A Very Tough Week

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
 If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

Last week was very tough. Nights when I came home physically shaking because of what I went through during the day. A near-death experience for one of my little sweethearts, and I was the only one there to step in and administer the necessary medication. An emotionally disturbed student who will do anything to get out of class, including sticking his hand down the classroom AC/heating unit and beating on my personal computer. A defiant student who thinks he knows more than I do and that he can do anything, anytime he wants, who runs around the classroom yelling that he has ADHD and needs medication. A student who probably does have undiagnosed ADHD who sits in his own little world making airplane motions with his hands and accompanying mouth noises (parent conference coming next week). A student who is sooooo far behind everyone else, frequently in tears and no strategies seem to help (special ed testing later this month for this one). A very stubborn student who says "Nu-uh" whenever I teach him anything new ("The e on the end is silent. It doesn't make a sound." "Nu-uh. You're trickin' me!" Crosses arms and looks away.)

I keep Mother Teresa's Anyway poem posted behind my desk. I had to refer to it several times this week. I have to remember that there are 20 of them and the majority of them are sweet angels, anxious to learn. And those who do give me problems usually do it "tag-team" style. For some reason last week they all converged on me at the same time. 

Hoping and praying for a better week ahead!