Had a moment
I think we've all been kind of living on the edge of sanity lately, and I know I for one sure have. But one of those little things just happened this morning, with my fifth block class ... slowly creeping into my heart even despite themselves, or starting to.
Michael Simpson. No. My fifth block class.
Okay, so they're the "regular" kids, as in not IB, not accelerated. English I. Basic.
They're the only ones who, every morning when they come in and I say good morning to each one of them individually, completely ignore me. I finally decided a few weeks ago that it's my job to teach them life skills every bit as much as alliteration or irony, and told them that I don't expect them to like me but I do expect them to acknowledge me when I greet them every morning and that if they didn't I would simply ask them to exit the room and enter again properly. That was a few weeks ago, and they're slowly getting used to it. Today a kid Michael Simpson, who sits near the front but rarely says anything, was walking into the classroom when I was turned away talking to somebody else. He totally could have slipped by, is the point. Instead he lightly grabbed my arm on his way by and said "Morning, Mrs. Smith."
If there wasn't ANY joy in my life before that, there was in that moment. I know I'm going to hate them again someday soon for acting like the precocious 14-year-old children that they are, but d**n. They're the ones who actually need me. and I kind of love them for it. Go me. And yay for the Michael Simpsons in my world. :)
Michael Simpson. No. My fifth block class.
Okay, so they're the "regular" kids, as in not IB, not accelerated. English I. Basic.
They're the only ones who, every morning when they come in and I say good morning to each one of them individually, completely ignore me. I finally decided a few weeks ago that it's my job to teach them life skills every bit as much as alliteration or irony, and told them that I don't expect them to like me but I do expect them to acknowledge me when I greet them every morning and that if they didn't I would simply ask them to exit the room and enter again properly. That was a few weeks ago, and they're slowly getting used to it. Today a kid Michael Simpson, who sits near the front but rarely says anything, was walking into the classroom when I was turned away talking to somebody else. He totally could have slipped by, is the point. Instead he lightly grabbed my arm on his way by and said "Morning, Mrs. Smith."
If there wasn't ANY joy in my life before that, there was in that moment. I know I'm going to hate them again someday soon for acting like the precocious 14-year-old children that they are, but d**n. They're the ones who actually need me. and I kind of love them for it. Go me. And yay for the Michael Simpsons in my world. :)
posted by Miss Marshwater at 3:31 PM
1 Comments:
I love that you are greeting them every day AND expecting a greeting in return. AWESOME! I would bet that this little exchange at the beginning of class will, in time, make a BIG difference in your classroom. I am proud of you.
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