First, happy Friday! 🙂

Now, this week has been an absolutely horrid week. It’s May, the temperature is warm up, the birds are singing, plants growing, and a middle schooler’s mind turns to thoughts of summer, no school, and mischief.

#ugh

We’ve had parents emailed about our standard, kids complaining that “we are piling on too much stuff”, and kids who’ve decided they don’t need to listen to us. Disrespect and attitude are abounding, and it weighs a guy down, big time. Add to that parents who still don’t understand our grading system getting hostile, and you have a recipe for burnout.

This morning, I read this blog over at For All the F Words about kicking ass today.

Normally, I’m all in. Bring it on, 8th grade class, because I’m always in the mood to meet their attitude  with positive energy. I love that challenge of keeping myself up for them, regardless of the situation.

But, I just can’t, because the only ass that’s getting kicked is mine

Each time I send a kid out, they are disrespectful to me or another student, I feel like it’s my fault.

Each time I don’t get things graded because something came up at home, because plans were made weeks ago, or I’ve come and crawled into bed and slept, I feel like it’s my fault.

Each time I get blamed because “I didn’t know it was due and you never told me,” or “This school sucks,” or “You aren’t preparing me for real life,” or “Why isn’t this done”, I feel like it’s my fault.

On most of these, is it my fault? Of course not. My wife (and co-workers) chuckle at me because I’m one of those people whose guilty about everything!  A lot of that stuff up there, I can’t make right and it weighs on me. I also know it’s May, and I write this “woe is me” drivel about this time every year, but I’m feeling pretty beat up right now. I remember this group from sixth grade, and I remember feeling this same way.

So, I’d love to kick ass today, but I just can’t. I’ll do the best that I can, keep moving forward, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll kick ass tomorrow.

Fair enough? 🙂

To the student reading this (I know you are), yes, I’ll be ready for school Monday with a smile on my face. Will you be? 🙂