Betrayal

Today I feel defeated.
Today I feel betrayed.
Today I feel like a horrible teacher.

I got back to my classroom today after dropping my kids off at the gate to find my wallet strewn on the floor with some of my dry-erase markers. A CD walkman that I had taken away from a student in my class was taken from my tote bag.

Obviously I have my suspicions. Nothing was taken from my purse or my wallet (as far as I can tell), but I still feel horrible. I'm so upset that I don't trust my students anymore. And I feel like, if I were the good teacher I'm supposed to be, this wouldn't have happened -- the students would have respected me.

They're 10-11 years old -- they should know better, right? Or should I have made it clear at the beginning that my desk and my purse are off-limits?

How am I going to handle this tomorrow?