You can do it

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You can do it
By Dawn

Hi Trish,

I had been waiting to hear from you about how your first few days went. It sounds like you were overwhelmed early in the day, but that the rest of your day was pretty smooth.

About your troubled few. Are there
any forms of help that the guidance dept. offers you? Do they run an at-risk group for kids like these? What strategies are the other teachers going to try with this one unruly group? You might find that an across-the-board, unified approach would help if you all stuck to it.
I know it's only been 1 day. But is there any chance of your connecting with some of these kids on a personal

level? Often, if you speak with them outside the "audience" of the class, they are an entirely different kid. Maybe if you can talk with each one (especially the one most troubled girl you mentioned), reason with them in a one-on-one situation, they will see you as an ally and not be so inclined to be confrontational in the classroom setting. Let them know that you want them to succeed in school, not because you are the teacher, but because you care about their future.

I guess that's what I would try--firm and consistent in the classroom; try to develop a rapport outside the classroom. It might sound "pie in the sky" right now, but as the days unfold, you might start to see other facets of these kids that give you a chance to try.

Keep us posted! I'm rooting for you!
-Dawn