like she doesn't mess around

Today was the first day of the school year without the student teacher, and let me tell you how nice it felt to finally be able to RECLAIM MY SPACE.  I know it's the type-A in me, but between her tendency to hoard things and my complete inability to share a desk, I wasn't sure I was going to make it.   Sure, my work load has already increased exponentially, but I can only stand to watch someone else steer my ship for so long before the urge to wrestle the wheel out of her hands gets to be too much. And so, ironically, my stress level has actually diminished now that's she's gone.  I marked the occasion by ripping down all the crap that had been up on my walls since September, then went shopping for all new crap to put up in its place.  

Because, you see, shopping soothes me.

Tangentially, I learned something about myself today.  Or, rather, I learned something about how students perceive me.   My freshmen,  who I haven't taught since the first week of September,  appeared terrified of me.   My sophomores, who I taught for the first six weeks, were massively concerned that I would be the one to grade the essays they recently submitted, since I, apparently, grade much, much harder than Miss T did.  My seniors couldn't care less because I've been teaching them all along, but my next-door-neighbor teacher shared with me a little conversation she had with one of her students that was more to the point.  

Apparently, I had just walked past her classroom, and one of her students - a freshman, I think - said, 

"Is that Mrs. W?"  

To which she said, "Yes.  Why?" 

"She scares me."

"Really?" my neighbor teacher asked, "How so?"

"I dunno.  It's something in the way she walks.  Like...like she doesn't mess around."

And it's true.  I DO NOT MESS AROUND.

Which is why when I bought this poster for my room- a cute attempt to convey the message that all will be well, despite the fact that the kinder, gentler student teacher is now gone - :

I also bought this poster, lest they get *too* comfortable:

Because a little fear is always a good thing.  (Muhahahaha!)