fortunately for me, my behind is unscathed.

in my per session remedial math class this afternoon (read: a bunch of kids who hate math, hate me, but were forced into coming,) one girl asked me if they were going to have to hire a new math teacher for next year since we're going to have another grade come in. when i told her yes, she asked me which grade i was going to teach.

now this is a girl who has talked back to me, called me boring, and basically dissed me out numerous times this year. but i sometimes get through to her.

i was certain she was about to get excited at the prospect of having a new teacher. i told her that i didn't yet know if i was going to teach 9th or 10th grade. she said to me "noooo you have to teach us next year. if we get someone new, we're gonna abuse them. we're going to glue their ass to their chair."

charming, really. and here i thought this group was tough on me.

the closer i get to the end, the warmer they're becoming with me. and i keep liking them more and more each day. they're really helping me make up my mind.

finally!

last summer when i was student teaching, i only got to teach one lesson of my own creation. i stayed up all night long creating color coded manipulatives. i worked my butt off to come up with something engaging and informative and much to my satisfaction, it worked wonders with the students.

i saved everything so carefully in separate envelopes and baggies (the manipulatives were divided amongst 8 groups) and looked forward to the day that i could reuse that lesson. finally, that time has come. way behind on the pacing, i have finally hit factoring. excitedly, i printed out the lesson that has been waiting on my hard drive since july 2008. about to pack up my bag for the night, i look into the closet where my teaching materials are, and lo and behold the contents of my lesson is missing.

i guess i have a bit of a search mission to execute before bedtime.

they want me.

last period on friday i told an obnoxious student that i couldn't wait until next year so i can teach the new 9th graders instead of them, and he said "noooooooooooooooo ms. Adelaide.... you HAVE TO teach us!!!"

my gosh as annoying as these kids can be i really do like them, and most of them like me. still mulling over next year's options, but i think i can handle these kids. i just have to be stricter and more consistent from day one.

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of worthy mention, i got my last observation of the year on friday. it was #6, and the AP gave me a huge thumbs up as he left the class 20 minutes into the period. two more years left until tenure...