Today is Halloween. And it’s Monday. This guarantees a horrible week for teachers. Fall parties on Monday followed by a week or more of over sugared munchkins forever re-living their tales of killer clowns and comparing loot. 

It’s a real thing. Trust. 

For me, I had my own extra spices thrown in. 

To start, I had a new student start today. Today. If all days. And lucky me he’s in special ed and a huge behavior kiddo. Joy. Next, one of my students came in three hours late telling me she was late because she was throwing up with diarrhea all morning. When I walked her to the nurse myself I was told that dad’s boss threatened to fire him if he didn’t show today. He’s a single dad with two kids. Poor guy tries so hard. Some bosses just don’t get it. So I got to take her to class with me with the knowledge that she had extra underwear in case she “couldn’t make it in time”.

F my life. Right to hell. 

I also have a student who is in the foster system and has MASSIVE amounts of trauma in the past. Lots of medication and a recent hospitalization to go along with termination of biological parental rights and an investigation at the original foster home has left this student in a temporary care home and on new meds. Makes the student go between zombie and energizer bunny quickly and without notice. Not fun. 

Finally, I have a parent who has been served with orders to not set foot on school property. This happened after she threatened violence against several staff members AND young student and assaulted a police officer. Over a hoodie. 

Well, she decided that we can all rot in hell. She DRASTICALLY changed her appearance and snuck into the school and marched her snug ass into MY classroom while I was trying to teach to drop off the food she was instructed to send with her son and THEN began walking around the room and talking to all the students she knew from football with her son. I literally just had to stand there until she got the hint to leave. She also had the nerve to tell me she’d be back for the party. I wasn’t about to start a fight with her cuz I had shit to teach. So I called the office a little bit before the party and informed them of the little intrusion. 

Whether or not she returned to the building I have no idea. But she never did make it to the party. Threatening student is NOT a little thing. You don’t get to come back after that. 

Now, for those of you who think teaching is easy, or that the “minor” inconvenience you’re sending with your child is just something the teacher should take in stride and deal with…..

Please remember that a day like this doesn’t just happen on holidays. This is my life. Every. Single. Day. And I haven’t even mentioned my sped students, ELL students, or those who are reading two or more years below grade level (yes, plural on all). Stop adding to the burden I have to bear because you can’t or won’t or don’t want to take care of your responsibilities or act like an adult. I’m trying my hardest to make sure your kid can survive in the next grade level. That will never happen if all I do is clean up after you and the chaos you force your kid to swallow and deal with.