It's been pretty busy, as usual, but a really productive week. Between Winter Break and snow days, this week represents the first full four consecutive days of school since mid-December, and boy, it was clear the kids have gotten used to having their days off. Lucky for them, they have tomorrow off too, due to a teacher work day. It might be nice for the teachers to have the day off too, but I'm actually looking forward to going in and getting some paperwork done. My plan is to be productive. We'll see if that happens, but it really is my intention! It'll be nice to have a day surrounded by adults, too!
Today was a really interesting day at school. It was one of those days where it seemed like I had all of my students in my classroom a times they weren't supposed to be there, because they needed help with something, or they were having trouble in their classroom with one thing or another. I like being able to offer a, "safe place," to my students, but it certainly makes my day more challenging. Especially because so many of my students have problems with behavior, and come bounding into my classroom during the middle of a lesson, and don't pay any attention to the fact that there are 5 other kids in the room who are working on something. It's okay, though, days like today don't come along very often, so I can deal with them when they do. I felt like I made a connection with a particularly challenging student, too, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. This student is one of those kids who always seems to get into trouble when he's with his peers. He can be deliberately rude and disrespectful at times, but at other times, he can be very sensitive. Today, he was having an issue in class, and instead of throwing a fit and getting himself into trouble, he chose to come down and talk. So, we talked. It was probably a 30 minute conversation, during which he spilled his guts about how he felt like he got singled out in class, and how he always gets in trouble for doing things that other students were doing, too. I listened to him, asked him a lot of questions, and gave him some suggestions on how he could handle himself differently, so he wouldn't get into trouble. I think this is where my experience in the general education classroom was really helpful. When I taught fifth grade, I VIVIDLY remember several students who were consistently getting into trouble. They distracted their classmates, disrupted lessons, had disrespectful moments...I remember how frustrating that was, when I had a classroom full of students. I told my students about that experience, and asked him to think from his teacher's perspective. I told him that sometimes kids become, "target students," who end up taking the blame for things they didn't do, because they have a pattern of bad behavior. Then I asked him what simple changes he could make in the classroom, so he could build some of her trust, and gain independence. He had some really good ideas, and impressed me with his maturity. He didn't get defensive or mad when I talked to him about his role in the situation. He simply expressed how he felt, and listened openly to my feedback. I was most impressed when, responding to my question about talking with his teacher directly, he said, "The thing is, the things I say now can affect my future. I have trouble because I'm not sure what to say or how to say it without saying something I shouldn't." Wow. How insightful, at such a young age! When he came back to see me at the end of the day, he announced that he was having a great day. "Did you talk to your teacher?" I asked, proudly. "Not yet," he replied, "I'm having a great day because of talking to you!" How cool is that? It reinforced the fact that so many students just need someone to listen, and need to feel like they're being heard. I didn't just tell him what he wanted to hear, but I listened to his side of the story, and told him I understood why he was upset. It was that simple. It was probably the most mature, open discussion I've ever had with a 12-year-old, and it came as a complete surprise. But definitely a pleasant surprise!
Even though it was a crazy day, and I was glad for it to be over, my students did get a lot accomplished! Now they're off for a four day weekend, while my colleagues and I will be working as usual. I went to pick up Charley after school, and she was excited to see me. There's really nothing like walking into your child's daycare and watching her run as fast as she can to give you a hug. I love those moments every day. On our drive home, I was stuck behind a truck that had some really smelly exhaust. "Mommy, that truck smells bad! It's making my nose on fire!" she said. I asked myself...Is she seriously 2? I mean, I know she will be 3 soon (WAY too soon, in my opinion), but sometimes her vocabulary and the things she says are shocking to me. She's going to talk circles around me by the time she turns 10!
On another note, I've decided to take up a new hobby or two. Now, realistically, I don't have time for hobbies that take a lot of energy to learn. I'm all about fitness as a hobby, but that's kind of a daily thing I should be doing. I'm thinking about things that I can do once or twice a month for fun, and to meet new people. Any suggestions? I have a couple in mind, but I'll have to try them out before I can really consider them to be hobbies.
Alright, time to feed my kiddo! Have a great weekend!
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