The joy of teaching...

Hmm... what would be a fun career? I know, how about primary teaching?? You get to play with kids and read kids books all day!! Right?

Well, yeah, right at times I guess. But most of the time I feel like I've been hit by a truck. I have 21 angels in my Prep class, but fortunately there are usually at least 1 or 2 away. I can't believe how much time I spend on classroom management, tying shoelaces, saying "sit down! I said sit down! ... For the 17th time, HyperGirl, sit down!!!" I have to teach things like sharing, taking turns, not lying, respecting other people's property and person and other life skills far more than I teach numbers and letters. It is so exhausting! Every now and then I have 5 mins where the whole class is working well or paying attention, and I just relish those moments... they are so few and far between. We make it to 60 secs a little more often.

This past week, I've had to deal with kids using their glue sticks to smear glue on other people's chairs (I had to laugh later, but boy was I furious at the time!), boys revealing themselves during line up time (obviously in Prep... I was thinking, Dude, you're supposed to dack other people, not yourself!!!), kids stealing each others lunch and lying about it, kids crying... because they haven't finished their work, 'cuz they smacked themself in the nose with their own lunchbox, 'cuz someone else smacked them with a lunchbox or something, 'cuz they couldn't sit next to their best friend, 'cuz they didn't win or get to go first, 'cuz "I dunno, I forgotted why I'm sad! Wah!!!" and so much more.

Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning. I have been told it is a tough class to manage, but I also know that classroom management is my biggest weakness... bad combination. At times I'll have a good hour or two, and then I feel like I'll survive. And, there are only 5 more kid days and 1 curriculum day until holidays!!!!! Wohoo!!!! Then I have 2 whole weeks to sleep, organise the classroom and catch up on a little work - yay!! :-D