Thursday, October 27, 2005

Tired puppy

I am out of energy.

How do teachers with families do it? I was at school this morning at 7:45 for a department meeting, taught from 8:30 to 3:20 with a 33 minute lunch and a 49 minute prep period, then had a BTSA meeting from 4-7 pm.

All I have is a dog. And I feel guilty for neglecting him. I don't know what the heck I'd feel about balancing a family life with my career.

And tomorrow's the end of the quarter. All of a sudden, kids who haven't been doing their homework now care. And so do their parents. How many times do I have to explain that, no, their child cannot make up the vocabulary homework from the beginning of September, because the test that was based on that vocabulary was already given 5 weeks ago? Some parents are great, and some are not. Right now I'm really seeing apples and trees. You know, all of a sudden the child cares, just like all of a sudden, the parent cares.

Hmm...

Don't get me started on the parent who keeps asking me for a syllabus. For her behavior disordered son who has been placed in my developmental reading class. Incorrectly I might add. But who am I? Just the classroom teacher.

This is junior high, remember? I do plan things out, but not classwork and homework assignments for the entire semester. Ugh. And yet, she just keeps asking.

I can't be witty or pithy or even sarcastic tonight. I'm just plain beat.

1 comment:

Mr. E said...

I have the same issues with my students and parents. I have had at least 8 parent-student-teacher conferences, and have spoken to at least 4 other parents on the phone. These are "honors students" too, and I do not want to hear the bitching and moaning when all of my parents see the quarter grades that their students are going to bring home.

I have a darling wife, and a dog also. It is not easy teaching with a family. We do not have children, and I do not know just how we might live if we do. At least you can stay at school for long periods of time, then bring home your work, and work on it whenever you want. My lovely wife insists that I come home at a decent hour and I need to spend a good amount of time with her. I do not hate this, because I realize that I need to be a human at times, and not just a work-a-holic all of the time.
So, there are goods and bads to having a family. Good luck!