Things that made me happy on Friday
Great things that happened Friday:
1. Tiffany, the perpetually tardy teenager whom I have previously written up for gracelessly skipping my class (she spent the period talking loudly and in her very distinctive voice just outside my door), spent the whole of her class period and the better part of an extra hour with her head bent over a textbook, correcting the mistakes on her test.
2. George, who I suspect only comes to class because I pester him so much in the hallways (I could never actually catch him skipping, but he neglected to show up to my class for almost two weeks), proudly used the excellent notes that he had taken when he was in class to complete an open-book assignment. We were both surprised and pleased.
3. Terrance, about whom I received warnings from other teachers, gleefully composed the following free-style rap about organelles:
This my organelle,
I ain't even gon' lie,
if I didn't have these,
I prolly might die.
Despite having a head, belly, and throat full of mucous and being indecently exhausted, these things made me very, very happy to be a teacher at Cohen High School. Laughing out loud with a group of kids who no longer regards you with suspicion is a rare and delightful experience. Terrance called me his "Mama" this week, another student his "Auntie", while to others I am not just "teacher", but "my teacher"-- as in "Quit talkin' over my teacher! I'm trying to get an education!"
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it.
PS Anyone want to bring me soup?
1. Tiffany, the perpetually tardy teenager whom I have previously written up for gracelessly skipping my class (she spent the period talking loudly and in her very distinctive voice just outside my door), spent the whole of her class period and the better part of an extra hour with her head bent over a textbook, correcting the mistakes on her test.
2. George, who I suspect only comes to class because I pester him so much in the hallways (I could never actually catch him skipping, but he neglected to show up to my class for almost two weeks), proudly used the excellent notes that he had taken when he was in class to complete an open-book assignment. We were both surprised and pleased.
3. Terrance, about whom I received warnings from other teachers, gleefully composed the following free-style rap about organelles:
This my organelle,
I ain't even gon' lie,
if I didn't have these,
I prolly might die.
Despite having a head, belly, and throat full of mucous and being indecently exhausted, these things made me very, very happy to be a teacher at Cohen High School. Laughing out loud with a group of kids who no longer regards you with suspicion is a rare and delightful experience. Terrance called me his "Mama" this week, another student his "Auntie", while to others I am not just "teacher", but "my teacher"-- as in "Quit talkin' over my teacher! I'm trying to get an education!"
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it.
PS Anyone want to bring me soup?