some ideas

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2003 : October : 7

some ideas
By Chicago Teacher

Hi, I'm sorry to hear that your situation is causing you so much stress during such an exciting time! I teach lower elementary students, so I don't know if this would work, but have you tried talking with the students about
your situation and trying to come up with ideas with them??? I have found, for both myself and my friends who teach in inner city settings, that often my students respond well to honesty and my sharing with them. Of course, they're kids and won't always be mindful of you, but it may help to talk with them about what's going on and maybe they will have suggestions - easy signals you can

give to say "alright, you've reached my limit for today". I don't know your students or situation, so this may not help.
Do you have, or could you get a part time aide or even a parent helper? I assume probably not, but you never know. Even if they weren't directly responsible for the class, the extra pair of eyes and hands could probably help.
Perhaps you can make a "sub plans" type folder for yourself - so that if there are days where you aren't feeling well or need a stress break, you can have a collection of games or activities that will help with content but will also be less energy-spending for you. It seems like every class has at least 1 favorite game or calming-down activity, probably even at the high school level. My friend who teaches 7th/8th multigrade (also inner city) reads to her class, and even though it seems baby-ish, they really like it! Maybe you could choose a book that they might connect with and read from it and use it as a jumping off point for your lessons.

I'm sorry this probably isn't enough help, but I wanted to try. I know how unsupportive administrators and unruly students can be trying, even on days when we feel good! I hope that you find something that can work for you and your class, and that you have a wonderful pregnancy!