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Thursday, February 9, 2012

The Principal Gestapo

Today the Superintendent was scheduled to visit from 10:30-11. I figured that left 1 minute per classroom max and it was during my Daily 5/Guided Reading time so as long as I had my objectives posted I was good to go. That isn't quite how it went down...

A few minutes before school starts I hear through the grapevine that the Sup has cancelled BUT now we have 9 principals from other schools coming through and they are here NOW!

5 suits come in as I am transitioning from our Daily Editing Word Problems to my sequencing lesson using a flow map. They stay 10 minutes which feels like FOREVER as they are scribbling on their notepads and scrutinizing my room.  I breathe a sigh of relief as they silently file out the door. My kids have been shockingly good UNTIL....

The mom of my quietest girl comes in, handing me a late slip, (by 40 minutes) explaining that her daughter is outside crying and won't come in. I realize I had heard someone wailing outside but we are close to the preschool special ed so those sounds don't really register anymore.  I step outside (leaving my door open) and see her clinging to a pole.  I have had this before and usually if I can get them in the room and mom leaves they calm down in a few minutes. I try to bring her in but she is physically resisting. Suddenly she starts SCREAMING bloody murder and falls to the ground.  I look over and who is just down the hall, yep the Principal Gestapo.  One of them comes to my rescue since I CLEARLY can't handle her and the other 29 bambinos waiting for me. I have no idea how they got her down to the office but my principal delivered her back over AN HOUR LATER!

I felt pretty inept until my principal told me the angel threw a total tantrum on the floor of her office and refused to cooperate with her either. Apparently she tried to negotiate how long she would have to stay at school.

Turns out the pumpkin was upset because:
a) she was late (mom accidentally took Dad's car keys and had to leave work to come back home)
b) she missed her cousin who had been visiting

This one is absent and tardy quite a bit and maybe now I am getting a glimpse into why.

I SO wish wine didn't give me a migraine because a bottle sounds in order about now. Hey Kristin, got any Math Pills you can share? Do you think they work for Major Meltdowns?? 67 days and counting....

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13 comments:

  1. oh yuck, yuck, yuck! I'm pretty sure that is what m&m stands for!!

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  2. Oh wow! I have a new child this week who pushed an older kid to the ground on the playground one day and kicked another boy in the thigh the next. I found out he was kicked out of the neighboring school where he was there on school choice...any guess why?? Yep! Behavior!! I'm right there with you with the count down!! Hugs!
    Rebecca
    Teaching First

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  3. oh boy we have a group coming tomorrow...yikes now Im scared

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  4. Holy mack!!! That's a lot of principals!!! I call those the curriculum cops! YIKES!!! I'm sure you were AMAZING. As for that little girl --- all I can say is that your picture CRACKED ME UP!!! I love it. And I've been there. And it usually is the home life. Grrrr.
    I have plenty of Math Pills and if I could bring them to you RIGHT NOW, I totally would!!!!!!
    Hoping your day is better tomorrow!!!
    A Teeny Tiny Teacher

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  5. I guess I'm your newest follower... although I am pretty sure I was already following...but Blogger knows best.

    Anyhoo.... I've dealt with those major meltdowns... but this late in the year?! You poor thing. That is rough! One year I had a child with... *difficulties*... hold my classroom hostage,tipped a table over and hid behind it while throwing freshly sharpened pencils at the children. Seriously, like war tactics! The asst. principal and I had to physically carry this child out in order to protect the other kids. He was kicking and screaming. As we exited my classroom we saw my principal with 4 other principal friends a few doors down.... staring... not happy. Scarred me for life!

    I hope Friday is a better day!
    Dragonflies in First

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  6. Oh, I hate those kind of walk thrus!! Hope today is a better day!!
    Jennifer
    First Grade Blue Skies

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  7. Oh my ...you poor thing! I had visitors yesterday but no one pitched a fit! I'm sorry you had to go through that! :( Lisa

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  8. oh girl...I'm so sorry..but at least she did it for the princ too...I had a case kind of liike that, but it was with our brand new assist princ...like 2 days new! ahh! nice first impression, hunh??lol

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  9. Sounds like you had a "fun" day... I had some visitors in my classroom yesterday too. AND they kept walking in and out (which I think is worse than just staying in my room).

    Amy
    Krazy About Kiddos

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  10. Wow, what a day! And your picture is a blast, says it all! I've never had anyone throw such a huge tantrum but I have had situations which required 2 adults to physically remove a student. That's pretty rough.

    And the walkthrough, yikes, 9 principals?? What's going on with education nowadays?

    Glad you made it through. Oh, and hello! I'm a new follower!

    Dee
    First Impressions

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  11. WOW, what a day!! THe big wigs in our district are coming out in 2 weeks - that's always fun isn't it?!? I have a rough class this year so we'll see how it goes. We have a first grader in our hall that has daily tantrums like that...ugh! We usually have about 9 principals come through too periodically. I don't remember that happening to my teachers when I was a kid.. LOL Have a great rest of your week and hopefully you have a long weekend like me. :o)
    Visit me at http://traditionslaughterandhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com
    ~~ Vicky :o)

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  12. Yikes! I deal really well with meltdowns, but now I have no Ed Tech so I can't exactly leave the room. :) You sound like you did great.

    First in Maine

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  13. You know it NEVER fails. Why does our worst case scenario happen with so many suits around? I think you handled that with sheer professionalism. And the suits need to know, that is our reality as well. Screaming, crying children. I'd buy you a drink for a day like that! =P

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