Bllleeeaaaargh

That doesn't even begin to describe the sound, but it'll do.

For most of this term I've had a beautiful class of 12 students, all good kids who would usually stop any silly behaviour with a mere glance and never really needed any consequences. And I knew that I'd never have such a wonderful, delightful, smooth-running, peaceful, gorgeous class ever again.

Today the class was totally shattered. Two transient students who've been away for 5 weeks returned, and we also received a new student, and the harmonious class I’ve built just went to pieces.

The older transient child (girl aged 11) thinks she's got special privileges and is always trying to tell me what the class should do next, in a chatty I'm-not-really-a-student sort of way. She’s also a known thief and has to be watched constantly.

The younger transient child (boy aged 10) is the only child in the class who really is a complete brat. He'll blow raspberries when I try to speak, mutter "why don't YOU do it" loudly when I ask the class to do something, won’t do any work, refuses to complete set consequences like sitting on the bench at recess, and is just an all-round pain in the butt. And he sets off the other kids too.

The new girl seems okay, but is somewhat messed up - her then 12-year-old brother died in a car accident this time last year and she's clearly full of anger and bitterness and sadness, and I heard reports that she was being both rude to and too rough with other kids in the playground. So although I hope to fully integrate her in time, she was still a wrong note in the classroom today.

I ended up having to send the boy to the principal by the end of the day, because I was going to start screaming at him if I didn’t get him out of my space. AAAARGH.

I know I’ve been privileged, and three somewhat difficult kids is absolutely nothing to complain about. But although I knew it was coming today, I really wasn’t ready for it, and I’m just worn out in mind, body and soul. I’m seriously considering settling in with a soppy movie and having a good howl. What a day!