Choosing between Groups of Students

As department head I was invited by the principal to attend junior commencement. The event took place on Wednesday afternoon in the gym. I arranged to have my classes covered through our "on call" system where teachers who cannot be in class get a colleague to cover their class in the cafeteria area designated as the study hall. This is arranged through the office and is common practice.
Five of my students were being honoured with awards that afternoon. The rest of my group was in study hall doing seat work under the supervision of the designated on call teacher. As I sat on stage, after having presented the award for my subject area, I began to feel strangely uncomfortable. Though I was pleased to be present to honour the five top acheivers of my class, what about the rest of my students who are not as successful and who are not receiving the benefit of meaningful teaching as they sit in the study hall?
I felt compelled to discreetly exit the stage (as other colleagues had done) so I could spend the time with the students who most needed assistance with their learning, but finally decided it would not be fair not to be fully present and engaged in the ceremony (the principal was on the stage a few chairs away from my seat).
Did I make the right decision?

Engaging versus Managing

Last week one of my classes was difficult to manage. I was dealing with resistance due to distaste for the subject area, loss of attention, group dynamics, lack of understanding and inadequate equipment ( some with no pencil or paper). Although I pushed through, my blood pressure rose and I had passing moments of feeling helpless before this morass of learning obstacles. What to do? The next day, I decided to begin with an upbeat, positive attitude, and an attempt to connect with their experience outside the classroom. The tone changed from resistance to cooperation. Could it be that my demeanour the day before was giving off a distancing kind of aura?
It also occurs to me that I need to address the results of the Multiple Intelligence survey I did with them a month ago. The vast majority are primarily wired for bodily kinesthetic learning. They have got to move and feel engaged with movement, rhythm and reconfiguarations of desks...that sort of thing. This week, I intend to keep the students moving...Your comments?