Frustration levels on the rise.

Results of my preliminary research are indicating that 7^th grade boys and a completely different species from me. My 8^th graders I can, for the most part, understand and empathize with. But some of those 7^th grade boys have even larger holes in the chemical structure of their brains than my 8^th grade ones do, and I’ve been laughing at my 8^th graders for years. Some of the 7^th grade boys seem to have this idea that if I’m not actively telling them to be quiet, they don’t need to be quiet. If I haven’t told them not to hit each other or steal each other’s stuff in the last five minutes, it must be ok. I’ll tell them to stop talking, they’ll say, “Oh, sorry Miss Eddington!” Ten seconds later they’re talking again. I can’t just shoot them dirty looks to get them to stop being obnoxious (kicking each other, tapping their desks, headbanging, etc.) because they haven’t the slightest clue that what they’re doing might possibly be annoying! It hasn’t entered into their prepubescent head that they aren’t the only one in the classroom and that the Amazing Miss E might have limited patience with their antics.

They make my 8^th graders look, by contrast, so mature and dependable, so independent and reserved. Heaven bless my 8^th graders.