So, it's the end of the week, and I made it! I would like to say though, that I not only made it, I loved it. I seriously can't believe how wonderful I feel right now. Could it be possible that I taught for four days at a "terrible" school, and didn't write a single kid up (or send any out for that matter)?
Today I had my first experience with my collaborative planning time with the construction academy teachers (the teachers in my CLC), and we did this kumbia activity involving a circle, some beanie babies, and expression of feelings. After I wrote that sentence, I realized that I sounded particularly sarcastic, but I would like to explain that I simply have no other way to describe the activity that we do. And heck, I like a little fun-lovin' hippiness anyway. :) But, in any case, we went around and explained personal values, influential people in our lives, and times when we have felt respected or disrespected. During this activity, I realized that the feelings I am feeling right now are not shared by my colleagues. Most of the teachers in the circle expressed feelings of disrespect in regard to student behavior this week, and a lot of them explained that they felt their students didn't truly understand what a value was, or how to respect themselves. Now, don't get me wrong, I agree that a lot of youngsters today don't have their values set in stone, nor do they need to at the age of 15, but I seriously feel that some of these teachers are creating problems for themselves by assuming that their students don't have values, and that they need to teach values. While I look back at the days I have spent with my students so far, I firmly believe that they all have values, needs, opinions, and the ability to respect others and themselves. These four days, I have seen nothing but normal adolescent behavior accompanied by a refreshing sense of playfulness, awareness, and amazing ability to accept new things (and in particular, a new teacher!). I've heard incredibly offensive language, and I've witnessed (first-hand!) the sight of a truly remorseful and apologetic face when this language is addressed in a reasonable manner. I've seen sneaky attempts to break "bogus" classroom rules, and I've seen adorable scrambles to appear angelic when detection is sensed.
I would like to end this blog with my usual unorganized "list" of random thoughts. (I create these lists because, if I can't create logical paragraphs and format, I feel reassured by the comforting organization of numbered lists...).
1. I don't think I could love my students any more than I do.
2. I really feel like my students care about me, and that is HONESTLY something I didn't feel at Riverside.
3. These four days have been the most fun I have had in all of my life.
4. Not for one second do I think my job is going to be this "easy" all the time.
5. It's pay day!
6. My classroom is bomb-ass looking.
7. My kids like to read! (One of them self-selected the graphic version of Romeo and Juliet, and another picked (and actually read like 6 pages of) Crime and Punishment! (And, he's a 9th grader!!!!!!!!!)
8. I would like to personally thank God for creating the human being who invented Jolly Ranchers. (I have been told, "you are my favorite teacher!" by four different students, and although they claimed it wasn't because of the Jolly Ranchers, I have a small inclining that it is...)
9. I have had the privilege of bartering with students ("okay, you can listen to your mp3 player during independent reading, if you don't ask me for a hall pass any more), and making pinkie swears ("I know you're just 'goofin,' but enough with flashing the gang symbols. Pinkie swear it'll stop?" "Yes, Ms. K."). :)
10. Did I mention I love my job?
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