I hope you read this before you walk back into the classroom.

Here's the thing I learned working with teenagers. What they say is NOT your problem. If their behavior is out of hand, (and you will have to be firm, strong, diligent for the little step to be enough to nip it in the bud), you have the control.

Once you change the response to fit your well-being, the result will change. The teenager is going to be disruptive only if you allow it to affect you enough to stop doing what you're doing.

Specifically, since you got a "letter", and a notice, I suspect that you reached your point of no return with the panic attack. Stay calm, positive, focused, and committed to class structure.

When I am in a place where I need to stay calm, and I feel overwhelmed, I tap my toes inside my shoe. That simple movement helps the overwhelming anxiety leave naturally, and I'm able to move forward.

Best wishes. You are not alone.

It's always good to know you can be silent. We mums learn this: there is no time limit, you're not on a game show. if they say something horrible, you do not have to respond right now.

YOu can simply ignore them. You can say 'you'll keep' . you can tell them they're out of line, and you are going to consider what horrible thing to do with them over the weekend.

But if you lose your cool you're sunk. You're swimming in the shark tank. This job is not for the faint hearted.

Thank you mid eyebrow. I really liked your comment: once you change your response, the result will change. I am working very hard on keeping my tone of voice lower and allowing wait time.

Thank you. Bridgie. I love that you said it always good to be silent. I practiced this today. It seemed to help a little. I can only do one day at a time. Not think back and not think forward. It's scary but I am very fragile right now.

Keep on keepin' on. . :)

(Sorry all this is happening my friend :(

I admire anyone with the ability to manage a classroom . Math eh?; I've come to wish I could learn some college algebra.
/I had college courses for engineering, but 2 courses in high school were the end of the algebra.

I wrote a post 1 or 2 nights ago, but "cyberspace ate my homework" & I was too tired to re-write it.

Speaking of tiredness..I hope U r getting reasonable rest.
--- And some kind of exercize that is relaxing and even a bit pleasurable .
. . . . .

more later , --C.

P.S.: Do you teach even a little bit of programming? . :) :)

Thanks Calebb. No sorry don't teach programming. My other subject is chemistry. I teach 1 class of that this semester too.

Wish I could feel more relaxed. I thought about trying to meditate during my prep time even if it's only 15 minutes. Wish I could find a free app or something on youtube? I don't want to rely on Xanax so much but right now I'm gobbling them up.