What I hate most about teaching while pregnant is that it completely enables the kids. I'm sure you were expecting me to say that I hate having to be on my feet or that I hate having to give so much energy, when I really have so little to give. But no, I hate how they excuse anything wrong they do by saying that I'm pregnant, thus I am cranky and hormonal.
The kids haven't yet asked me if I'm pregnant, but they know. They've asked nearly every other teacher they have, all of whom keep imploring them to just ask me. I'm a little surprised because 8th graders don't usually show this much tact! Yesterday, the question was posed to their Orchestra teacher, with the add-in, "Well, we think she's pregnant because she's getting bigger... and she's really cranky."
See, I wasn't cranky. BUT NOW I AM. When I was pregnant with Luke, I had a student tell his mom that he failed silent reading because I was pregnant and hormonal. REALLY? I fail to see how my hormones stopped him from reading, unless they formed some sort of force field around his book. Once I get past the first trimester, I'm really good about keeping my hormones in check, so I know I'm not any stricter than usual. I will fully admit that I run a tight ship. Kids don't talk out of turn in my room, and they know that they can't get away with much--but that attitude toward classroom management has nothing to do with pregnancy (and a lot with me just normally being a bitchy person!). However, any time the kids do something wrong or out of turn, they completely feel like they can excuse themselves from any blame, simply because they've learned that pregnancy makes women cranky.
And THAT? Yeah, that makes me cranky.
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9 comments:
Your post left me cracking up. I especially loved your comment about how your hormones inhibited your student from reading his book. Love it :)
Hang in there, superhero!
"You want cranky? Yea see I'll cranky something right upside your head... THEN you'll know what cranky is..."
Breathe. Please.
Mike
http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com
The things that keep kids from doing homework, are simply amazing.
That would make me cranky too. I was an interpreter in a Jr. High, you HAVE to be strict and run a tight ship with 8th graders. Seriously.
I say you show them what cranky really is.
Okay...we weren't that stupid when we were in 8th grade were we?
You obviously need to school them on how to act and react to a pregnant woman. They're seriously lacking in that department.
Hope it gets better soon.
I am cranky at times and I am not pregnant. :) Have a great weekend.
That sucks :( I would get annoyed too especially kids at THAT age, they are such wise asses! You are probably acting completely normal, they are just using that as an excuse to get out of things. I give it to you, I don't think I'd be able to do it! Good luck
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