Just SHUT UP

I don't tell my students to shut up. I rarely raise my voice. They have to stop talking to hear me. I wish that was true for the teacher next door to me.

I have listened to her for four years. She needs to take some training in classroom control or invest in a chair and whip. Whatever it takes, she needs to get control of her class.

Yelling is what I hear from her most of the day. Sit down! I already told you to be quiet! I am going to start giving checkmarks if you don't get quiet! I am going to take away your recess if you don't sit down!

Well, start calling some moms and dads or sending home some ugly notes because the yelling ain't working and you are causing your next door neighbor major headaches and stress. I have to STOP my own class because of the distractions coming from her class.

I know my class is not perfect. I know they get loud at times. I know I raise my voice occasionally to get their attention. But my neighbor is giving teachers a bad name.

I would not want my child in her class. I love her dearly as a friend, but she has no control. I was so stressed out today that I walked into the hall and looked in her window to see what was going on. I was very close to walking in and saying "All of you better learn how to act because you won't be acting like this in my room next year. I will NOT stand for it."

I told my principal today that I was about to break. I didn't give specific reasons why, nor did she ask. But she told me to take a mental health day when I needed it and not worry about it. I cried. I hate it when I cry in front of people. At least I wasn't all out bawling--these were just tears. I am not sure what's wrong exactly, but I am teetering on the edge of the abyss, and I don't want to fall in. I've been there before and I don't want to go back. I am going in for a medicine check. Maybe my modern chemistry meds need to be updated even more.

It will get better. It will. I just have to knot my rope and hang on until it does. I also have to remember to dwell on the positive rather than the negative.

And the class next door just needs to SHUT UP ALREADY because they are not helping my already frazzled nerves.

Thank goodness it's Friday.