Today. Was. Awful. 

Before I dive in, let me just say that my attempt at 80s wear - Lacoste polo with a popped collar, high side pony, fanny pack, and an assortment of gaudy plastic jewelry - somehow became  an unintentional Deb-from-Napolean-Dynamite costume.  I commented that I felt like that while I was getting ready this morning, and my students remarked the same thing all day long.  (Note: the fanny pack was not only super hot, but also awesomely convenient.  I'm thinking about rocking it on non-80s days as well.  Don't knock it til you've tried it.)  I have to give major props, though, to la beast who outdid me BIG TIME with her put-together-in-under-six-minutes Michael Jackson apparel.  Glittery jacket?  Check.  One white glove?  Check.  White tee?  Check.  Skinny black jeans?  Check check.  She looked phenomenal.  Do yourself a favor and request photos of the ensemble if you get a chance.  

Now on to the day.  It was just one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong.  I don't feel like reliving the details right now, but I felt completely inadequate to do my job, felt like I was letting people down all day, and my students were obscenely disrespectful to me, to my face.  I could do nothing about it.  I must confess that it's been a source of pride for me that no student has ever broken me to the point of tears.  Not anymore.  At the very end of the day I had a conversation with a student and had to practically run away to avoid him seeing my tears.  Uagaodshgfashdgashdflaksdf.  (That's how I spell my noise of frustration.)  On my way out, though, I checked my box at school to find the following: 

The 8th grade Spanish classes have been writing notes to their teachers, but I had yet to receive any.  Until today.  Two of my precious girls from last year wrote me notes to tell me that I was the best math teacher in the world and how much they miss our class from last year.  Of course, this made me cry even more, but it was a small bright spot in my day.  

Everything in my stubborn personality wants to buckle down and make statements about what I will and will not put up with tomorrow.  In actuality, though, I need to lean on God's strength right now instead of my own.  My dad just sent me the following verse, which came in perfect timing.  

Proverbs 4:25-27 "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet

and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

I'm doing my best to look straight ahead right now.  When all else fails, I keep in mind that there are only  

36 days til summer...