Keeping our students on task, motivated and compliant with the many rules we have at our campus has become a chore for most of us on our campus.  Next week we will have TAKS testing with barely enough room for all of the different tests we have to administer.  Many of our latest group of students have tried to test the waters and have not reacted well to the consequences of acting out.  Our suspension and expulsion  rate is at an all time high on our campus.  As I have previously stated in the last post when our student ratio gets to high (and you have a facility problem) with barely enough room to house all of these students you have a recipe for disaster.  We have had several students this year who had violent outbursts and our SRO’s (police officer’s) have been making more and more visits.  I remember in college a professor saying the words “just survive” find a way to get through the year.  Unfortunately it seems we are at that point.  I spent the day yesterday going over expectations and using my best motivational speech to hopefully keep students inspired.  Funny thing about the talk is I needed to be reminded of it as much as our students.  It is so easy to become frustrated, and negative when you are put in an uncomfortable situation.  Our students can pick up on this and it is up to us to be mature professions and teachers we are supposed to be.  This is the time I told myself that I have to be at my best.  (I’m earning my extra stipend!)  Hopefully all will go well with our upcoming TAKS tests and the students will have a successful end to the school year.  My goal is to do just that!