Last week during staff meeting I was making notes and reflecting on my classes when suddenly this phrase hit me: I will not give into your chaos. Yes! I had found my motto for this year. My 6th grade Social Studies class and my 7th grade LA and Social Studies class quickly suck me into their chaos. They are tense and anxious (or fighting and fooling around as is the case with 6th grade) and I get sucked into that negative energy and it's just not a fun, happy scene. So I am not going to let myself give into their chaos. I'm going to stay calm and patient even when they are annoying the snot out of me and we can't get anything done.
During dismissal today I was talking with my co-worker who supervises car pool with me and told her about my motto.
"That's good. What was the one you had last year? 'I'm older than them' or something like that."
"Oh yeah, 'I'm older than them and smarter than them'. I completely forgot about that."
So apparently I'm in the habit of giving myself little mottoes to keep my sanity. But hey, it works!
I do that too - mine this year is "simple, sweet, tight and right." I'm trying to have very focused lessons that are short, to the point and I'm also trying to create an atmosphere of "sweetness and light" - enjoying my students and helping them enjoy each other back.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, middle school - I can totally relate to "I will not give into your chaos" ... although I think this refers to more of my colleagues than my kids these days!
ReplyDeleteYup! Stay cool and peaceful! That's a great mantra and when something makes you crazy what's your outlet?
ReplyDeleteBonnie
"I will not give into your chaos."
ReplyDeleteI LOVE IT!
I can think of so many places where that applies. (I'm already planning to make that my mantra when I do food shopping the day before Thanksgiving.)