3/1/16 Tough Day at School

      I've heard lots of teachers talk about how hard their first year teaching was. Some talk about crying regularly. I've had some tough days before now but none have been as trying as today. I gave a test that, in hindsight, was too hard. At first I felt the fault was with my students for not doing the homework. When I  talked with my students I felt initially that I had been fair and did not want to bend on how I graded the exam. Gradually the class got more and more angry until teaching became impossible. Gratefully that only happened in one class but it seriously shook my day. I went to the principal. He helped me see that my exam and my expectations of the students were too high. In hindsight I began to see several places I went wrong. I hope I can learn from them because I'd just as soon skip another day like today.