It has been a week.  I have written more behavior and injury reports than I care to think about ( I had to write 7 for just one incident!).  Needless to say, by today, Friday, my patience and nerves are close to being shot.

My older students came into my class, and they stunk.  I have been lecturing them about the importance of deodorant all year, and I just can't get them to see the importance of it.  Today, the smell about made me crazy.

Me:  "Ok, you guys smell awful.  Who didn't wear deodorant today?"

(knowing no one would answer, but I wanted to shock them)

Fake Seizing Student:  "Well Darcie, don't you think that's a rude question?  I don't ask you if you wear a bra everyday."

Me (thinking "Touche," but actually saying:)  "Fake Seizing Student, that is not appropriate. Let's go the bathroom and put some deodorant on."

Warning: Girly Post Ahead

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.  Endometriosis is a condition I was diagnosed with last February, and in May I will be having my second surgery in just over a year's time to treat it. Many women suffer greatly from this disease (much worse than I have), and there is still no known identifiable cause.  I know before I was diagnosed, I had a difficult time believing women who had this disease were dealing with something real, especially since there are no outward symptoms.  Although the symptoms cannot be seen, they are real and can cause many complications.  To top it off, there are no treatments that have been found to treat this disease without undesirable side effects.  A matter of fact, I'm having a hot flash as I write this :)

I guess my point in writing this is to just say that if you know someone (other than me-ha ha) who has this condition, know that it is legitimate and try to be understanding.  

**Steps off my soapbox**

Please click the link to learn more.  Due to the somewhat squeamishness of the topic, I chose not to post all of the details.

*

Terms of Endearment

When I'm not attempting to keep them from brawling, my students can be quite endearing.  

Example 1:

Picture me, hair in a falling-down ponytail that looks a mess and my Bottom On Fire student walks in the classroom:

Bottom (just gushing and bubbling over-very over-the-top):  "Oh Darcie!  I love your hair!  It's just beautiful!!!! Did you get a haircut?  It's gorgeous!  I love it!"

Me:  No, my dear.  I didn't wash it this morning.  

Bottom:  "Oh."  (the enchantment was gone as fast as it came).

Example 2:

I was walking Sweet Student out to her bus.  She brings a portable DVD player to school to watch movies and listen to music during her free time and was upset because she couldn't find the charger.

Sweet Student:  "Teacher!"

Me:  "What's my name?"

Sweet Student:  "Darcie, can you look in my backpack for my charger?  I lost it."

Me (looking in the backpack):  "Here it is Sweet Student."

Sweet Student (waving as she walks down the hall):  "God bless you teacher.  God bless you and God bless my homies."  

I love to pick on my kids at school.  I never do anything mean (ok, maybe that snake video wasn't all that nice), and my favorite thing to do is sing.  I can set any phrase or command to a melody and then belt it out with my annoyingly nasal voice.  I think I can now say that I know the joy that parents of adolescents must feel when they have successfully driven their child crazy.  It's always good when a student lets me know that I'm successfully doing my job.  

While singing Happy Birthday to a student who was turning 18, another student turned to me and said:

"I used to think that my mom was the most annoying person I knew.  Then I met you."

That was one of the best compliments I had received all week.