emotional meltdowns
Inside recess and the second inside lunch in a row (thank you TS Matthew) lead to issue. Usually those issues are just hyperactivity issues (all kids need to run around at least twice a day--even high schoolers!). Friday they led to emotional issues. It happened in last hour history. At the beginning of the hour, they had been studying around the room. I instructed them to return to their desks to get ready for the test. As they did so, Sarah asks, "Can we have the pillows for the treehouse?" (to put behind their backs at the desks) I said, "No, I want you to leave the pillows in the treehouse." It turns out one of the girls, Blakely, already had a pillow at her desk and so had to go put it up. I didn't think a thing of it, I hadn't out the test and off we went. After Sarah had turned in her test, I noticed her whimpering in her desk. I called her over to find out what was wrong--apparently she had been told she was a tattletale and mean for asking about the pillows. I told her she did the right thing and it was very courageous of her. She felt better and went back to her desk. I then noticed that Hannah was actually sobbing in her desk. I called her over and asked her what was wrong. She wouldn't tell me. So I kept asking her. Then she said she didn't want to tell me because it would hurt my feelings. I am now completely baffled, trying to remember if I'd said anything mean to her without meaning to. Finally I pry it out of her: she's jealous of Sarah and me. I should insert here that due to Sarah's emotional struggles, I have been attentive to her moods and giving her small bits of attention that she needs. Apparently, Hannah had become jealous of those small attentions (she is my drama queen from the circumcision episode) and was uncontrollably upset about it. So I told her that Sarah had a lot of problems to deal with right now, but that Hannah was just as important to me as Sarah. And that if she had any problems, she could talk to me. And if she felt like I wasn't listening, she could ask me to please listen. I gave her a hug and she went back to her desk much more composed. I however was now completely drained and wanted to cry myself. Sigh. And I though teenaged girls were bad!!! Every day is an adventure!