The Blended Family and the Kiss of Death

Although I am still looking down the barrel of assignments, finals, papers and lesson plans I did complete my observation hours yesterday - all 60 of them! I collected all my paperwork too. It was a nice little birthday present.
I have been a paraprofessional since the beginning of this semester. I have learned so much in seven weeks time. I have learned that teaching is like one big blended family. We all have responsibility to educate, train and mentor each other's students. Some of us have more "custody" than others. Some of us are authoritarian, while others are authoritative.
Chapter 9 - Controversial
Chapter 9 is chock full of assessments, test, and all sorts of definitions you should know or do know when teaching. That last two weeks have been assessment upon assessment in our blended family. STAR math, STAR reading, EOC's and so forth. I will be rereading this chapter again. In the class I am in, there is three classes happening at the same time. I even said to one teacher, that we are one big blended family. She chuckled and agreed with me.
Chapter 10 - The Kiss of Death
Today, one of my students, who chapter 10 would label "at-risk" asked me to listen to music. The other -teacher asked - "What did Mrs. E-- tell you?" to which he replied, "she said I couldn't listen to music." It was in that moment that the term of endearment took on a broader meaning. My student, her student, our student...did what many a kiddo does, - ask mom, ask dad...keep asking until you get a favorable answer.
I told him that doesn't work in my home or my classroom. He got back to work and got back to work. This brings me to the "kiss of death". One pages 403-405 of our text it talks about adolescents. The text says, I don't have to love my students, I just need to like them. I see this in reverse. I have to love them, because sometimes I will not like their behaviors. It gives three clear factors for what is needed in the classroom.
1. clear expectations 2. consistency 3. short term memory loss
I think short-term memory loss was my favorite to read about. This in my classroom is a must. It may be hour to hour or minute to minute.
The kiss of death happens when you are inconsistent. [top of page 404] Isn't this one of the number one heart aches in parenting, whether you are a blended family or not? What your two year does today, may make you laugh but the same behavior at 8 may not be as funny. Be fair, be consistent and be constant.
I believe that adolescents are begging for boundaries. A lot of them don't have any. Like the student I was referring to earlier...he said in effect, I have no boundaries. I do what I want. In our classroom, structure if vital. It is also safe. This brings me full circle to expectations. They need to be clear, they need to stay the same and every one needs to know them and agree to them.
This is done through social contracts at the beginning of the year. They go back to these every week.
Figure 10.1 on page 375 will be a quick go  to guide for me in the coming days and weeks.
The four D's - Defect - Deficit - Disruption - Difference.