In the past 24 hours.....

I have made 4 students cry uncontrollably. Sheesh! The end of the year for elementary kids can be emotional! It makes you feel so crappy especially when you really really like them. That may be why one cried....I think he and I have bonded....

1. D. was going to "fill in" just in case my Turtle #1 in my programs this week didn't come due to strept throat. Well, Turtle #1's mom kept sending her because she'd dope her up and the fever would go down. Well, I explained to D. that this was "JUST IN CASE" but that didn't seem to matter the night of the last concert when Turtle #1 showed up again. D. was devastated! She was bawling uncontrollably in the band room, she had 2 sisters with her from the middle school (if that gives you any indication of what THAT element added to the situation....), and she was carrying it out into the halls and front entrance of the auditorium. By the time I caught up to her it was literally a public affair. I had to calmly tell her that it wasn't Turtle #1's fault she got sick in the first place, and that Turtle #1's mom had been the one making the decisions. I knew that because I had been on the phone with her...several times in the 2 days. It got so bad, that one of the fifth grade teachers told her that if D. was her kid, she would have slapped her across the face, taken her home, and made her deal with the F in Music for missing the concert. I was slightly appalled by it...but I say slightly because I wanted to say the exact same thing...but there were many people watching me try my magic diffusing act on D.

2. Today in 2nd grade..R. was acting out...again. They were watching a video (thank the Lord...I've only shown 1 other one all school year...I thought the week of a concert was a good time to show another!) and R. could NOT stay in the spot HE picked out. I separated him and L. 3 times before he starting punching a gigantic frog that the art teacher had made for the stage...that was the last straw. Destroying school property needed to be an office issue. As I'm filling out the paperwork, R. is standing at my desk pleading and promising....."Never again....I'll stop...." Too late. I'm the bad guy. I should tell you that since November, R's mom and I have spoken on the phone several times and I've written notes (good and bad).

3. Then it's on to 1st grade...the most challenging 1st grade in the school building. I don't know how many of them aren't ADHD. J. and D. have been making some big improvements in Music. It's been a process, let me tell you. J. and I are starting to bond. I really like him and I think he really likes me. I'm pretty sure, actually....anyway, the class came in off the wall with a substitute...I knew I had to act quickly, so I gave each of them a star sticker. I told them they all got to keep their stars as long as they followed these rules: Stay in your spot. Follow the instructions on the video. Sing and dance. Easy enough? NO. Apparently not. J. was the first. I couldn't let it go. He was yelling at D. Bye bye sticker. Hello waterworks. He fell in to my arms crying. I almost teared up myself. J. has been doing so well....he just made a bad choice. I hugged him, held him close, and told him he could earn it back. He told me the rules. I knew he understood them. SOOOO 3 - 5 minutes later, all was well.

4. EXCEPT D. He was on to bigger and better things by laying on top of the Emotionally Handicapped student in the room, B. You can imagine that this was going over well....D. got a chance to earn back his sticker and did...

Now K. and the Emotionally Handicapped (B) student lost their stickers in that class as well, but there were no tears. think when I handed it to B he knew right away that it wouldn't be his forever.

Nonetheless, I hate making them cry, but they have to know how to act, too. *Sigh* 10 more days now.....