Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE MY JOB and my boys?!? Yes, I was a little miffed at a few of them last week when they misbehaved for the sub, and I am still frustrated that some of my little friends continue to "forget" to complete and/or turn in their homework.
But I can honestly say I love my job!! I get to be a kid again every day with a great group of boys who are evolving into great young men before my eyes. I look at them and I see the future...and yes, I realize than many of them will continue to struggle academically. They also have many obstacles in their personal lives to overcome. But, I am so lucky to have these boys in my life. They keep me young. And they are so full of life, and excitement and energy.
Let me share a little bit about what I got to experience today. First, let me start out by saying that Mondays are always a little crazy. Throw the fact that our related arts time got changed today into the mix and we were waaaay off schedule today. But my little friends took it in stride...in fact I think they were a little too happy that they got rid of me for 45 minutes right off the bat today when I took them to Art. When I came to pick them up, they were so excited to show me the pencil drawings they had worked on. And I will admit, I had a hard time identifying what some of the things they had drawn were ("Oh, that's a cat wearing sneakers. Yes, I see that!"). But they were so proud of their work and I was proud of them!!
Next we headed back up stairs to have a quick morning meeting before it was time to switch classes (they go to another teacher for Math & Science, and that teacher's class comes to me for ELA and Social Studies). We started out our morning meeting in typical fashion..greeting each other with handshakes and "Good Morning Mr.___________." Then, since it was Monday, it was sharing time....where we all got to share about what we had done over the weekend. I love this time because it gives me a glimpse into their lives when they are not with me. So I shared about the stray dog that had wandered into our neighborhood and how my son wanted to keep it, but that our dog Ella was so jealous, she would not have liked a intruder staying with us. They love to hear my stories (or at least they humor me and say they do!), and many of them know Noah from when he was at our school last year so they like hearing stories about him too.
So we're going around the circle...its funny when one student shares, and several of the other students that follow have stories that are remarkably similar. I chalk that up to the stage they are in..it is not so much jealousy that makes them share a story they hijacked from their classmate..I think it is really just them wanting to have connections to one another. So we humor them...even when the story changes from one child falling off their bike after going over a bike ramp, to the next student who jumped a small canyon over a creek and fell and had to get stitches (which have miraculously healed and dissolved overnight, leaving no trace or scar!!!)
So anyway, back to my story...so today The Sweenster (pretty much the closest thing to the perfect student..if one exists!!) decides to share about his weekend. He was beaming! I thought maybe he had gone to Great Wolf Lodge or the beach for the weekend, or got a new bike or skateboard. NOPE! Guess what he did..he came to school on Saturday..to our PASS Writing class. And he was SO EXCITED about it!! He talked about the fun things they wrote about and how next Saturday they were going to write an entire paper. I could have kissed his little face right there in front of all my little friends. I make a big deal and said "Wow, you are so lucky that you got to do that! Isn't he friends?" Yes, there were a few confused looks and my little friend A-Mac, even had a "What you talking bout Willis" look on his face (I'll have to blog about A-Mac sometime..he's a Naughty Boy but he's coming around to my way of seeing things!!). But for the most part, my little friends looked a little jealous that The Sweenster got to come to school on Saturday to WRITE!! And it was FUN!!!
Later at recess I heard a few of them ask him how he got to come to school on Saturday for PASS Writing. He replied.. "Well you have to be a sort of good, well, okay writer, and you have to be willing to try hard so you can be a better writer for the PASS. Oh, and you have to give up playing video games and watching cartoons for 3 Saturday mornings. But its just 3 Saturdays and you'll have like a bazillion more before you die."
AGAIN..I could have kissed his little face right there in front of all my little friends.
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