6th Graders are Pretty Cool!

Well, I am really enjoying my mornings teaching 6th grade.  I have two periods of science and two periods of history -- all with the 6th grade students.  They are quite chatty and noisy, which I am really trying to get under control, but I really do enjoy them.  I really have such love in my heart for them, particularly the ones I know well from having taught them in previous years. I feel like I can really make a difference in many of their lives and like I can really talk to them honestly about things.  So my mornings are essentially good. 
After lunch is when things fall apart for me.  I have ELD (Although I am not supposed to call it ELD because of some compliance issue, so I am now calling it Oral Language), Speech and Debate, and Study Hall.  These three are all classes with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders combined.  I know quite a few of the 7th and 8th grade students because I had them in previous years as well, but I am not loving them as much as the 6th graders.  The 7th and 8th graders are so rude and defiant and obnoxious and I just dread the afternoons so much!  I am trying to do all of the things that Mrs. Theis suggests for these three groups, but it just seems like the kids absolutely could not care less about school or anything I try to do, no matter how fun I think it might be. 

So Far, So Good......Mostly.......

Well, I have taught 6th grade for three days now.  School started on Wednesday, which was minimum day schedule.  Thursday was regular day schedule.  Friday was early release/staff day schedule.  I made a lot of mistakes, schedule-wise.  So far, I am really enjoying my 6th graders.  They are VERY LOUD, which is not an easy thing for me, but they are bright and fun and creative.  All good things.  However, I found out that my ELD class is composed, not just of 6th grade students, but of 7th and 8th grade students as well.  I am NOT having fun with them!  HUGE attitude problems, laziness, disrespect, etc.  In addition, instead of two periods of ELD, I have just one period of ELD and one period of Speech and Debate.  This is for the English-Proficient students who are no longer in the ELD classes.  Speech and Debate is also composed of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students AND it is not something I know anything about.  So, in addition to learning a whole new curriculum for 6th grade, I am also expected to learn how to teach speech and debate to kids who couldn't care less.  I looked through the California State Common Core standards and found NO standards at all for speech and debate.  There ARE, however, standards for Visual and Performing Arts -- something I would be MUCH better at teaching.  I asked Mrs. Theis (the Principal/Superintendent) if I could please teach visual and performing arts instead of speech and debate.  She said no.  Our last period of the day is study hall.  It is also comprised of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students -- about 175 of them.  Half of that number is going to be in the cafeteria, getting help with homework.  There will be two teachers and one aide in there to help them.  Then, there will be 20-25 students in the library to read or do research, 30 students in the computer lab, and the rest will be in what is being called the "Project Room."  This is a room where kids can work on projects.  It will be stocked with scissors, glue, paint, crayons, paper, etc.  There will be one teacher and one aide in the project room.  The teacher in the project room is also responsible for checking in the library and the computer lab every so often to make sure that all is well in those rooms.   I was given a schedule yesterday that outlined my responsibilities for the study hall period.  There are 6 teachers who will be in charge of monitoring and helping during study hall.  We will do one job for a quarter of the year at a time, then switch every quarter.  Most of the teachers have two quarters where they are assigned to work in the cafeteria and two quarters where they will be working in the project room.  I, however, have been assigned three quarters in the cafeteria and only one quarter in the project room.  This does not seem at all fair to me, so I asked about it.  I was told, "Oh, that's just how the rotation turned out."  Uh, huh......
So, all in all, the 6th grade is going well but the extra stuff that I was not told about is not.  Mrs. Theis has really played me on this one.  She talked up the 6th grade because no other teacher wanted that grade and she needed a plug to put in that hole.  I was the plug.  She did NOT tell me about all of this other stuff.  I am sure she knew that I would never agree to it.  But now I have no choice.  I am feeling very used and very angry about the whole thing.  I am already VERY nervous about being able to keep up with the regular 6th grade curriculum.  To add on all of this other stuff is really unfair, in my opinion.