I have been bad about updating in the last couple weeks, but today was a big day, so I figured I would share.

Today was the day I had the meeting with the big bad parents who called my principal 2 weeks ago and reported (more like screamed about) me being sexist and gender biased. I'm pretty sure only 2 people read this blog and one of them knows the situation, but for those unaware, here's how it went down:

I have a kid in my class who is particularly spacey, and her step-mother is particularly fierce. I made a comment on her weekly report and used the word "flirting" which set this woman on the rampage. She was SO incredibly disgusted that she refused to speak directly to me and demanded a meeting with me and the principal. So today was that meeting.

It was really rough, and I haven't been feeling well all day, and I was dreading this meeting for the last two weeks so I went in very nervous about it, but in the end it was ok. I was shaking and nervous, but I handled myself well and acted as the bigger person. When the woman started to attack me my principal stepped in and commended me for my maturity at such a young age and reminded this lady that this is my FIRST year of teaching and that I don't have a lot of life experience to help me prevent "mistakes" such as these. She praised me for not getting defensive and for using this as a learning experience, subtly sending the message to this parent to lay off me.

The meeting ended on somewhat of a positive note with me directing the focus to the fact that the student in question is improving quite a bit and that progress has been made.

As soon as my principal closed the door behind them, she turned around and looked at me and said "It's ok, you can cry now" and BOY DID I. I was so overwhelmed and relieved at the same time. This was a very direct attack on my character, with this woman chiding me for having a closed mind and "respectfully requesting" that I open my mind if I intend to work with children. My principal told me that she was glad she never had to deal with something as difficult as that when she was a first year teacher, and that she was proud of me for the way I handled myself and took all the blame.

Anyway, it was a rough afternoon, but I'm very glad to be able to put this behind me. Now I know that in a district like mine you really have to watch your back, and you have to be willing to make a lot of compromises to prevent getting defensive. It's a crazy world full of irrational and angry people, but teachers will always have to be patient and find a way to work as a team.

Happy Thanksgiving, and here's to a LONG WEEKEND!!!

On Friday I admitted defeat.

By Thursday evening I was totally wiped out. I had next to no voice, but I rarely (if ever?) lose it completely. I figured I'd be fine on Friday morning, and convinced myself that the best possible option was to go to school.

WRONG.

Turns out my voice did not magically regenerate overnight. In fact, it got worse, and by Friday morning about all I could manage was a faint whisper. Did that deter me, you ask? WHY NO! of course not.... If it weren't for my stupid computer not being able to connect to the internet, nobody would have been the wiser. But alas, I was found out, and promptly sent home (before the kids even got there). I was at school for about 2 hours writing lesson plans and getting my computer looked at before I made the commute home again. I spent the day in bed, and now the lost voice has improved quite a bit, but I have a nasty cough. :-( boo.

Anyway, it's a good thing I took the extra day, because the upcoming weeks will prove to be very stressful. Report card grades and comments are due on Wednesday, and I have not even begun to do that. All of my grades for the trimester are in my gradebook, but to be honest, I don't even know what comes next. Thank goodness for helpful teammates who will guide me through the next steps. Besides report cards, the holidays are coming up, which means we have to wrap up what we're working on so that there are no loose ends at break time. I'm going to Arizona for Thanksgiving, so I'm going to have to get ready for that (traveling on the craziest day of the year = totally stupid) but I'm super excited.

This teacher thing can take a lot out of you. Note to self: listen to your body. Don't push it. GET WELL!!!