Working at a middle school the week before Christmas can be quite challenging. Someone must have told my sixth graders that rules don't apply the week before Christmas. I wish they were a little bit younger and I could tell them that Santa Claus is watching them and making his naughty list. Their lack of effort, goofiness, unwillingness to work, misbehavior and basically getting under my skin is beginning to make me very very tired.

It also makes me tired when students have been diagnosed with ADHD and the doctors have prescribed medication. And then we see the medication working well on the students. And the students can actually function and act like human beings. And then the parents stop giving them their medicine for various reasons. And then the students stop acting like human beings. And then the students start acting like animals that I've seen at the zoo on field trips. And yet, I am still supposed to educate them. Seriously with the training I got at Geneva College--I am not equipped to teach monkeys how to talk nor dolphins how to understand sign language. So how am I expected to teach a child who would much rather lay under his desk and suck the metal off of his chain than listen to me explain context clues. ???? (I'm not making this up--I actually have this student this year in my Reading class,) Maybe I missed that class in college.

On a happier and lighter note, tomorrow is Jeremiah's birthday. Christmas is 6 days away and I am very thankful for my beautiful family and I am also thankful for my job. I love what I do and I love my students. Some days it just gets difficult. But the Lord gives me the strength I need day in and day out to do what I do. So as long as He keeps supplying me with help, I can make it!