day 1 with “grandparents” in tow. As I settled her onto the carpet to color and watch the Leap Frog video I had on to suck the new littles in and hopefully make transitioning easier from parents to classroom, the grandparents pulled me out in the hallway to inform me they were foster grandparents. She had been sexually abused and she had been placed with them. In the midst of this conversation another student had arrived whom I had met at Meet the Teacher and he transitioned fairly easily into the room and a quick smile and wave at Mom she left. As I listened to the caretakers I glanced into my classroom to find Blondie sitting ON TOP of the other student in his lap and stroking/”fixing” his hair. She clearly had boundary issues and a WHOLE LOT of energy. I prayed quickly I would be what she needed and that I would have a group that would allow me to devote the energy this little one would need to be a positive presence in her life. Thankfully she ended up getting adopted mid-year by the daughter of the foster grandparents and between the adoption, LOTS of therapy, and a consistent and reliable school and home life she was able to settle some and make great strides socially, emotionally and psychologically. Her saving grace is that she was smart as a whip and despite ALL of the hard days we had over the course of the year-including a several day suspension I will miss her next year. She tried me and tested me but I think we both grew.
Brat-I will not miss you. I have never felt more relieved than the last day of school when you walked to your spot in the daycare line and I KNEW I wouldn’t have to EVER deal with you again. Your mother is an enabler and you have a hard hard life ahead of you. You stole from me, you lied to me (daily), and you tried to manipulate me, your classmates, and the other people around you. You threw tantrums daily. You screamed at me and kicked at me as well as your classmates. You couldn’t handle anything that wasn’t EXACTLY what you wanted. You are a spoiled brat. I pray that next year your teacher connects with you in a way that can help you and be the presence that you need. I’m sorry I wasn’t. I hope you learn the lessons you need to learn and experience what you need to experience in order to be empowered to make better choices. You are a SMART little one. Use that power for good instead of evil.
SourPatch-You surprised me. You were either my worst nightmare or my favorite little personality. You have so much spunk and when it’s directed towards something positive its amazing how much you can excel and how talented you are. When it’s directed towards something negative it can ruin even the best of days for yourself and everyone around you. You are powerful little one. You are creative and silly and smart and influential. You can also be selfish and hurtful and dramatic. I will miss you and our good days. You made me laugh and kept me on my toes. I wish your mom would’ve shared the things with me she shared with me in March in August when we started school. That would’ve helped me understand you better for the full school year rather than just the last few months. You are a force my sweet little. I can’t wait to see what you grow up to be.
The three of my students described above controlled my classroom. They dictated the mood and the climate and the more I tried to stifle it the stronger you fought against it. The 3 of you banded together and wrecked my classroom and each other. I pray for each of your little futures and I hope you all grow up to do amazing things and live a life that you are happy in and proud of. You ALL have the power to do whatever you put your minds to and I hope that your futures are everything you want them to be and more.
Other than that my class was fairly good. We had some really good days but they seemed to be far and few between. However, this is my first year where I didn’t feel like I needed to retain anyone. Did I promote a few that I know will struggle in 1st grade? Absolutely. Do I think even a few of them might get retained in 1st? Yes, I do. But I am confident that retaining them in kindergarten wouldn’t have been beneficial for them academically or socially. 85% of my kids were on grade level according to the last accountability assessment of the year and those that weren’t were not considered to need high levels of intervention. They were only slightly behind and obviously not enough to need any substantial remediation through retention.
All-in-all I am glad my year is over. I am ready for a new year and a new set of kids. I am also ready for a break to recover from the high amounts of stress I experienced daily this year.