Following Directions

It's just been one of those weeks. Between taking my hubby to physical therapy one day during my plan time and two other days right after school was out, and paying back the recess duty I owed a fellow teacher - it seems like the week went by -- whoosh! Oh and not only that, but the internet is out on our desktop - and that's really a hubby job, but it's downstairs, and he can't manage that yet. 

And it seems like once again, I need to be remind how much difference MY attitude makes in my classroom. Wait, wait - I'm trying hard to say, our classroom.  

I think it was Tuesday, ack - why aren't you children following directions?  And I went to an in-service that night. {Sometimes God is kinda funny this way!} Most of the time, the presenter said, children/students want to do what they are supposed, but for whatever reason, what you are asking is just something they can't do. 

And so I was thinking about my centers where I was frustrated with my kiddos. Each day of the week, my kids go to computers, a reading center and then a different center each day. {I can't think of a good way to explain this :)}Three of the five are the same structure every week, just the content changes. But just for a little variety in life, I change up the other two weekly. And I was wondering if that was the problem. Some of my off-task kiddos are those that aren't the best readers. Other of my off-task students were my smarty pants kids who probably think they know what to do {said with a wry grin}. 

So I'm still in the process of thinking this through. But I was really thinking, I want my kids to be successful, not frustrated.