Work's about to get a lot harder...

So I feel I have a grasp on the behavior issues in my class now. This is a good thing as it allows me to teach and allows the kids to learn. Unfortunately, this week has had two events that are going to make my life quite a bit more difficult and stressful: the return of Skywalker to the class and the removal of my teaching assistant.

Skywalker is the name of a student, as the names have been changed to protect the (ahem) innocent. Skywalker is a very rough kid with very little regard for personal property or the feelings of others. He was taken out and placed in another class before I took over as teacher. It was always in the plan to have him back eventually, although no date was set. Turns out, that date was Tuesday.

I arrived early on Tuesday (as I do every day) and set the classroom up. I did my photocopying and drew my daily dinosaur on the white board (it was a baryonyx, I think.) Soon 8:45 rolled around and the students began arriving. It was at this point in the day were one of the vice-heads (principals) leaned in and told me I'd be having Skywalker from now on.

"What?" I said, somewhat shocked. I naturally had expected to have some sort of meeting or short staffroom water-cooler discussion about the subject, so I could have gathered materials for the boy and reorganized the classroom. But no, the decision had been made and I was to deal with it. Thanks.

Secondly, I found out today that I will probably no longer have a permanent teaching assistant for my class. Great! Who needs help with an unruly class plus the roughest kid in school newly added. Not I!

My fantastic TA had also been working one-on-one with a child in the year above me for the past few weeks, and it seems the school is about to move her permanently into that class (and she really does not want to go). This leaves myself and the other year four teacher sharing one TA. I foresee problems in this arrangement as my TA will be very unhappy and my children with have ANOTHER change to their environment - causing more behavior issues for me. The less change and more stability they get, the better.

These two decisions were made by the administration at the school. I blame them for the problems this will cause. And it will be me and the students who will suffer. Oh well, at least I am planning a fun weekend: Going out to see Tenacious D tonight and then co-hosting a vodka party on Saturday night!

But now I haves some school re-planning to do...