Projects, Introductions, and the End of a Week

Today was an insanely rushed day.
I woke up very early so that I could bake with my husband, and then of course, I was left all alone to clean up after him.
I spent most of the morning running around,m getting stuff together for my vacation, and dumping them onto my couch.
Too soon I had to leave to school, where I was taking over both classes at the same time because my co had taken her mid-winter vacation a day early.
I came to school, and my kids were a wreck. They were busy trying to get their projects done even though they were supposed to be done already.
C.S.A. was having a panic attack because H.W. who was part of her group wasn't there yet, and she had things they needed to finish the project.
Other girls from other projects kept coming over to me to ask if they could have more time in class today to finish.
The principal then came over to me to tell me that almost every seventh grade mother had called the school to complain about this project because it was so pressuring on the students.
And whose fault is that, may I ask?
I felt like kicking her.
Having the classes together wasn't half bad. I actually enjoyed it. We did history, literature and even current events.
I did give the girls some extra time to finish their projects, and by the end of the day I had all of them.
During history, G.S. asked a good question about how the British troops were so organized in fighting. I compared it to the Nazi's in WWII and the lesson went great. I used a technique I had rest about in a book called The Wave, and I made all the girls sit up straight, with their hands on their desks.
It worked wonders. The girls were so much more alert and attentive. I was impressed! Now I really could understand why Hitler's strategy worked so well. I almost got carried away with that power myself!
And that was only for 5 minutes!
The girls really caught on to what I was trying to tell them.
I then read an interview I had with a German friend of mine. I was planning to keep it for the 12th grade, but because of the direction my lesson took, I read it to them.
basically the point I brought out them was that discipline is a key element in achieving a goal. The interview I read had a small part there about the Germans still being very disciplined until today.
There was a part where my friend had said that he believed another holocaust could happen any day, because his country had not changed.
The class was shocked and upset. I felt that maybe it was too much for a young class to really grasp, but they did well for their age. M.R., the cutest kid in the class, didn't look so shocked as much as she looked hurt. Her eyes were tearing for the rest of the lesson.
The one problem I had all day was the talking. Between R.H, L.K, L.O, T.K, and C.K. I can't get a word in edgewise.
They're all in class 7b, and their class suffers because they won't keep quiet. I really have to talk to them.
I also had a group coming down to me to discuss T.K. is 7a. It seems that she was being extremely bossy and she had controlled the entire group. The girls were all crying, and I told them I would try to do something about it.
Now I just have to figure out what.
I got to twelfth grade, and read them that same interview I had about the holocaust. They went nuts over it, and it sparked a huge debate. That's exactly what I wanted, (as this is a speech class) and it took up a nice amount of time.
I also gave every girl a slip of paper with a classmate's name on it, and they each had to come up and introduce the "next speaker." It worked out well.
My day was over. I got a 12th grader S.C.W. to help me carry home my 7th grade projects, and then I packed.
Florida here I come!!!