Tuesday, April 01, 2008

When I was a classroom teacher, I had several rules for the classroom, but the one that seemed to pretty much cover everything was:

"Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium".

I don't know where I got that from, but when I saw it, I knew it was a perfect guideline for how to behave in most situations that involved other human beings.

For many weeks before spring break, there was so much "drama" going on at work. In my thirty-two years of teaching, I don't ever remember being witness to so much drama. Not big, public displays or anything. Just so much frustration, annoyance, anxiety (all focused on the same person), and wondering where we were going and why wasn't anyone leading us there. It's calmed down a bit, mostly because we can all see the end (summer break) in sight. There's something about knowing that in two months we will all go our separate ways for awhile and the long break we all so desperately need (from each other) is imminent. As a staff we really do enjoy each other quite a bit, for the most part. But we still all need some down time away from each other.

And now for something completely different.

I am reading a really good book-- see linky over there--->. I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, and I'm really enjoying it. I sure would love to stay home from school a day and just read and nap and then read some more. Hey, wait, that was last week. Gosh, time flies.

While I'd love to have another day off to myself, I'm not thinking I'll be doing that before the end of the year. Maybe, but truthfully, I'm am SO enjoying my time with each class when they come for their library time. From now until the end of the year, I'm reading all my favorite picture books to the kids. We've shared them all before in past years, but these are ones they all love as well, so it's been great fun this week. Today I had a class of 6th graders, and normally this class isn't interested in doing much else except socializing and goofing off. Today I booktalked ten of my favorite chapter books, and they checked them all out except for two. Then I told them I was retiring at the end of the year and they all gasped. I loved that reaction--it was very affirming! The interesting thing is, they are all going to middle school next year and they won't even be around, so for them to be shocked is kind of funny.

So after the big reveal, I told them from now til the end of May I'd be reading all my favorite picture books to them, all ones we'd read together before. I clicked open the latches on a briefcase where I had the book hidden. I dramatically pulled out a little stuffed animal of the main character in the book, and they all clapped really loud and said "Yaaaay!". This was a book I read to them years ago, and I love reading it because I get to use character voices. It was the best time.

Now that I'm going to miss. A lot.

3 comments:

Laurie said...

You are so cool!!! I love the "reveal," I love how engaged the kids were and I LOVE that quote about the rules. You will really be missed. xoxox

Anonymous said...

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! NO FAIR!!! YOU CAN'T GO!!!

It isn't very often that you (or anyone else) gets to really enjoy that group of kids. I'm glad you had a good time with them.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE that book! Actually, I mostly love how YOU read that book! I think I was laughing louder than RM and that is hard to do! =)