2 days off and a mountain of grading

I took of Thursday and Friday for a friend's wedding, the first time in a few years that I have taken time off for something fun. This was the first time this year that my class had a Guest teacher. After a few days of talks about proper behavior and my expectations, I was interested to see what I came back to. Well, I came back to a lot of grading, since I did not get any done over the weekend. However, my fantastic fourth graders were well behaved for the most part. We are having some drama between the boys, which usually occurs with girls and resulted in some loss of recess and talking through an action plan.

After grading their work, I learned that what appeared to be complete work turned out to be half-done work and definitely not my students best work! I was not a happy camper and Mrs. Viola Swamp took over today! Let me take a minute to explain the kind of teacher I am. I like to make learning fun and enjoyable for all of those involved. Usually this includes playing music, letting the kids sit around the room, and of course letting them converse when they work. We know that teachers are the worst culprits when it comes to working quietly. After noticing that the work is not getting done, I decided it was time for Mrs. Swamp to visit and they would not be happy! It started out rough but it was the quietest day I have EVER had! The little gators came in and cleaned out their desks and got right to work on their bellwork without being told! Then, I explained my expectations and how this will transfer to their life as an adult. (If you don't do your job, you get fired) I demonstrated how one zero can greatly impact a grade and I hope they finally got the picture. Time will tell but my expectations are high and will remain high because I know they can do it.