11. You have to forgive them; you have to forgive yourself.

You have to forgive them.

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.
School Environment

I was chatting with my principal last week. It was the week of Valentine's Day. My principal and I were talking about the mathematics of love. We agree that the foundation of love, hands down, is forgiveness. This week, I gathered a few of my challenging students, from each class, into the hall to have a chat. Very honestly, I shared that I want our class environment to be better; that I was thinking about how I sometimes get frustrated because I have very high expectations and sometimes take that frustration out on them. I told them I was sorry and want to find a way to work better. I then asked if they could work better in class.  One of my students said, 'You shouldn't apologize to us; we should apologize to you." The conversation was short and to the point, laced with genuine concern about them and our class. (We only have about 13 weeks of school left.)

I will say that the past two days have been very peaceful. I will keep you posted.

Advice

One thing I realize is that we all make mistakes. If you have a challenging class, consider your own concerns as to what it is that is challenging you.
Talk to your students about your expectations and hopes for them. Let them know what bothers you most (My pet peave is unkindness.).
Keep the lines of communication open. Your students need someone who cares about them and forgives them.
Finally, sometimes you have to forgive yourself. You will make mistakes. Learn from them.