I want them all to visit.

After school today, three of my boys were hanging out in my room. They stay periodically to "help" me with whatever I need and I pay them in sodas and chips. Some days they do actually help; some days I shoo them out speedily.

One of the three is particularly attached to me. His mom died when he was little and his dad's not the most supportive, so I give him pencils as needed, read his personal writing and make encouraging noises, slip him granola bars when he's hungry. He's kind of a space cadet but he's sweet.

Today they were helping me reorganize my classroom library. Another "helper" had thoughtfully put all the books back into bins....but she'd combined them into as few bins as possible. So they no longer were categorized at all, and the library was pretty well useless. Thus we were pulling the books out to resort.

Space Cadet asked why I had so many books. "You should give them to the reading teachers," he said.

"Well, I'll be a reading teacher too soon," I answered.

Though I teach Language Arts, right now I focus primarily on writing, listening, and speaking; that will change with our kickin' new schedule. That the kids don't know about yet. Which I realized when Space Cadet said, "You will?"

So I immediately covered. "Yep, next year."

"Will that be here or at Local High School?"

"Here."

"Oh." He was quiet for a moment. "Well, I'll come visit you next year."

"I hope you do."

I hope I get to keep him with the change. I hope he can wait till next year to visit and doesn't have to start in January.

(Image credit to LizMarie. Ah, would that my classroom library were so organized....)