Are We There Yet?
Most teachers have a soft spot for a particular type of student. Some teachers like the cute, quiet ones; others are drawn to the confident, ambitious ones; some prefer the consistently obedient ones. I’ve realized I have a soft spot for the kids with a sense of humor. I like the kids who know how to […]
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Today, like every day, I asked my students, “How are you today?” Although yesterday was Christmas, no one said a word about that. They gave their usual answers: “Happy,” “Hungry,” “Tired and happy,” “Very, very, very, very happy,” and “Angry.” Except one boy. One rambunctious eleven-year-old who occasionally has streaks of uncontrollable laughter that turn […]
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Tonight my nine-year-old sister said to me, “You’re awesome, you know that?” I was about to play dodgeball with her and our younger brother in the basement, which she had been wanting to do all evening. I suppose that’s what triggered the comment, but whatever the motivation, I have to say it warmed me up inside. Nothing […]
Read MoreThese both made me cry this week. Underprivileged kids are offered two gifts: One they want and one their parents want. Children of prisoners reunite with their fathers behind bars.
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Yesterday my boss came in to talk to me about one of my students. Apparently this student had gone home and told his mother that I treated him unfairly, only punishing him and no one else. While that was not true, I knew exactly which student my boss was talking about even before she mentioned […]
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I often shamelessly laugh at my students when they mix up their English words. (For example, today a boy said he was wearing a “cat” on his head instead of a “cap.” Or there was the infamous day I asked the class to identify a picture of a kitchen, and a third grader jumped out of […]
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I could not stop smiling yesterday during my crazy class, the one packed with noisy third grade boys who like to fight with each other and test the limits of my patience. I was outright grinning from ear to ear. Because those kids were behaving SO WELL!
Read More I haven’t blogged about my kids in awhile, but I feel a need to blog about them today. Mainly because I had to say goodbye to them yesterday. (And yes, I am still currently referring to them as “my kids.” Will probably continue to do so until I have new kids to refer to.) I […]
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