First, Thanksgiving is in one week. They get a really long break where they can play and eat and sleep and then play and eat some more. Many of them are going out of town as they eagerly told me, and I know how exciting that is for them. The second reason is my fault. I had them make slime in science. Of course they were all telling me, "Mrs. Schow your the best teacher ever!" and "This Science class is awesome!" as they were up to their elbows in sticky gooey slime. Externally I was all smiles and excitement for them as I too was up to my elbows helping the slow movers speed up their slime making. Internally, was less pleasant. I was thinking, "Well if I've learned one thing today it is that we are NOT making slime next year!" We finally got the slime cleaned up and I lined up my Science class to return to my homeroom. As they exited and my class entered I was so relieved that the day was almost over and my own sweet, kind, obedient class had returned.
Well, apparently my class decided to be naughty. Very naughty. Like screaming and running around the classroom while I'm frantically trying to figure out whose lunchbox is still in the lunch bin (it was the screamer's). When they all calmed down and I lectured them on the importance of not acting like Kindergartners, the bell rang and my students filed out one by one. There was one girl who normally has a difficult time following directions and throughout the chaos I was trying to get her attention. She was not listening because she was busy doodling on a piece of paper at her desk like she normal is. I voiced my frustration that she was not listening and told her to clean up her area. That was the last thought I had about it.
When the last student finally left my classroom, I emptied the trash cans and put them in the hallway. As I was about to walk back into my class, one of my math students who is the sweetest boy I have ever met came up and gave me one of his teddy bear hugs. He said "Thanks for being such a great math teacher Mrs. Schow!" I said, "Thank you. That is just what I needed at the end of a long day". He looked me, smiled, tilted his head to the side and said, "Yeah. Long days are hard but hugs can always make them better." How true is that!
After closing my classroom door and wiping up the mess at the sink, another student came into my classroom. This student is probably my hardest. He does not do his work, shuts down if I tell him to do something, and does many things to push my buttons. I was surprised to see him walk through the door and intrigued at what he wanted. He walked right up to me and opened his arms and gave me a hug. As his little arms embraced me, tears filled my eyes. He said, "Thank you Mrs. Schow. You are the best teacher!" I said, "Thanks bud!" Then he let go and said, "It's been a tough week. But I will see you tomorrow morning in math". He smiled and shut my door as I stood there in shock. This is a student who I can never get any words out of about how he is feeling or what he is thinking. For him to express that he has had a hard week was a miracle. It made me realize that I was gaining his trust. I was starting to be someone who he could talk to and rely on.
After he left I was still pretty frustrated with the day. I went downstairs to vent to a friend. When I returned to my classroom someone had left this cute little note on my computer. It was in an envelope with some yarn poorly tied around it. I was confused and thought about who it might be. A teacher? An instructor? Most students had left. I untied the cute yarn and opened the sealed envelope. Inside was a note from one of my students. The girl who had been doodling at her desk while I kept telling her to stop and listen. The note read, "You are the best teacher I've ever had and I love the stories about funny stuff that happened to you." Again my heart was full and I couldn't help but tear up.
These kids are smarter than we realize. When my students left I was thinking about how self-centered they are and how they are oblivious to me and the outside world. However, these were three separate instances when my students recognized that I might need a little extra love. They notice things. They want to express their love and appreciation. And whether its a hug, or cute little note, or even a thank you, it means the world to me.
So today was a hard day. The hardest day that I have had as a teacher. And the first day I wondered why I'm doing it. But it is the 64th day of knowing that every second of being a teacher is worth it. And at the end of the day, as I leave my classroom and lock the door behind me, I can't help but wonder what amazing things my students will teach me tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment