Saying Goodbye

to summer... I know it's not officially the end of summer,

but for me it will come to a screeching halt tomorrow

when I greet about 130 new 8th-graders.

*sigh*

I'm excited about the new year and my new students,

but I'm worried, too. You see, they've changed our curriculum.

I'm supposed to do things differently, even though my students

have done quite well each year. Like, 99% well.

As in they rock our state tests and learn a lot in the process.

My class sizes have increased.

Which means 130 essays to read

and comment on at a time.

I've been in a dither about it all.

Things have changed, and I'm not too keen on change

when I don't see the benefits.

I want to be bright and colorful and cheerful,

but I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit faded already.

Like this flower...

I'm still taking part in The August Break,

which is supposed to mean posting pictures

with less talking I think.

So I'll be quiet now.

Packed and Ready to Go

it was my daughter's first day of school yesterday

can you see the excitement on her face?

dressed in her new uniform

with her hair just so....

she was excited

she's a great student

but y'know what?

I think she was most excited

about seeing so many of her friends

and that makes me smile

because without them

school would just be

textbooks and assignments
and cafeteria food

but with friends

it's more like a gathering

where smiles and laughter

are the commas and exclamation points

that punctuate each day

I hope she has an exceptionally good year!

My "little birds" have left their nest ...

Photo: School System Web Site

Okay, so they're not really little (some are taller than I am), but my "birds" left the nest at about 3:15 this afternoon. It's official...

School's Out For The Summer!!

It never fails; I always get a little teary-eyed on the last day of school. Yes, I'm ready for summer. Yes, I'm exhausted. Yes, I'm ready to spend quality time with my daughter. But, it's still sad to see this year's crop of students leave the nest I call school. Over a year's time, they just grow on you. Even those who give you a little more trouble and try your patience the most.

Okay. I'm human. There are a few that I might wave good-bye to with a little more gusto. But overall, the joy of impending summer is dampened when I think about these students not being at school each day. For some, it may mean potato chips for breakfast, instead of the healthier version offered at school. It may mean one less hot meal each day. For them, I worry.

So many students come from situations that make them feel lost, afraid, and confused. Broken homes, unsafe environments, and sparse supervision leave them in need of a safety net. I feel that schools serve that purpose. And although I'm sure I didn't brighten the day for all of my students, I still think (and hope) that I was a welcoming presence in at least some of their lives this year.

But it's time to let go of this school year knowing that I've done all I can for them.

Next week: post-planning and packing up my room. (Just as hectic as the last few weeks have been.)

The week after: School's officially out for the summer!

Take care...

On Memories and Writing

I finished this school week with a sense of satisfaction... feeling a little like a fat cat after finishing off a delicious meal. It's always this way after my students finish a big project. Although for me, the project is a long way from being finished. In fact, it awaits my attention now. All 90 tasty tidbits of writing that I will consume over this weekend and possibly next week, too.

The tidbits are actually memoirs my students have been writing this past week. And while some may be more like appetizers, I know that I have some five-course meals somewhere in the stack ready to be consumed. Regardless of the outcome, I am so proud of the effort put forth by my students. Only a handful gave half-hearted attempts and resisted efforts to revise. All of the others dove in, working diligently to not only produce their first drafts but to thoughtfully revise their work based on my suggestions.

Memoirs are a little tricky with 8th-graders. Some have already experienced more sadness and heartbreak than many adults have experienced. Issues of abandonment and loss are often the norm, whether their experiences have been based on the death of a parent, or the fact that a parent left home and never returned. Runaway parents, I suppose.... who are free to remain runaways even though their children suffer the consequences.

A few memoirs bring tears to my eyes, and there's always one or two that truly unleash my tears. I look at my students in a new light when I've finished reading their stories. Now I know why one may not smile, why one doesn't see the need for school, and why others are, well... like they are.

I always caution students who choose to write about the sad parts of life; I remind them that their stories can be about any event or person that has made an impact on them. For some, however, the happy parts are just not there. For them, the sad parts are their stories. But these stories are not just an assignment to be turned in. These stories give them a voice and a chance to be heard in a world that is not always listening.