Is it June yet?

I did not sleep in this morning. I did, however, dawdle. Again.

Nothing new or exciting about that: I do it all the time, and, knowing exactly how long it takes me to get to work and to the classroom door (before the second bell) I know I can still make it. Except when the owners of the big fancy multi-million-dollar homes along S.W. Marine Drive decide that they want to have their landscaping redone, and cause traffic issues and back-ups for 5 blocks because of the backhoes and other large machinery needed to move the pretty large rock from “here” to “there”.

So I was late for school. No biggie, I called ahead and let the secretary know; and since our Area Counselor is in today, the class ought to have been covered for a few minutes without issue.

I must say, there is nothing quite like walking into your own classroom and finding the principal there, taking attendance, and lecturing the four kids who trickled in after the bell about how rude and disrespectful it is to be tardy. “One is never late for kings” quoth she in her over-the-top, 6’4″ grandiosity, as she glared at the students over her horned-rimmed glasses.

She let me (and them) settle, and decided to play a game with them. This took some time, as she was constantly interrupted by my chatty and impetuous ten-year-olds. This necessitated repeated “You know what…?” lectures for their edification and learning.

After I spilled and mopped up my coffee from my desk, and their game was done, I was able to “begin” my day. Good thing I can trust them long enough to run to the office to make a few photocopies: they’re chatty and never shut up, but they’re sweet and generally well-behaved.

We talked about impulse control (because the principal, bless her, commented on their incredible lack of it, but they didn’t know what the words meant) and the “Marshmallow Test”.

One of my least self-controlled kids of course leaped up and said “Hey, that’s exactly ME!” before I was halfway done my explanation. He sobered significantly when I concluded that in the longitudinal study, it was shown that whether a child was able to defer instant gratification or not was a strong predictor of their overall success in later life.

I had my copies ready and the lesson was driven home; yet the number of sheer fidgety kids vibrating in their chairs was unreal. Sure, it’s a sunny day today, but really? It’s 9:02 am and you already can’t sit still? I decided to order them outside and sprint 2x400m around the track. Thankfully, that seemed to settle them enough to keep me sane til recess.

At recess, I connected with my teaching partner, to find out she yesterday had to settle another big dispute between two “difficult” students. The best part? As my colleague dealt with he who had manipulated, connived, lied and bullied his classmate, his mother suddenly appeared out of thin air, (though the bell had not yet rung) ready to defend. Suddenly tears, sobs, cries of unfair treatment were at the ready – and mother drank it all in, ready to defend her cub against all those who were out to get him.

Mid-morning today is math period. We have another half-hour til lunch, and, other than my needing to constantly nag the students to speak in French during class time, things are… acceptable. But the day’s not even half over, and it’s only Thursday!

The astute would comment that kids are kids, Spring is in the air, and perhaps, just perhaps, it is my patience that has run thin? After all, this is only taking into account all the crap that’s going on outside my bubble. We haven’t even tackled the nut inside.

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