returning to work after 3 days

I was not feeling too bad physically on day 4. (It's now day 6.) I was feeling bad about my class of 29 students who had 3 substitute teachers (supply teachers) in 3 days. So I went to school on Day 4.

I met my class in the hall before the bell. One boy came to me right away and told me very intently how he was going to listen to the sub very carefully and very well next time a one came. He was so intent I knew things had not gone well with him. I knew he was one of the ones who had created problems over the last three days. Nevertheless, I believed the conviction in his voice when he told me he would do better in the future. I had already been informed about who had not shown proper respect by listening, cooperating, and helping the substitute teachers.

After three one-to-one conversation with the guilty, we had a class meeting. I explained how uncomfortable I was with my hives and had a lot of empathetic responses, especially from students who had suffered with them before. I apologized about to them about there being different subs each day and told how I had tried to have the second stay for two days. Then we talked about how they should respond to the situation if it came up again. I told them how they should give respect to the sub just as they give me respect when I am talking. (They had been listening intently to me and each other.)

Finally, they wrote their decisions in their journals. "If a sub comes again, I will....". I was very impressed with their writing. Several of the students, that caused the most fuss, were very candid in their writing, expressing how they would do things differently next time. One person said having 3 subs in 3 days made her feel "disy." She was sitting beside and in front of three others who were quite disruptive.

I was impressed by their writing, their honesty, and by their expressed determinations. I am very proud of them, too. Well done, people!

As for my hives, they barely bothered me but I was exhausted by 1:30 pm and still had to teach until 3:00. We managed/ I managed.

It was a good day.