Reflections of the Last Day

On the last day of middle school, I discovered how tech savvy, how creative, how considerate and caring of each other, and how much fun my eighth graders are.  Can you say Rebel?

With the clouds of TAKS testing, STAAR next year, masking true teaching and learning, education has become as monotonous as a bubble sheet. So I didn't realize...

The only bubbles I worried about today were from the sodas my eighth graders had in the computer lab.  How did I end up here with this group?  On the last day of middle school, our 8^th graders go on a field trip to one of the amusement parks.  Some of the teachers go with them, and that leaves some of the teachers on campus. I stay on campus in my air-conditioned room.

I tried to pick a group that I know, starting with two from my first period class who were not going on the field trip.  I didn’t ask why.  I was supposed to get 25, but I only got 11, 3 girls and 8 boys. 

They like to dance.  They like to Rebel.  They like to pretend they are fighting and film it for facebook.  It looks so real!  This is the part where I cringed.  If I stop it, I am a bad teacher.  If I allow it and someone gets hurt, I am a bad teacher.  If my admin walks by, I am a bad teacher.  What do I do?  I don’t want an incident on the last day of school.  I had to do something, but what?

I set a time limit for the wrestling.  What sport are 6 of these guys going to be in high school?  Wrestling!   They went back to dancing!  Thank you God!

The group hugs and the unashamed tears on their young faces were a reflection of the realization that this was the end of their 8^th grade year.  These eight graders had me speechless.  These young people with their bright, youthful enthusiasm for life broke through my cloudy circumstances and showed me what a blessing it still is to be a teacher.

Year of the Pencil!

This was a good year, but there were some ups and some downs.  Like a pencil, you had to be sharp one end and flexible on the other.  Which end of the pencil did I use the most this school year?

First, pencils up!  I taught Read 180 and I taught Drama/Study Skills.  Only those two subjects, not 4 different subjects with no prep period.  The PLCs were informative, intense and infrequent.  We knew what our mission was.  The new A B schedule was new and exciting.  At first.

Ok, pencils down!.  The A B schedule was confusing and challenging.  At first.  Some students were not right academically and behaviorally.  At first.  The changes in the way discipline is handled was not user friendly.  At first.  The painting of the building was an interruption for everyone.  At first.

As I chew on this pencil, I have to wonder which end of the pencil helped me out the most.  Being sharp helped me with my students and my colleagues. I learned to watch for emotional meltdowns and blowups. People were upset when Romo got hurt. Being flexible helped me get through benchmarks, standardized testing, and state and federal budgetary concerns.  I still have a job!  Thank the Lord!

So which end of the pencil did I use the most?  Well, thinking back, I had to be more flexible this past school year, so I wore my pencil eraser out early.   But I was sharp, I bought extra pencils.