i feel like crying

Never in my year and half (almost) of teaching have I wanted to cry after getting out of school. I want to scream or give up or reintroduce corporal punishment, but never ever cry. I'm not much of a cryer really. But today that is how I feel.

First my kids should be doing study guides today. After I get 300 questions about why, can't we just . . . . They got down and actually did them.

Fifth period there were three boys, who I put up with because I like them, who all decided that I had somehow wronged them because J was passing and the other two were, in fact, not. I told them that J had turned in his make up work....they hadn't.

Sixth the girl who spent the entirety of last year trying to give me a heart attack by saying she was pregnant has actually gotten pregnant. She missed the last six weeks of last year because her family was relocated to a shelter (something that most people don't know, I'm just nosy and check the withdrawal forms to see where my kids go). This girl does not need this. She is a junior but not quite motivated enough to overcome taking care of a child.

7th period...This class is bouncy. I cut them a deal a couple of weeks ago that there could be no more bathroom passes, they have to ask before class starts and they can come in 1 minute late if they do. I expect people not to take advantage of me when I cut them a deal. My best kid, the kid who is not enrolled in my class and one of my talkers all get brought to my room by the teacher across the hall. They were in someone else's classroom... "Are these yours, Mrs. F?" Yes, they were so I send them to get tardy passes. Yes, they had asked to be late so they can go to the bathroom *NOT* to wander across the building. So I had to send the two enrolled in my class to the tardy calculator to get tardy passes. My best kid has literally never had a tardy this year...nor an absence. He was really mad at me because I sent him. His brother was embarrassed first period because I called him by my best kid's name.

Then there was this one kid. He put down his backpack (Kenny from the Halloween zombie episode) and left. Just distinct enough that I know exactly whose it is.... He never came back. I figured he was late...then he never came to class and I was mad. What kind of kid lets me see them and then doesn't come to class? After school I track down every kid I know that is friends with him. "Where is he? Did you see him? His stuff is in my room but he never came to class." I tracked down kids who aren't even friends with him. I was starting to get really worried. about to call his house looking for him, when he walked in (30 min after school let out). WHERE have you been??? He sat down and I got out of him that there was some type of stomach problem and he went home. I'm not sure there isn't more to the story because 'stomach' sounded like spanish the first three times he said it. He wasn't pronouncing it right. He lives like two miles from the school. So he missed all of class to go home and come back. I reminded him that you can't just leave school. You have to get checked out, go to the nurse or go to the office. You can't just walk off campus. He said he understand, he was sorry. He didn't mean to make me worry.

So this is my thing. What compels a kid to just walk home during 7th period? Was this premeditated? I mean, he *came* to class. Then he went home. Didn't tell anyone. I don't think he is lying flat out to me because there is no reason to. Plus the students had already given a dozen reasons for him not to be there (in-house, soccer practice, fell in the toilet :) )....

Regardless I was so relieved that he was ok and not laying in a ditch somewhere that I didn't write him up for skipping. but i did want to cry. :)