why am I crazy?

As I prepare lesson plans for this coming week, I reflected on this past week.  I was sick for most of it and even had to stay home one day.  There is nothing like being miserably sick at work and also dealing with 90 kids throughout the day.  Last week, one of my adorable students erased the essential question I'm required to post on my wall every day and replaced it with his own.  So I was apparently teaching my U.S. History class all about why I'm a crazy person and not all about Jacksonian Democracy.

However, it got me thinking... Why is Mrs. Dove crazy?

Most of the time I'm an exciting, singing, energetic, positive to the point of annoyance teacher.  But there are "those days," where Mrs. Dove might seem a little crazy, in the "I have been driven to the point of insanity" way.  So I complied a list of things that make me crazy...

1. Talking while I'm talking (especially while I'm giving notes)

2. Having Axe sprayed in my classroom

3. When kids write on my white board and make it dirty

4. When students hand in work with orange stains on it from their Hot Cheetos

5. Attitudes/Mood Swings/General rudeness

6. Thinking Hot Cheetos are healthy

7. Wandering around the room without permission

8. Leaving your group and hanging out in another group while working on a project

9. Unnecessary fighting

10. Refusing to do work/being lazy

11. Licking fingers and then using my markers/pen/pencil

12. Complaining about the air, smell of hand sanitizer, not being able to use phone or earbuds

13. Using earbuds/headphones/Beats by Dre

14. Trying to sneak one earbud in while I'm teaching

15. Asking to go to the bathroom every 5 seconds

I limited myself to 15, but the crazy thing about this list is that, these are all also reasons I care about these kids.  Because on top of making sure they know and understand the material I'm teaching them through a variety of differentiated lesson plans, I also get the opportunity to teach them how to become good people.

I might not always be successful.  And its more difficult that it used to be, because this new generation has so many more distractions than we did growing up.  But it will always be worth it to attempt to make an impact on their lives.

Good thing Ryan Gosling is here to help me get through the hard days :)
Thanks HeyGirlTeacher!