Seriously?

"It all started when I said I would be Katie*'s partner. But I didn't realize that Hannah wanted to be Katie's partner. It was Hannah's turn to be Katie's partner. And then, during lunch, Hannah wouldn't talk to me and she wouldn't talk to me at recess either. Even when I asked her what was wrong. And then Katie yelled at me that it was all my fault that Hannah was angry at her. But I talked to Katie, and she understands now, and we are friends again. But Hannah won't talk to us and she said she never wants to talk to us again and I don't know what to do!"

Teacher Lesson: It doesn't matter if you pick their partners, the social studies graphic organizer will still be filled with more tears then facts.

*Names changed to protect the woefully misunderstood.

Screaming - a necessary evil or a lack of control?

By the end of the day yesterday I was yelling at my students. This is not something I'm proud of or do often (hopefully). I blame it on lack of sleep (I woke up at 4:45), exhaustion from days of standardized testing, and the beginnings of a cold. However, knowing the cause doesn't really excuse the behavior.

I'm left wondering if yelling at the students periodically is as bad a thing as I think it is. I consider myself a positive, progressive teacher and I attempt to handle all classroom management issues through positive reinforcement and personal reflection rather than punishment. Some days that's just too tough for me.

What does this say to my students? Do they recognize that I have bad days just like anyone? Do they think their behavior in those instances truly warrants my rants (does it)? Do they lose respect for me? Does my yelling cause us to slip backwards in our sense of community or does it band them all together in opposition to me?