Memorial Day.

I'm a day late for a Memorial Day post, I know. It's a hard holiday to get your head around, I think - or at least that's what some posts seemed to say. Maybe it's just hard for the under 10 crowd. And me.

Let me be clear - I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces. To be willing to give your life for your country? That's a remarkable commitment, and one that should certainly be respected and honored. I just worry that so many of our young people who join the military do so because....well, because they don't have a lot of other options.

I have a bunch of kids who want to join the Army or the Marines because they think it's cool to be a soldier, or because they like the idea of firing guns, or because it's a family tradition, or because they want the money for their education. I'm not sure they think about what they'd actually be fighting for and if they want to potentially give their lives for something they might not actually believe in. I'm not sure we want them to think about what they might have to give their lives for; as Jose points out, we don't spend too much time on it these days.

I want my kids to question the inequities in our society, I want them to push for answers and justice, I want them to see both the wonderful things about America and all our dirty laundry and decide for themselves that this is still how they want to fight for their country, if it is. I don't want them to do it because they're pushed into it by someone else or because they need the money or because they think it'll be like a video game.

On Thursday, Sweet Child o' Mine came by to help me clean and organize my room. We were talking about his future; although he really wants to play for the NFL (of course), he said he'd been thinking about the military as an option. I asked why, and he said it seemed cool and the money for college was good; he said he didn't know much else but his friend's brother had liked it. I said that a lot of great things can come out of military careers and that I'd help him look into it further if he wanted. He said okay. A minute later, he spoke again, his voice softer. "But what if I, like....die?"

That's the rub of it. I'm glad we honor the sacrifices our soldiers have made. I just want to be sure that they're fully aware of what they're committing to when they make that commitment, and that they believe in the choice they make. They deserve that.

(Image by The US Army)

Jokes are funny!

April Fools' Day went well. I had two jokes per period - a real one and a distractor.

The distractor was a fake test (on the board: "You have 5 minutes to study for a test on everything we have learned to date this year. It will be worth 50% of your grade for the trimester.") which totally panicked blocks 1 & 2 until the kids I had enlisted to help with my REAL jokes were like, "Ha ha, April Fools?" To which I replied, yep, just a joke, gotcha! And we all chuckled and got down to business.

Then first block I had two co-conspirators. A few minutes into class, Drama King whispered to a neighbor that he was going to call Brilliant One as a prank on him and me. Brilliant One had (as planned) left his cell phone on and so it rang loudly, startling everyone. They'd both been acting obnoxious since they walked into my room (again, as planned) and I'd given them both two or three warnings. So when the phone rang, I acted like I'd had it. "That's IT," I said. "I'm done. Give it to me. It's going to the office."

"But, Miss," Brilliant One whined, "it's not my fault. I didn't do anything! And it was Drama King calling me! He should be the one in trouble, not me."

I whirled around in a masterful demonstration of rage. "Both of you, OUTSIDE. NOW."

They argued and I insisted; once outside, I kept yelling at them as I handed them previously prepared passes to the office, where they were going to wait for five minutes and then come back, and individual packets of eye drops (just saline) to use as fake tears.

We had one hiccup - right after I sent them and pretended to call, I turned around and my AP was in the doorway. "I was walking by and heard," she said. "Want to fill me in before I go deal with them?"

So we went out in the hall and I frantically whispered that this was a prank we were pulling and that they weren't actually in trouble, to which she chuckled and said she loved it. Apparently when she got to the office, she pranked them by shouting at them to get to her office right away....at which point, she then said that we were all really good actors and good job.

They came back a few minutes later, "tears" dripping. I asked if they were just back; they said no, that they'd be suspended for either three or five days, the office was just deciding. I said maybe next time they'd remember that there were consequences to actions. We went back out in the hall to congratulate ourselves and then came back in and shouted in unison, "April Fools'!"

Second block was simpler. After we got through the fake test hilarity, a kid asked me, "Ms. Teachin', was that you I saw on the news last night winning the lottery?"

I sighed exasperatedly. "Well, I wasn't going to tell you all yet...but since he brought it up, next Friday is going to be my last day."

Gasps of shock and a few "oh no!"s.

"Yeah. I won the lottery, and I'm going to travel around the world on a hot air balloon."

General cries of whats and reallys and why a hot air balloons and are you going to buy me somethings rang out.

I kept going for another minute until I couldn't keep a straight face anymore, at which point one of my girls said, "Wait.....April Fool?" And I laughed and 'fessed up.

I forgot to do my second prank third block (I was going to say they'd apparently been so bad at lunch yesterday that they weren't allowed to go to the lunchroom and were going to have eat in my room for a week, writing a daily essay about appropriate behavior in different parts of the school), but maybe I'll add it in tomorrow.....

I didn't get pranked much by kids - Brilliant One did tell me that Drama King was absent at first and my face fell, till he April Fools'ed me. And then one other thing that damn well better be a prank: Sweet Child o' Mine told me he was going to be a dad.

"Haha April Fools'," I said.

"No, really, Miss, I am."

"HA HA APRIL FOOLS'," I replied.

"Well, she's not sure yet, but she thinks she is," he amended.

"HAHAHAHAHA APRIL FOOLS'," I kept insisting.

He never admitted to the joke but his best friend did whisper to me that it was one, so I REALLY hope that's true. I did tell them, though, that if it is true, he needs to start reading to the baby right away because research shows it's the best way to get the kid started right. May as well push some of my reading philosophies when I can, right? All the boys in my room found that very interesting, so maybe they'll remember that for what better be way in the future.

Now I have to start planning for next year!

(Image credit to Mykl Roventine)

Souvenirs?

Looking for some thoughts here. Spring break is approaching rapidly (thank the good Lord....boy were they whacked out on Friday). I'll be traveling overseas to visit a friend and I want to bring something back for my kids. I'll see what I can find when I'm out and about, but any thoughts on anything particular to look for?

My ideas thus far are:

*pencils
*postcards (hand delivered, and probably blank just with cool pics)
*candy/some sort of local treat

And I think those are all fine, but not particularly unusual or exciting. Anyone have a surefire hit? Something creative and not too expensive that 8th graders will just freakin' love?

Movin' on up!

Yesterday was our last day of school. I’ll post more about some of the highlights later, but I just wanted to mention one thing. I’m simultaneously exhausted and delighted to have a break, and heartbroken that I won’t see my kids again for two and a half months. It was a fabulous, fabulous year, my kids are delightful and talented and incredible, and I will miss them terribly. But I’ll get an opportunity to teach at least some of them again in two years, as I’m moving to 8th grade. It’s not quite what I’d been asked for, but it’s pretty close.

I’ll post again this weekend with more details, but I hope all of you who are done are as emotionally mixed as I am about it, and that those of you who aren’t are still energetic and excited for the rest of your year.

Happy summer, y’all. We are the luckiest people in the world; I fully believe that and I hope you do too.

A different memorial.

Today’s Memorial Day, a day in which we remember those who have given their lives to protect our country. I am deeply grateful for their dedication and sacrifice, but today I’ve been working on a different kind of memorial. I spent pretty much the whooooooole day writing end-of-year notes to my kids. They’re not long, just three or four sentences and they take about three minutes each to write, but when you’ve got 119 kids, that adds up. Fast.

I meant to start them earlier in the week but kinda forgot, and then I meant to start Saturday morning but kinda procrastinated (I did spend three hours grading on Saturday, so it’s not like I was just, y’know, enjoying my personal free time or something crazy like that), and then I meant to do them yesterday but only got through about fifteen of them, and then this morning, there it was. So I spent the day watching movies and basketball and writing my cheerful little letters.

The point of the letters is to focus on something the kids are good at so that they end the year on a positive note and have a good memory with which to start the summer. To show that they’re seen, as individuals, as someone who matters with individual characteristics that make them different and special. Sometimes I write about content-based stuff, but mostly I focus on personal qualities: hard work, good attitude, sense of humor, loyalty, etc. Traits that can translate to most areas of life.

I started it last year because I had a teacher who wrote me and all my classmates year end notes when I was in high school, and it was incredibly meaningful to me. I think most of my kids really appreciate it; last year I found one in the hallway that a student had dropped, and when I returned it to him, he thanked me profusely and said he’d been worried that he’d lost it. Maybe some couldn’t care less, but no one likes those kids anyway. Kidding, kidding! Probably.

Over the course of the day I managed to get almost all of them done. Then my hand started cramping up, so the last ten are going to have to wait until tomorrow.

I’m kind of excited to give them out. And I hope that the men and women who gave so much would appreciate that instead of just barbequing today, I worked on improving the lives and self-esteem of many of those for whom the sacrifices were made.

Happy Mother's Day!

Periodically a student asks me if I have children. Depending on my mood, I respond with something like, “I have 125 of you,” or, “I have plenty of you people here – I don’t need ‘em at home too.” Either way, I always acknowledge that no, I do not have children of my own, but that I do think of my kids as, in some ways, my kids.

Don’t get me wrong – I know I’m not a mother to them. But I care deeply about my students and their well-being, and frankly, this minimal mothering as all I can handle right now.

I work 55 to 60 hours a week (some weeks up to 65), between my time actually at school and the additional time I spend planning and grading at home. I can’t imagine how I could possibly do my job well and take care of my own children well. I fully believe this will change as I grow more experienced and get to a point at which I want to make it work, but right now I have no urge to do both, nor could I handle both.

Mad props to all the moms (and dads, frankly) who manage both. Happiest of Mother’s Days to you all.

Cinco de Mayo

As I assume y'all know, today is Cinco de Mayo. My school’s about 60% Hispanic and many of our students are actually from Mexico, so it’s a fairly big deal to our kids. As a school, we don’t do anything for it (I’m considering working on that for next year – any suggestions?), but I wanted to at least acknowledge it.

This year, I wrote Cinco de Mayo 2009 on my board for the date, asked them if they knew what the day is all about, let kids correct those who thought it was Mexican Independence Day, elicited explanations as to the true meaning of the day, and gave everyone a piece of candy, a pencil or a PBS school buck in celebration. Lip service, yes, but better than nothing, I hope.

During 7th period, a student asked me while I was taking the candy around if I celebrated Cinco de Mayo. I reiterated what I’d done for the holiday. He said, “I don’t celebrate it because I’m not Mexican.” He’s clearly Latino, but apparently didn’t want to be assumed to be Mexican.

Now, I’m about as white as you come. Blond hair, green eyes, skin so pale I have trouble finding foundation that’s dark enough…Casper and I have been declared cousins in the past. So after he made his stand, I looked at him and said, “Neither am I. Do you NOT want a piece of candy?”

Homes looked down, took a Jolly Rancher, and muttered thanks. Happy Cinco de Mayo to you, my friend.

Also, a student invited me to a quinceanera today. Is it appropriate for me to go? It's for his cousin and he's performing in it in some way - I'm not totally clear how, but I told him to get me the information and I'd love to be there. That's cool, yeah? I ordered Once Upon a Quinceanera from the library so I can learn more before I go.