Day 13: Unlucky

Perhaps it is because today was the 13th day of school, or maybe because it is Thursday. Whatever the reason, it was crazy today.
Temper Tantrums.
Noncompliance.
Not understanding.
I had at least two of each of these today. All different children.
One little girl came up with her paper and had the wrong answer.
"Where is your mistake?" Mrs. Burton asks.
"I don't know."
"Well, where is your work?"
"In my head."
At this moment you can practically see the eye roll.
"Go write your work down and do the problem again, come back when you are done and we will check it then."
The student goes back to their desk to complete the assignment.
She comes back with an empty paper and the same answer.
"Where is your work?"
"In my head."
She is told once again to go back to her desk and write her work out.
So she does. Once done, she come back with an empty paper and the same answer.
She is told to go and write down her work.
She comes back a fourth time with nothing written on her paper. Now this girl knows how to do the problem, but there is a simple math function that is messing her up and she won't be able to find it until she writes it down. But that would be much to much effort.

The students are all outside running two laps around the green at the end of recess. One student is not running.
"Run please!" I call to him, making certain that he can hear me from across the field. He looks up, then has a complete transformation. He screwed his face up, stomped his feet ferociously against the ground and screamed viciously before continuing to walk as if nothing had happened. I don't know that I have ever seen that kind of a reaction before. This same child became so emotionally volatile during instruction time we were forced to have him go to the principal's office for the rest of the day.

We have been working on measurement for a week and a half. Metric and Customary systems and how to change between the different units. (Unfortunately we do have to teach both, but such is life) Today we gave a short assessment to see who we needed to help before the test tomorrow. 5 students completely understood the information. That left 21 students who didn't get it. 21. Mrs. Burton and I split a few of the students and set to work trying to fill some of the holes. When we came back together, half an hour later, we exchanged a disheartened look. Neither of us had been able to help the students understand how to convert between units. She raised her hand to mine in a high five. "At least we can fail together." she said.

Today I have learned that not every day is a good one. Some days are craptastic. Some days are boring. And some days, you just have to know that you will never have to live it again.