You may ... or may not have noticed that I haven't written much about my job.  That's because I was well trained!  My mommy taught me ... "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all!"  or was that Thumper's mom? 

I started working with delightful 2 yr olds in October of last year.  By state regulation, I can only have a class of 6   2yr olds per adult.  Now ... one would think that a reasonably intelligent, rational adult could manage a handful +1 of kids.  One would think ...  

WRONG !!!!!

In February, I changed facilities, primarily for better compensation, but it is also a much different clientele.  I remain optomistic, that at some point, we will take a turn for the better.  We are still trying to establish "routine" so the children have some idea what to expect.  We do lesson plans 2 weeks in advance, again, so the children & parents have some idea what the children will be doing during any given week.  But still ... Mondays suck!

This is a new generation, ya know?  These kids ... their language ... is built on words my generation consumed soap for even thinking!  My own children never really went through the "terrible two's", so all this is totally foreign to me!  My children knew better than to say "NO" to me or my Ex.  We never "beat" them, but we also did more than use a "thinking place."

This is very, very hard for me, I must confess.  Days like today, I did not successfully "manage" the classroom.  They were in control, and I'm exhausted & frustrated.  I am out of my element (trained for secondary students), but ... for whatever reasons, this is where I am right now, and I really want to "get a handle" on it, if possible. 

I chatted with a few of the other teachers on lunch break, and asked them if they enjoy their work ... honestly.  I mean, who deliberately chooses to come to a place to be tormented by two year olds for the day ... then go home?  We all said about the same thing.  We love the kids, but ... maintaining control of the classroom is ... well, that is the challenge!  And ... this is DINOSAUR WEEK!  I thought that would interest them ... get them engaged. 

Maybe tomorrow ...

~ B