Grown Up Babies

So Grown, yet such babies…

Today is a perfect example of how young these kids really are, even though they think they are so grown at 12. 

One of my girls came in a giant fluffy down-filled jacket, zipped up all the way to the top, almost choking her.  After being inside a little while, she attempted to unzip it, since it isn’t needed inside. 

She can’t do it.

Her zipper is stuck. 

So she had to come over to me and ask me to get her out of it… just like she’s probably done countless times with her mother. 

I thought it was so hilarious, but also really sweet.  It does make me happy to be that trusted by the children.  Like the girl last year who got stuck in a bracelet and panicky, so I had to use wire cutters to get it off of her.  She trusted me to use sharp objects near her arm.  

And my student today let me attempt to get her out of her jacket, risking a zipper pinch (she had it up so high she had to tip her head back so I could get to the zipper.)

I love forming relationships with the kids that lead to trust!

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week in our... well, I'm not sure if it's our state, or our county, but it's this week. It might even be national, but not sure.


Anyway, the point is, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. They advertise it everywhere, like in stores, where they tell you that they are having a sale on things to buy for your child's teachers.


Local restaurants are having specials on various foods (like a free taco) for teacher this week, and Barnes and Noble had a special discount.

At my old school, I got a few really nice things and a couple of wonderful cards made by the children.

Last year, at this school, I received nothing. Not even a card. While I don't think I'm entitled to something, it is really nice to receive cards from the children, because that shows I made a difference in their life.

Or at least taught them how to write.

This year, I have received the strangest things.

From one of my kids, I received a HUGE bouquet of long-stem flowers. So big, I currently have them in water... in my trash can. (Girls in my first class today washed it out, then filled it with water, and then plunked the flowers into it. I think it makes a statement. Not sure what that statement is, though).

Then, got some home-baked mini-muffins, a candle, a box of candy, and some bath things.

All very nice, plus I got a lovely card with a poem about me on it. (SO CUTE!)

But the present that broke my heart was from one of my students that doesn't have a lot, and it was obvious that she does not have a lot. Her present was painstakingly wrapped, in a bag that has been used before, and it had a candle and a ring, both obviously having been found somewhere around the house.

The sweetness of that breaks my heart. She wanted to get me a present, and since she didn't have a way to purchase a present, she found things to give instead.

That, right there, is one of the reasons I keep teaching.

Confessions of Guilty Students, Part Two

The same day as I had my little guilty student confessing to property defacement, I had another student hand me a folded up note, looking miserable, as soon as she walked in.

I looked at her, then looked at the note, dreading reading the contents myself. Usually, when students present me with notes, they are from their parent telling me why he or she cannot do what I have asked them to do.

Here are some examples of actual notes from parents that I have received.

• "I'm so sorry Ms. Language Arts Lady, but I threw away her project. Could you please give her full credit? I saw it, and it looked pretty good."
• "I told him not to do your work, because I thought it was not important, and I didn't see what he was learning by doing it."
• "I looked at the work, but since I couldn't figure out what you wanted him to do, I couldn't help him, so I just said don't do it. Please forgive him."
• "She had a softball game so she couldn't do the work."
• "I know my son is failing your class, so I need you to raise his grade. I don't think he is showing that he doesn't understand, so it's obviously something that you're doing as you grade. Please update his grade immediately and send me the new percentage."

So I just knew this note would be a doozy.

I opened it, and I saw it wasn't from her parents, but from her. I read it. In it, she confessed, in very dramatic, very apologetic words, that she lied to me, and she's so embarrassed.

I told her that I would think about it, and what I wanted to do, and get back to her. She slumped off, looking miserable, and went over to her little friends, who looked miserable with her, and patted her.

I, meanwhile, wanted to laugh.

Here's what happened:

The day before, I had thought she was chewing gum, as she was chewing something. I called her up and asked her what she was chewing, and she told me it was her tongue. I told her to stop chewing her tongue, as it looks like she was chewing gum, and if she was caught chewing her tongue again, she would receive the consequence for chewing gum.

Now, I knew she had been chewing on something, for I saw her. I figured, however, that she was a really good girl (she is) and she wouldn't lie to me, so I accepted her answer. Other students would have been questioned more deeply.

So her telling me she had been chewing gum made me think that I wasn't losing my mind; she had been chewing gum.

In her lovely note, she tells me that she did the most embarrassing thing ever, and she lied to me. She tells me she will never chew gum in school again or lie to a teacher. She mentions she is wiling to accept any punishment, and she knows that it will take time for me to trust her again.

I am thrilled by this note. It shows that her conscience (and I have a sneaking suspicion, her parents helped) punished her far more effectively than I ever could.

So, I asked her to stay back after class to talk. I felt like an executioner, as all of her friends looked like I was a horrible, mean teacher, and they all lined up to hug her, and whisper things in her ear.

(What on earth did they think I was going to do?)

Before I said anything, she was crying. I hate when they cry pitifully.

I talked about how I was disappointed to find that she had lied to me. However, I am thrilled that she has come forward with the truth like this. I told her how happy it made me that she was so truthful to confess, since she had "gotten away with it." She sniffed as I talked.

I told her she was not going to get any further consequence, since she was so honest, and she had come forward on her own. I did ask if writing the letter had been her idea or her parents (her parent's idea).

I also told her that I didn't think any less of her, since she admitted her mistake, and was willing to work to correct it, and to STOP WORRYING, since I am not mad at her.

So I sent her off to lunch, sniffling, and into the arms of her waiting, sympathetic friends.

She survived the evil teacher.

I am, apparently, very scary.

Oh, well.

Music Unites Us All

Today I did a mini-lesson with 2 of my classes (I have 3 left to do it with tomorrow) that just went so well, I felt pure joy.

It was a simple idea that I had, and it came to me while I was listening to strange, old songs on my computer that I had downloaded way back when, before Napster was illegal. (Yes, I know it was technically illegal then, too, but it was before they had to worry about music piracy, so it wasn't a big deal). I wanted to expose the children to songs they wouldn't normally hear, with the junk they listen to these days.

Yes, I know that does make me sound ancient.

Knowing 12-year-olds, I just knew that if I wasn't careful in how I presented it, it would just be a teacher-sanctioned time for kids to go crazy, and put down music styles, and insult others who might enjoy that music. Plus, it had to be an actual learning experience, or why bother? It's not like I could just say, "Okay, listen to this, and be quiet."

They might frown on that in adminstration, and I can't say as I'd blame them.

So I decided to do a musical journal, where the kids have to listen to the song, and while it's playing, they have to write the story of the song. If it has words (not all do), they can use those to help them figure out what is happening. If not, they have to think about what their mind is picturing.

We practiced first, and I played parts of "The Nutcracker Suite," since many of the movements are very distinctive and have an easily recognized mood, and easily inspire pictures to form as you listen.

Then, I played the first song. It was "Alla Luce del Sole" sung by Josh Groban. Now, if you know what type of songs Josh Groban is known for, you can probably imagine what my students were thinking as it started playing.

They are hyper-critical at this age... everything is "stupid," "retarded," "ugly," and so on. But I had prepared them, warning them about what would happen if I heard a single negative thing without it being backed up, and not even my toughest kid (not Stubborn, either, but one who is even more trouble; I'll have to tell you about him soon) had anything negative to say.

It was great! They listened carefully. They wrote earnestly. Then they all vied for the chance to share their title and what their story was. The only ones who didn't like it said they didn't like that it wasn't in English (it was in Spanish, so some of my kids knew what he was saying.) Some admitted they liked the song, but it was "Not at all to my taste."

They got so excited about it, they wanted to do the next song immediately. I told them we'd do one every couple of days, and they groaned. They actually wanted more work!

I absolutely love my job when everything goes perfectly. It's such a gift to be able to share something like a Josh Groban song with my students, and talk about it honestly and fairly.

I am very happy... and I get to do it with three more classes tomorrow... and two of them are my advanced classes, who tend to get more involved and excited about stuff like this.

I can't wait to see what they have to say about the song tomorrow. Plus, I can't wait to get to some of the songs. I have the strangest collection of songs planned. Oh, well. It should be interesting, if nothing else!

TGIF!

*Update 9/21/07* Apparently, the song I used yesterday (and will use today) is not in Spanish, but in Italian, as per a comment I received. Thanks for helping me clear it up! I did tell the kids I knew he sings in Italian and Spanish, so I don't know which this one was... but it's nice to know the truth!

Memorable Kids

I love my job, as I've mentioned, and I am really enjoying the kids this year. I have the ones I really love, but I also have the ones I just don't really care for. This is always the case, because you just aren't going to like everyone you meet. It's impossible.

But there are some kids you will remember forever, just because of the same reasons you love them or they drive you crazy.

Last year I had a student who was from a southern state, and had an adorable accent. He was very polite (always "yes, ma'am") and very helpful. He was also extremely intelligent, and just a wonder to work with.

I miss him.

This year I have several kids like him, in the intelligence arena. One of my boys this year has the highest score on our state's standardized tests that I have ever seen... plus the things he comes up with are amazing. I can't wait to see what he'll do when he's grown up.

Another student, this time a girl, is also extremely insightful, and really good at analyzing text. I love asking those deep questions in her class, because she'll sit there awhile and think, then raise her hand, and I know she'll always have something helpful to add. Several times she's added stuff that I hadn't even thought of.

It's a blessing to work with these kids.

Then there are the other ones, the ones who keep me on my toes.

Like the gentleman who thought it was okay to burp as loudly as he could, in the middle of my class, while I was teaching. Um, no. I calmly asked who was responsible, then kicked him out until I could talk with him. I told him about how girls will not be interested in a man who cannot control himself, etc. Hopefully it helps. I think that kicking him out scared him, so I'm sure he won't do that again, at least in my classroom.

Then like our own dear Stubborn, who became the very 1st student on our team*(see below to read about teams) to get detention. Thankfully not in my class, but still. It did make me happy to have another reminder it wasn't just me having some struggles with him.

Or how about another one of my kids, who simply refuses to stop talking. It almost is beyond belief, and seems like he physically cannot stop. We have been discussing him at our team meetings, and we the teachers are going to attempt an "intervention" to let him know that his behavior must improve, or there will have to be consequences.

Anyway, they do keep things interesting. And the long and the short of it is I am really enjoying this year, and will continue to do so, even with the knuckle-headed ones causing stress. After all, if everything was perfect, it'd be boring. (Of course, in just two weeks, it will be time for progress reports, so it will get a lot more interesting, with parent conferences, emails, phone calls, and more.... oh the joy!)


*Teams. I forget that not everyone knows about middle school teams, so I wanted to give you a brief overview. Essentially, teams are groupings of kids who all have the same teachers, and each team has a name (like the school where I did my Internship had teams like Appaloosas, Paso Finos, Palominos, and other horse breeds because their school mascot was Mustangs). It allows for the teachers to get to know the kids really well, and to discuss their progress with other teachers so we can figure out what works best for each of the kids. It also allows the parents the chance to easily meet with all of their child's teachers, because they just ask for the team by name. It's really nice for everyone, because it's just a nice way to ease the kids from elementary school on their way to high school.

6th Graders

Well, week 2 of school is over, and we only have... how many weeks?

Maybe I don't want to think about that.

Now that the kids are feeling more comfortable, I'm starting to get to know them, and the routine is becoming more like my established one, I am thrilled to be back in school, aside from the obvious reasons (like I can't sleep in).

I forget just how much fun 6th graders are, especially when they're new 6th graders. Most of them have not turned 12 yet, but are coming up on their birthdays. They still have that underlying sweetness that I love so much about them.

At the end of last year, my wonderfully sweet 6th graders start turning into 7th graders, which are not nearly as much fun, nor nearly as sweet. They start developing attitude, the emotional drama goes through the roof (Oh, my gosh! Did you hear that Josh just broke up with Sarah! Oh, I know! I thought they would be together forever!!), and they begin to stop doing their homework, because it's just not cool to do homework every night.

So I was looking forward to getting back to school, but every year you forget about how wonderful the kids are and how much fun I find them and how much I love them.

It does work out, though, because by the time they start changing in attitude to be more like 7th graders, I have forgotten how they behave. Oh, well.

Anyway, back to what I originally started out to say.

The kids are so much fun! They are all working hard at whatever task I've assigned them (except for one of my advanced classes, who seem to have a chronic talking issue that we'll have to work on), and the only complaints I've heard was just from yesterday's class, because it was the first time we've taken notes.

One of the things people tend not to like about 6th graders is how whiny they are. And I won't deny it... they are still very young, and consequently pretty whiny.

So not hearing:

-WHY do we have to do this AGAIN today? We did this same thing yesterday! (about our daily grammar practice)

-Why do we HAVE to do homework every night??

-Do I have to do all the questions on this paper? But there is 12 questions! Well, do I have to answer in complete sentences??

-What do you mean I have to take notes? What are notes? Well, if I try really hard and remember everything you say, can I skip writing them down?

And more of the same is a novel concept. But I began to hear little whispers of this sort of thing on Friday. Ahhh... the "honeymoon period" is over. They are starting to be comfortable, and therefore comfortable expressing their opinions.

Cute/Funny/Sweet Things I've Seen Since School Started:

• One little boy has yet (and this is 2 weeks in!) to attend the right class on his first try. We call around to all of our team teachers when he's supposed to be with us, so we can get him sent to us. So sweet! He's just so confused...
• The new fashions this year seem heavy on bright colors, and as many of them as possible, and polka dots. One of my girls was wearing everything polka-dotted, all of them black and white... I mean, her headband, earrings, necklace, shirt, undershirt, skirt, leggings, and her shoes. Oh! And her SOCKS. I was amazed.
• One of my classes has separated themselves completely into boys and girls, with no mixing. It's so cute! They're still at the stage where the opposite sex has cooties.
• The kids are really worried about lunch, because they're afraid they won't find it, won't know which line to be in, won't have enough money... it's very sweet.
• One of our kids has 11 classes. Now, there is only supposed to be 6 classes per child, but he has 11. I told him to choose where he wanted to go... then sent him to guidance so they'd fix his schedule.
• Another one of our kids is on three teams. It is very rare for a child to have more that one team, and only then for extreme circumstances... but she has 3. They said they'd change it this week coming up, so we'll see.

I know there is more crazy things that happened, but I have forgotten them... Oh, well. I'm sure I think of them later.

In the meantime, remember this: 6th graders are so much fun!

Excuse Me, Are You My Teacher? and Fire Drills

Okay, now I know 6th grade is a huge difference, especially coming from the lower grades. It's different. I get that.

But still, how hard is it to find a classroom, labelled on a map, with the teacher standing outside, saying, "Looking for Room 620? It's here!"

And then, after I introduce myself, and take attendance, then ask if there is anyone whose name I didn't call. Then, 20 minutes later, one kid suddenly raises his hand and says, "Are you Ms. A? This is science, right?" Um, no. I introduced myself 20 minutes ago. Remember? Language Arts ring a bell? I called everyone's name and asked if there was anyone I missed. Apparently, I didn't call your name, because not only are you not in my class, you are not on my team!

Not on my team!

I wonder about these kids.

Then a kid goes to Geography 1st period, when he should have been with me, then comes to me 2nd period. When I tell him, after consulting his schedule, that he should be in Geography, he said, "But I've just done that!" Um, okay... but you were supposed to be here!

I really do wonder about these kids. When they don't hear their name, why do they not mention it??

All of that happened yesterday. The 2nd day.

Today we had a fire drill. Fire drills are always tons of fun, since we get to march all the way outside, into the amazingly hot outdoors, and stand, silently, while it sounds like there is an air raid going on.

They changed the route from last year, since where we went before was so close to the building, apparently, the 8th graders could touch the building while leaning against the fence.

So if there was a fire, they would burn... and I do think that is a problem.

So this year, we have to go across the street, through a tiny gap in the fence, which allows approximately 2 kids through at a time.

Since we have around 1400 kids, this takes a freakishly long time. And the traffic has to stop, and the drivers look very, very confused. (I guess if I saw 1400 kids migrating across the road I was trying to drive on, ushered by adults who look hot and grouchy, I'd be confused, too. Many of the drivers alternated staring at the school (looking for smoke?) and staring at the kids.)

Then we just stand there, trying to keep the kids together, even though I don't really remember which kids are mine yet, and wait to be allowed back in.

Ah... the joys of public school.

Surviving the First Day... Accomplished!

Well, we did it... or I did, at least. I made it through the first day. Hooray!

And I almost want to go back to school tomorrow!

Now, it was nothing like last year, with all the classes being unbalanced, and 47 in one class (with just 30 desks, so some kids had to sit on the floor).

Nor was it bad because of the schedules being messed up completely because of SMS. SMS is a computer program the county purchased to do all the clerical-type school tasks, like attendance, discipline (keeping track of referrals, detention, etc), gradebook, and scheduling. Instead of having to use different programs for each of these things, SMS was supposed to do it all. This way, you wouldn't have to enter the information multiple times.

Of course, with the millions that was spent on the program, it should work, right? They had tested it, used it in a few pilot schools, and everyone just sang it's praises...

It didn't work. At all.

If you used the gradebook portion, you would enter your grades, but it would lose them, or even change them completely. You could never trust the gradebook, so you had to keep multiple copies.

And the guidance counselors had attempted to use the automatic scheduler that the company had praised... and the class of 47 resulted.

But I digress.

It wasn't like it was last year today.

In face, I had tiny classes. My advanced class was large, but manageable. But one of my co-taught classes is so small it's unmanageable. In Language Arts, you need to have more than just a few students to get good discussions going. Just hearing from a few kids doesn't work as well.

PLUS this tiny class is co-taught! (It's for exceptional education kids (ESE), where they essentially have learning disabilities and need extra support to be successful, so there are two teachers in the room with them... the main teacher and an ESE teacher who just helps out in each class).

The number of kids in this class, you wonder? 6.

Yes, it will grow as they balance the classes. But still. 6!?

How did that get past the people making the schedules?

Oh, well. It is much better than 47, I will admit.

Another thing about last year was we had all of the thugs that were in 6th grade, with only a few minor exceptions. The other teams had some of them, but truly, we had almost all of them.

Today I was keeping my eye out for our new thugs, or kids to replace those type kids from last year. Granted, this was just the first day, and I do realize that. As we were waiting this morning to be dismissed to our first class, I couldn't even get them to talk at all (and I know that will change quickly). I know they'll loosen up and the misbehavior will start,

And I did spot some I know will cause problems. But overall, I am happy about the apparent quality of these kids.

I do think it is rather amazing how you can spot these kids right off. You know immediately the ones you'll have to keep an eye on. And then you talk to the other teachers on your team, and they marked the same ones...

Like the kid who had gum. TODAY. And she was wearing a tiny skirt, a tube top, and a tiny jacket. What mom would really let her out the door like that?

Or the kid who provided me with a sound effect the entire time I was talking.

Or even the little girl who rolled her eyes. At me. On the first day! Just because I mispronounced her name. I'm sorry, but her parents made up her name! How would I know how to pronounce her name, especially since it's not like they even followed the sounds you normally find in the English language!

And on that topic, this year I have the most amazingly crazy names. What's wrong with names like Mary, Elizabeth, Laura, Rachel, or those lovely names? I don't have a single one of those names! Not even one.

Oh, well. I guess parents want their kids to be more and more unique. Whatever.

Today, we had lots of things we were supposed to do (as teachers, like going over the dress code rules) with each period) and I did almost all of them... I did forget to walk my kids to lunch... but in my defense, our lunch period is at 2:11, and I had no chance to use the restroom, and I really needed to, so I wasn't really thinking properly.

So... after this first day, I am mostly excited about this year... it's still a little weird, since I don't know these kids, and I miss some of my darlings from last year, and a little tiring because it is stressful, but I see great things for this year.

Lots of great things. I hope.

Meet the Teacher 2007

Well, I have survived (barely) this year's Meet the Teacher. It wasn't as bad as my first year, where I was trapped. I was able to sit down for a few minutes a few times, and rest my feet, and I remembered to bring a drink this time, so I wasn't dying of thirst.

I think, though, with my classroom a little ways down the hall from the rest of my team, some parents didn't find me. Not complaining, though!

Of course, barely 2 hours after the parents left, I received my very first email of the year.

Wow. They don't waste time, do they?

I saw lots of my kids from last year, and it was very nice to see most of them. They are all excited and thrilled to see me.

Some of them look so old I can't even believe it. What happened in the two months since I saw them? Did they eat more because they were just at home? Or is it that amazing growth spurt that happens between 12 and 13?

Some of the bizarre/funny/notable things that happened today:

-A parent introduced their child to me, but gives me the wrong name. The kid then reintroduces himself.

-Parents arguing as they were talking to me. i.e. "You don't have to be so rude to me!" "Don't be stupid!" to each other, then asking about my curriculum.

-A child walked into my room and starting going through the stuff on my desk. Like, my personal stuff. Like picking up my keys and the phone.

-All kids and parents have gum. This is going to be a year we battle gum.

-Most of the little 6th grade girls were breaking dress code... little spaghetti straps, short skirts...

-One parent told me all about her child, and how he has an IEP, and on and on, and ON, and I finally asked who her child was, and she pointed him out. Then I asked about his schedule, so she showed me, and he wasn't even on my team!

-I have two siblings (that I met today) of kids I've had before. One of them did start to cry, though, because she didn't want to be on my team (not because of me, but she loves the other team's language arts teacher...) (At least, I hope her brother wasn't telling tales...)

It was a crazy day, it really was.

Something else I found highly amusing today was listening to one of the new teachers at my school describe his day. This is his first year teaching kids (he's taught college and stuff) and he wasn't sure what to expect. He's also from England, and has an accent (of course). The little 6th grade girls were almost melting, just listening to him talk. He said one of the girls who was going to be in his class just stared at him, then left and brought 2 friends, and then they all stared at him. Then they started giggling (if you've been around a middle grades girl, you'll know exactly what I mean by giggling.) When he asked them what they wanted, they just told him he talks "funny" and they want to hear him talk.

I said, well, at least you'll be sure the girls are listening to you when you give them directions.

It's an almost unfair advantage over the rest of us.

Meet the Teacher

My first year as a teacher coincided with the first year my county celebrated something they called "The First Days of School." Part of this celebration is called "Meet Your Teacher." Essentially, it's a chance to go the week before school, meet your teachers, pick up your schedule, pay for lunches, buy fitness uniforms, etc.

While this is a great idea, it stinks.

As a teacher going into the start of school, you now have to have your classroom ready to go, or at the very least, presentable, several days sooner.

But the worst of it was, my first year teaching, the parents come in and see me (and I frankly have an ageless face, which means I could be 18 or 30, but concerned parents immediately decide I am way too young for this), and start asking the tough questions. Like, "What does my child need for the entire year for your class?"

I thought to myself, I don't even know what your child will need next week... so you're outta luck for the entire year...

Then the scariest part was I was by my desk when the first parent shoved their child at me (the really did shove their little darlings at me... the first time it was funny, but soon nothing was funny) After that first parent and kid combo came, there was no let up... for 2... whole... hours. And I was trapped by my desk... there were so many parents wanting to meet me they were lined up out the door and down the stairs to my portable. When one parent took too much of my time, the other parents started grumbling. I just knew I was going to be killed by a parent brawl.

The only thing that saved me was the principal coming on the announcements, as promised, and telling the parents that while we are glad they came, the teachers need to eat, so they will now be locking their doors.

I was so exhausted and overwhelmed I just slid to the floor after locking my door and thought to myself, I am NOT supposed to be a teacher. I can't even answer simple questions!

Thankfully enough, my father had stopped by earlier and was basically encouraging, and my best friend stopped by to see how I had fared and ask when I could leave, because she wanted to go out to lunch. She had to knock a few times, because I didn't want to get off the floor and I didn't want to talk to another parent.

She plied me with liquids (talking for two straight hours had made me desperately thirsty) and bundled me off to lunch, where she told me I'd be fine, and stop whining.

She was right, but it was still overwhelming.

My second year went better, as I had answers and I knew better than to put myself somewhere I didn't want to spend 2 hours trapped.

I sat on the corner of my desk when standing became too much, which made me much happier, and I had a water bottle within arms reach.

This year I know I will be completely fine. I like meeting my new students, and it's fun to guess the personality of each... plus, I get a preview of which parents will be "difficult" and which will be "wonderful."

After all, they will be the ones who will feature most prominently in this blog. They make school interesting, and worthwhile.

Not Always Rotten

Now, before I get everyone to believing that 6th graders are horrible, I want to share some sweet tales, so you will know they are redeemable. If given my choice (and thankfully I have been so far!) I will always choose the 6th grade, because the kids there are really at a fun stage... still sweet (sometimes) and still easy to scare, but still trying to be all grown up.

I know that some people are amazed that I enjoy working with them... they're always like, "You teach 6th grade?," in a tone of voice that would not have been out of place with them asking, "You like to dig up dead bodies on the weekends?" Almost always, they follow that sentence up with some variation of, "I don't know how you do it," or, "Bless you!"

It's really not that bad! (7th grade teachers, though, deserve medals... but more about them later).

So... sweet things my 6th graders have done this year:

-Made me a little kitty out of those beads you stick together then iron to make permanent, because she "knows I like cats"
-Told me (after not winning any awards at the end of the year teacher ceremony) things like, "you were cheated!" "It's not fair!" "They obviously didn't ask any of US who was the best!" and so on (they were honestly very upset by the fact their teachers were overlooked.)
-One of my most trying students came to tell me about a book he read because of me, and "It actually wasn't too bad"
-Brought me homemade brownies that SHE made, and NOT from a box (and they were the best I have ever had, I was so impressed.) I told her I didn't know you COULD make them without a mix.

And lots more. They really can be so sweet, thoughtful, and fun that I am so thrilled I get to work with them. However, all this sweetness and love doesn't mean that, for the most part, they remain 12-year-olds, who love nothing more than drama and being obtuse. Still, I love them.

Parents can also be the most wondrous creatures. I have heard 2nd hand comments about how I am a hard teacher, but the parents still want their kids to be in my class, how I am very fair but stubborn, and I expect a lot from my kids.

I have received amazing gifts from my parents and students just to show love and appreciation, and little things (like a huge pack of gel pens for prizes) to make my day easier. One parent, after finding out I needed bookshelves for the classroom, called all the local classified ads until finding one that would donate the shelf to me if I would get it. I hadn't even thought of begging with my teacher status...

So I just wanted to say, all craziness aside, I do really love what I do and love the kids... but part of what I love is the absolutely insane things they do, almost on a daily basis. It's a crazy job, but someone has to do it... and it might as well be me.