"It's been a long December...."

Dragging myself out of bed this morning was EXTRA difficult, I'm not sure why. It was probably a combination of lack of sleep and extreme cold (did anyone catch the Counting Crows reference?). Either way, I made it to school, so that's always a win! The kids were being EXTREMELY frustrating today. They have lots of tests this week, so I DO feel bad for them but they were studying for their history test that they had today instead of doing their math review. Most of them put it away when I asked them too and I took some of the stuff away from other kids. When I looked around to do attendance I was confused because I thought only one person had been missing but now there were two. Then I distinctly remembered which kid had left during class. He had been gone for over a half an hour and then strolled in a few minutes after I realized with an e-dictionary (automatically translates english to chinese for them) and an IPAD, and history notes, but mainly his IPAD! I was so mad. They aren't allowed any form of electronics and I gave them a lecture about how e-dictionaries are forbidden last week. Then he pulls this stunt AND brings his Ipad. I could not believe it. It was break time so I called to make sure the principal was in the office and sent him down there. Afterwards I remembered that just last week I saw him talking to the principal because he brought his ipad to another teacher's class. This, coupled with the kids not doing their math review and not following instructions, put me into a bad mood.

Since I rarely actually get MAD at the kids, usually if anything I'm stern with them, they all seemed pretty weirded out that I was mad. A couple of students came and apologized at the end, but it's never the ones who should. But then I moved on with my day. I had an extended break today since one of my sections was taken for a test. So I had time to go to the gym and then I had a meeting with students parents at lunch. This particular student is doing well and the parents requested the meeting just to see how he can improve. The meeting went well and was much more pleasant than the ones we request and at the end they gave us all tea from their hometown! Exciting stuff but I still haven't tried it. A student who is leaving the school also get us all cookies, but I gave them to my kids since I wasn't a huge fan and have already been eating enough chocolate to sink a battle ship.

At the end of today I was too tired to think about anything but dinner. So I went across the street and the second I walked in one of the men working smiled and said [whatever the dish I always get is called in Chinese], which I recognized and I just nodded and pointed to the door and it was ready in five minutes in a to-go box! Talk about service! I finished making my unit test today, but I'll have to make more than one since some kids are writing at different times. So maybe I'll do that now...or maybe I'll watch tv and eat some more of World's Finest.