Today was pretty uneventful during the day. Nothing too exciting happened besides a meltdown by KC and indoor recess., but definitely nothing to report. Ms. Moulton was in a better mood because testing is almost over. After school and at home are when things got interesting.
Course Coaching in general was eventful. I should have known that it wouldn't be a walk in the park because revisions are due tomorrow, so that means lots of work to be done and not a lot of students who want to do it. JR came into Course Coaching with a huge smile on her face and said "I'm done with all of my homework." I know in the back of her head she was thinking I'm done so I get to leave early which is true if you don't have any revisions to do. Poor JR will ALWAYS have revisions to do. Unlike JA, she turns in her work most of the time, it's just not usually right. I know that lots of times, JR gets frustrated because the other girls in CC get to leave early because they are done with their homework, but JR is never done early and often has homework to do at home. So, I know she was excited to go home early and I burst that bubble for her. Oh well. Revisions have to be done.
On the other hand, JA was done with all of her homework when she got to Course Coaching, but the rule is that you have to stay until four. I was talking to her (mainly to keep her occupied and from distracting JR) and thought that this would be the perfect time to have the "goodbye talk." I started off by saying that I remember the first day of CC when it was just JA and JR and now we only have two and a half weeks left. I was saying how sad it made me and how much I will miss her. She kept saying that someone had told her that I was coming back, which I think was just her way of saying that she doesn't want me to leave. It was like she was in a state of denial. It broke my heart because she kept asking why I wasn't coming back and I didn't want to tell her about being waitlisted. We talked about following each other on Twitter and how I'll come back and visit, but I won't be there every day. I even asked if she would write me letters if I wrote her and she said no, but smiled and looked down at her paper. Throughout the entire conversation, I could tell how she was actually upset about all of this. It makes me feel so good because I think back to the times when she had me crying and dreading going to Course Coaching and morning reading. We have come SO far and I feel like we've actually developed a relationship. She trusts me, which for any middle schooler, especially JA, is HUGE. I'm going to try and have the goodbye talk with JR and MO over the next week and hopefully it will go as well.
Final Circle after Course Coaching was fine, but I was starting to get annoyed with all of the talk of Camp Wing. The sixth grade is leaving tomorrow to spend three day a summer camp where they'll do team building activities and just get to be kids. It's going to be a blast and every year the kids come back with tons of stories and a constant smile on their face. The fifth grade leaves on Thursday and both grades return on Friday. It sounds great and such an awesome opportunity for the kids. Sam, Megan, Pat, Angela and Erica are all going, which is understandable, it's just going to be hard to not get jealous of their big field trip when our field trip to the zoo on Thursday is going to be not quite as monumental. I think I would have an easier time with it if it literally wasn't the majority of my team that was leaving. If Rachel, Nick and Arthur were still around, they would all be staying and it wouldn't feel like everyone was leaving me behind, but they aren't, so it does.
Anyways, it was raining and I spent the whole T ride home dwelling on this field trip ordeal just to come home to my favorite room mate Chelsea (note the sarcasm). I was making dinner (tacos in case you were wondering) and she walks into the kitchen and just sighs. COME ON!! Can you get any more pathetic? Why I said what I said next I'll never know but I just quietly said "yeah, that's how I'm feeling." Because everything I say has to be one up-ed by Chelsea, she replies "Two of my third graders have police reports after today" and goes into this long story about these kids throwing a rock at a car with a baby in it. You might be thinking "oh maybe that actually happened." I would probably be thinking that, too, if last week she didn't tell me that one of her kids is now bi-polar and the week before that one of her kids lives in a homeless shelter. Maybe these things are true. In fact, they probably are, sadly. It's the fact that, if you're having a bad day, she's having a worse day. If you're having a great day, you can't even celebrate because she's had a day that puts yours to shame.
It's raining and I feel like that has put me in a sour mood, so I'm going to stop now. Sorry for the depressing post, all. Here are my student profiles about some of my favorite boys
Kenny- Kenny is a model student with a hidden "punk" side. He's the one who had childhood leukemia in K1, so I've spent a lot of the year helping him with fine motor skills and catching him up in ELA. He is such a pleasure to have around and will always laugh at my corny jokes. He always does what he is asked and is the first one to help another student out. He is SO loving and caring and a little chubby, so you just want to squeeze him! I say he has an inner punk side because he tries to be tough, but it just makes him even cuter. He and I have become pretty close this year and I know that it is going to be tough to leave him. He's going to be a great student and a terrific person.
Luke- Luke is one student who I have watched make the most improvements academically this year. He came in probably right at grade level for both Math and ELA and is now ahead in both areas. He used to really struggle to pay attention, sit still and not talk out, but has really improved in those areas. He still has a hard time not throwing a temper tantrum when things don't go his way and really struggles sometimes with things like sportsmanship and sharing. Luke has taught me the power of positive reinforcement and how that is ten times more effective than discipline. Luke has such a personality and is a potential leader of his class. I am so proud of the improvements that Luke has made this year because I think it will only be easier from here on out.
"The happiest of people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything."
I think I need to listen to this quote a little bit more.
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