Advice for a Bad Day at School

The second week of school, I had a terrible block substituting for several year 6/7 classes. When discussing these two days with other teachers, I’ve had the same general responses:

“It’s the beginning of the year, kids are always rowdy.”

“I’m sure you did the best you could, at the time.”

“The teachers really should have inducted you properly and given you some warning about those kids.”

“They just sound like a bad group of kids.”

“It’s not your fault. It happens to the best of teachers.”

I have NEVER had to deal with the level of disrespect and intolerable behaviour these kids dished out at me, instantly. I’m a Middle School teacher, and thus I’ve got some pretty strict approaches to ensure that kids are respectful and approachable all day. I generally develop great relationships with the kids I work with, and have a few teachers already calling me back as a regular, with only a term’s experience of relieving behind me.

I had never worked at this school before that day, and I’ve asked the relieving agency to never send me back to the upper primary students of that school.

As a teacher who’s been out of uni less than a year, it was SO disheartening. I’ve applied for tonnes of jobs, and haven’t even recieved an interview. So, you can imagine that maybe all of this would have gotten on top of me, just a tad.

What do I do to handle this?

A series of steps…

1. Let out how you feel after your bad day, away from students, in the most appropriate way. For me, a bubble bath and a good cry to my boyfriend seemed like a good idea, to start. It’s important that you find safe, enjoyable, non-violent ways to let out your emotions, or you’ll explode. Whether it’s engaging in fitness, having a good cry, talking it through with a colleague, or simply writing down how you feel, you’re giving yourself an outlet. We’re only human, and sometimes you have to remind yourself of that … that you’re only a mere mortal, not a stone-cold God who can take anything the kids dish out at you.

2. Take your mind off of the issue, entirely. Spend at least 3 hours taking the time to calm yourself down and remove yourself from your frame of mind, entirely. Watch your favourite TV show. Go out for dinner and a few drinks with some important people. Go to an amusement park, or to the beach, or to the movies … Or as I did, go dancing!

3. When calm, look back at what happened, and figure out how you could have handled it differently. For me, I could have asked the vice principal if there were kids who needed extra support. I could have gone higher, and asked the principal if the teacher should have told me something. I could have tried to take the time to get the kids to introduce themselves to me, and tell me what they wanted to get out of that day, for themselves. It’s good to review your approaches, and, although the blame might not be entirely on your shoulders, it’s good to find a way to understand what happened, and try to find strategies from YOUR end that could have helped you cope, at the very least.

4. Do any work that needs to be done, and make sure you get a good sleep before the next day you teach. I took my opportunity at the next school I was at (one I’d been to before, luckily), to reaffirm my ability to teach. I spent time on yard duty, and in class, talking with familiar kids, talking with familiar staff, and meeting some new kids, who I quickly developed great relationships with.

I left the school with my head held high, and a smile on my face. And entered the next new school I taught at, the exact same way.

To all my fellow Tumblr Teachers: What are some of the ways that YOU handle a bad day in the classroom?