I Love My Freshmen

I have a great freshman class this year. I don't know what dynamics are making it so lovely, but I'm enjoying it. It's not that it's all perfect. There's the girl who reminds me of Tracy Flick. The groups as a whole can chatter enough to raise a barn roof. But- they shine, to me.

Part I:
In one of the classes is a boy who is so....cute. I want to pinch his round freckled cheeks. I was watching 'Stand By Me' with one of my sons this last weekend, and when Vern came on the screen, I started. 'He looks just like that student I was telling you about! The freshman who makes me smile all of the time!' Except my student looks more innocent and sweeter than the Vern character. And he sits right in front of my podium. :-)

Part II:
I did something new with my room this year. I have the wall above the green chalkboard in the front of the room covered with a bright blue piece of paper (covering the top 30" strip of the entire wall). Decorating that is an assignment which I had the seniors do. I had terms of some of the most glaring instances of injustice in our world written on paper and taped to that strip. I had them trace their hands and decorate them, along with a written inclusion. Then they picked an injustice they would like to help to erase in their lifetime. The hands are bright and colorful. It's a hopeful scene.

I also had the windows open today (cool enough not to have the A/C on!). My room was light and airy.

In my seventh period freshman class, one of the girls said,' You're room is so bright! It feels so good. It makes me feel like I'm coming home on a sunny day, and my dad is mowing the lawn, and my sister is in the pool. It just feels so nice!.....Thanks for creating such a nice learning environment for us!'

?????

Never have I had a student say that. It was a good, vibrant moment. Memorable. Another reason to be thankful for this blog, so it doesn't just become another lost good memory.

Moving on....

Part III:
Later, in my eighth period class, one of the freshmen accompanied a statement with 'Aaargh!.' (Yours is not to ask why....) I mentioned, 'You know, 'National Talk Like a Pirate Day' must be coming up.' Their faces were a sight to see. Bemusement, hope, wonder....almost like a child at Christmas. Like me, in some good moments. One student blurted out, 'How do you know this?!' Several of them looked at each other and nodded at this question and turned quickly back to me. I answered, 'It's just the sort of useless, quirky knowledge with which I like to fill my brain.' One of them answered, 'We're a lot alike.' (He was me 'aaaargh!' matey.). Later, while they were working on their groupwork, I looked up the date. This coming Monday! gulp. Not much time to prepare, and I'm leaving for the weekend. I'll have to see what I can do. I saw a party store that had blow-up palm trees a while back. I might check into that tomorrow. 'Twould be worth it.