Welcome back, jerk. (me not the kids)

Flashback to Friday: I know that I should start planning but I don’t.  I do on the other hand fix a lamp.

Flashback to Saturday: I do some serious grocery shopping and then sit around my apartment. Still no planning.

Then comes Sunday: Get online and see that @samjshah has decided to live tweet working.  He’s starts a noon eastern in my head I decide I don’t really have to start til noon pacific. I’m ridiculous. Start around 1. plan topics to be taught. Plan all of 6th grade. Take a break after about 4 hours.  Never really go back.

Monday: Prep/ Meetings/ development day.  Make it through the morning to about 1 pm when all the sudden I realize that, “I LOVE THIS JOB!!” I have been feeling resentful and bitchy for 2 days but truth be told this is what I want to do and tomorrow I get to see the kids! score! Suddenly have massive turn around in attitude and motivation!

So then I go through my goal setting folder (all my eight graders make goals every quarter) and find all the kids who have meet their goals (27) and then how many wanted me to call home to their parents (22) and I start going through and writing down their phone numbers.  Along with this I also look at all of their grades to see what else I can tell their parents.  (this takes about an hour.) Then I start phone calls. It took 47 phone numbers, 65 phone calls, 2 hours and 3 languages to talk to 20 parents.  It was rough.  I still have 2 more.

Here’s why I do it.  The last day of the semester a student filled in the blanks like this

Dear Ms. G,

The best thing I did was get honor roll

The worst thing was nothing

The best thing you did was nothing

The worst thing was be a jerk and have a tantrum.

From,

Student

on back

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Tuesday morning he walks up to me:

good morning – me

hi, ms. g…… you called my mom.

I know.

I picked up the phone.

I know.

student stands next to me smiling.

Was she happy I called? Did she understand how impressed I am with you? (I spoke some seriously bad spanish)

Yea..student smiles and walks into class.

That is as close to a thanks as he has ever given and damn if I won’t take it.  He smiled all period and today. You will like me and you will even trust me. Cause I will always be here and I will keep liking you.

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