98 Reasons

There are 98 reasons I am thankful for the year 2011 and they are all about 13 or 14 years old. Upon first observation of these children, one might notice the absurd level of energy, foul language, irresponsibility, unpreparedness, and general 'tude problem. But after my 16 weeks or so in their classroom, I began to see their humor, the cogs turning in their brains, their confidence in the classroom grow, and their unique personal perspectives making astute observations. They showed me how simple it was to gain their respect simply by showing them kindness and understanding and patience...with some yelling and lecturing about behavior.

I had a quarter-life crisis earlier this year where everything seemed to be falling apart all at once and I questioned becoming a teacher. Yet I could think of nothing else that I truly wanted to do. After a little breathing time, I picked up the fall semester to complete my practicum course work in a middle school with one of the worst reputations in the district. Intimidating at first, I was blessed with an angelic host teacher who had her shit together. There is really no other way of saying it. These kids will eat you alive at the first sign of weakness. More or less. Thanks to my host teacher's guidance, however, I did not become acquainted with the digestion system of eighth graders. A few nips here and there, but nothing major.

The fact that these kids pushed me so much and this teacher gave me so much support has really solidified my passion for teaching again. I feel like I have found my niche. December 16th was my last day with them and I wanted them to know how much I appreciated them and how much of an impact they had on me. So I made 100 of these and passed them out to each of the students...

One student offered me $3.00 for another one. More than a handfull of them kept the label with my note on it to keep in the clear cover of their binders. One student wrapped me up in a little bear hug. Two of the biggest "pain in the ass" students even neatly stapled the package back together to save half of the snack for later. I think they got my message :)

I'll never forget all the fart jokes, the counting down 3, 2, 1 for their attention and keeping them late when they didn't comply, the pencil throwing, or the questions regarding historical significance of drugs and sex to throw me off...sigh...

Namaste.
Kins