No More Teacher, No More Books

Ok, so I won't be hearing that chant until at least May. :) I am sitting in my classroom, contemplating my new "kids". The hardest part about this is that...I really like it. For some reason, I thought that I would be kicking and screaming to get back to graduate school, but I am enjoying my time as a working woman. My students are funny and energetic. Already I know that some of them have sad, hard lives. And some have happy, careful lives with loving parents, warm beds, and family dinners. Some have had to sell all they own to help a mother in need. Some want to be marine biologists or NFL players or eye surgeons or musicians. Their candid nature makes me smile, even when I've asked the same kid five times to raise his hand before blurting out an answer. I've discovered that middle schoolers are surprisingly insightful. Despite the chains and black t-shirts that some of my students sport, they are still under 5' 3" and they become so concerned when they think they will be late. Even the punkiest of students becomes affable when you kneel by their desk to help.