Rough Day, Sweet Coworkers

First semester I had a rough 2nd period class with several challenging students who made my job stressful and difficult. This semester it's been my 5th period class. It has a lot of loud, challenging students, and a trio of disrespectful, defiant girls who have made that class very difficult. I've come to dread 5th period, and I've been feeling physically ill, sick to my stomach, just thinking about dealing with that class. This class has become tense, and I just hate that there are constant issues and disruptions. Every time those girls come to class, there is some kind of behavior issue, and many times it ends with me calling or messaging student management to come get one of them. One day one of the girls told me to, "Go away." I didn't take kindly to that. It was things like that that just happened every day. This last week, it all came to a head. The girls showed up (they don't all come every day), and one of them refused to sit in her assigned seat. After I convinced her she should comply, she then put her earbuds in and refused to take them out. I called student management, and a campus monitor came down to remove the student, and she proceeded to yell and cuss and say horrible things to me in the hallway. I went back in and finished the class, but I was shaken and hit my breaking point. As one of the sweet girls in the class was leaving, she said, "I'm really sorry our class is so bad and those kids are so disrespectful." I said, "Me, too," and then I lost it. I broke down in tears. Thankfully, it was after the class had left, but I had another class coming in, my AP Lang class, and I had to get out of there. I ran out my door and saw the principal, my assistant principal, and a campus monitor standing at the end of my hallway. With my head down, I walked as quickly as possible down the hallway and went up to them, tears streaming down my face, and said, "I'm going to need a minute, so someone is going to have to cover my class." Mr. Schmidt said, "Whatever you need. I'm on it," and headed down to to my classroom. I ducked into the TMC (copy/textbook room) and hid in the back, trying to regain my composure. Charyl, one of the ladies in the TMC, came back and asked if I was ok (I wasn't) and listened as I explained briefly and told me to take as much time as I needed there--so sweet. 

When I was better, I went down to my assistant principal's office, and he said, "What do we need to do to take care of this and you?" He ended up moving one of the girls from my class to TJ's class to break up the trio and change the dynamics. It was unfortunate that it took an emotional mental breakdown before they'd do something, but I was thankful they supported me and finally did make a change. 

The next morning these were on my desk--from the TMC ladies, Charyl and Lori--so sweet! I work with some really amazing people.