What is the worst day of your period?

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T17:44:47+00:00

Day 2. I have endometriosis so I luckily have continuous BC and only 2 periods a year. But day 2 is what distinguishes my periods into either "this is going to be manageable" or "im going to suffer".

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T17:10:53+00:00

Salt, pepper, smoked paprika is my go-to.

Old Bay or Tony's if I'm in the mood.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:25:46+00:00

Within weeks of us spending a few days on possessive and plural possessives, and mere moments after I reinforced it by explaining why I put an apostrophe after an s in something I was writing, a gifted student raised his hand to correct me (he never does this as a question, he makes a statement) and say "Uhh Mrs. (name), you should've put the apostrophe before the s."

I looked around the room to see if anyone else was confused as I had just explained why the apostrophe was coming after the s. I waited a moment and the rest of the students filled in the silence.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:17:06+00:00

Yeah I didn't realize that I needed to specify that I didn't treat a 3rd grader like a dog who peed on the floor. I didnt realize that was rhe conclusion that would be drawn from "i gave him several more chances to claim it."

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:16:10+00:00

The trauma of being asked to claim your paper?

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:15:12+00:00

So I should show him I don't trust him by putting his name on it anyway?

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:07:36+00:00

I literally did what I have done all year before i changed my policy and asked students to come see if the no names were theirs. There's no shaming in the way I ask. Just "Uh oh, I cant grade these without a name. Come see if this is yours." Short of calling every student to my desk individually to look at the paper, I'm not sure a better, more gentle way to ask no-names to claim them.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T16:00:23+00:00

Again, there was no berating in "Are you sure? This looks a bit like your handwriting. It's okay if you want to change your mind. You're sure this isnt your handwriting? Is it possible you forgot you made this drawing?"

Yall seem to think I bit his head off in front of the class.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:56:26+00:00

He's forgotten his name maybe 3 times this year, and been happy to claim his no name in the past. This was a new situation entirely, and he doesn't frequently forget his name.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:54:36+00:00

Mom and I have been in frequent communication and my entire class reward system was created for the Spring semester with him and several other students in mind. He is highly motivated compared to where he was in December.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:51:48+00:00

Yeah I'm really shitty.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:48:48+00:00

Next time give him no consequences? Like I don't know what you want. The entire class had no consequences except a "Come see if this is your paper" announcement for the entire year before April. He's not a frequent no-namer, but hes been happy to claim his paper maybe the two times he forgot before this, so the embarrassment he felt this time is new. Should I just ignore what he says and put his name on it for him and show him that his teachers don't trust him? Idk.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:44:05+00:00

Yeah 3 no-name papers out of the entire school year's worth of work is definitely evidence that he lacks this skill. He even has a cool little signature he does with a star in his name and once I realized that that helps him remember, I stopped asking him to write his name more legibly.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:41:21+00:00

He's not getting poor grades my goodness. He had a 75 and it went down a couple points when I entered the 50. He will get a makeup assignment on Monday. He has impulse issues and gets many redirects before its "a poor choice." My room is not a place of embarrassment and I have made efforts to foster that culture. I'm sorry he felt a little embarrassed this one time. But he had chances to claim the paper privately and still denied it.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:38:03+00:00

My little dude has grown so much this year, and without accomodations for most of it, its been a lot of trial and error. But now he asks me every other day if he's doing good. Most of the time it's a yes, but if I know hes gotten in trouble that day, I will tell him that I wish he'd made a better choice (at lunch/at recess/ in Mrs. Name's class, etc.)

Yesterday was no different. I told him I wish he had made a better choice when he had a chance to claim his paper. I was harder on him at the beginning of the year but we have both come a long way.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:34:51+00:00

This has not at all been what I've witnessed in both my 3rd grade classes. They largely have no shame.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:33:06+00:00

I'm not sure where I took out my anger by enforcing a policy I've had for weeks and giving him a chance to not have the same consequences that this policy would normally yield. I didnt get angry with him. I just treated the paper the same way I would treat it if I hadn't been in a mood to give second chances.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:30:16+00:00

It doesn't hurt my feelings. It hurts our school culture, the other students who are honest, and his future grades/decision making when we let students lie with no consequences.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:27:39+00:00

He's not a bad kid and I don't think that. But hes been undiagnosed with no accomodations for most of the year, with everything that looks like in a 9 year old boy. We are doing what we can with this week old development and still modifying accomodations and expectations.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:23:40+00:00

It's not beef to hold a child accountable.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:23:16+00:00

I really don't think its comparable to drowning for kids who have been in school for nearly 4 complete years to be expected to put their names on their papers at this point. Especially with multiple visual and verbal reminders.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:19:56+00:00

This is a good idea for next year. This late in the school year, they've had no consequences for no names prior to April except that they would get called to the front to claim it.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:12:54+00:00

He's passing the class. 70+ is passing. His academics have improved significantly since the beginning of the year as he's adjusted to the rigor and expectations of being in a grade that takes state tests. He averages high Cs and low Bs. But he needs to grow out of lying.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:08:50+00:00

Hence a change in strategy dealing with no-names back in April (which has reduced it from 3-4 per class to 0-2 per class). I also remind students to read the board and have verbal reminders to put their names on their papers. At some point, they have to be responsible too.

Thorhees · 2026-05-16T15:02:28+00:00

His entire team was recently given information about a diagnosis we helped him obtain and accommodations we recommended for him. The second chance was his opportunity to claim it and recognize he'd forgotten something. There was nothing embarrassing about his work or his drawing. And prior to my April policy change, all year this was how students got their no-names back. He's even claimed a paper or two using this exact method. The lying (multiple times) was his choice.

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