Once Upon A Friday

     We have 19 days of school left. 

     

     I just got a new student.

     I have two more IEPs to write. 

     Two IEP meetings to hold. 

     And two other ones to go to for which I am not case manager. 

     I have at least 3 standardized assessments I have to get done with each of my students. 

     A social studies unit to start and finish. 

     A math test to give. 

     Two more digraphs to teach. 

     A Bossy E to teach about. 

     A unit of writing to introduce. 

     A classroom clean up and pack away. 

     Old data to sift through for a previous student's meetings. 

     New data to take. 

     Progress reports to do.

     Lesson plans to write. 

     Three songs and dances to teach my kids prior to their performance. 

     New teachers coming to observe me. 

     Bosses coming to observe me. 

     Textbooks to dig out. 

     Paperwork to file.

     Checklists to complete.

     When I add it all up, it seems a little impossible.

     And then, once upon last Friday, something shone a little light on that pile of overwhelming. 

     Last Friday, a parent took the time to write me an email. She said thank you. And she shared something that made me love my kids even more than I already adored them. 

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     It's been rainy around these parts. And when it rains, we don't get to go outside for recess. We have a pretty good time at indoor recess. (And I do mean we. A few weeks ago they decided to set up an Easter egg hunt for me while I worked on a paper. You'll regularly find all six of us with building blocks. Last week they decided to prove me wrong when I told them there weren't enough hiding places for hide-and-seek...) Still, there's nothing like fresh air to break up a long day in the classroom. 

     Well, one of my little problem solvers took matters into his own hands. He was tired of sitting back and watching all the rain. So he did what any five-year-old would do--he wrote a letter. 

Weatherman? Can you make it STOP rainin'?
(I'll work on dropping the home-grown twang and enunciating my -ings.)

     Needless to say, the email was a surprise.

His mom explained that she found his letter in the mailbox, "Apparently he was a bit disgruntled by all of the rain lately so he decided to write the weatherman and ask him to make it stop raining.  Aside from the humor of it, what I absolutely love about this is he was able to channel his emotions constructively, create an idea independently, find the supplies he needed, think through and actually write the letter, and try to mail it all on his own!!"

     I don't cry often. But my insides do turn to mush. And there they went. They're still a little bit that way.

     I'd love to pretend to have anything to do with this, but it was all the little man. We're working on opinion and persuasive writing according to our curriculum...but his teacher crummy teacher has actually only touched on opinion thus far. The past few weeks we have been working on learning our addresses, but we have never translated that into writing letters or even really talking about it.

     The first week of school this kid could not stop asking me when he could go home.

     Every time I asked him to do something he couldn't already do, he put his head down on the table.

     He didn't know any letter names, much less letter sounds.

     His pictures were wild--kind of like when an infant gets a hold of writing utensils.


     And here he is, less than a year later.

     Deciding there is a problem.

     Deciding he can do something about it.

     Getting out the materials to do it.

     Using his letter sounds to write out sentences.

     Adding picture details (that actual humans can recognize!).

     And doing it all without a grown-up.

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     Teachers, I hope a parent emails you, encourages you, shares a little piece of awesome about their child with you. Even if they don't, please know your kids are growing more than you could believe. They're repeating things you say (hopefully only the good things...). They're dealing with problems how you deal with problems. They're basing their dreams on things they learn during their time with you. 

     I'm not a parent, but I have five kids. And you've helped them tremendously this year. You've helped instill confidence, whether it be through cheering them on in PE, art, or on the playground. You've challenged them to think through problems when we visit your classrooms. You've encouraged them to stretch themselves and make new friends even when it was way more comfortable to stay with their pals in our special little class. You've also taught them to be accountable and respectful to all adults, yelling at them for me on the playground while I yelled at your kids. And for those of you faraway friends, you helped them by helping me. Thank you for keeping me sane.

     So thanks. I know it isn't much, but I appreciate all you do for me and for my kids. Because of that Friday email, I know my kids aren't just learning how to do what I expect of them. Their taking the skills we're learning in my class, and their running with them, making them their own. I trust the same things are happening in your room, you just might not be lucky enough to have someone show you. 

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     So, we have 19 school days left. 

     19 days to make a difference in some little people's lives before we part ways. 

     19 mornings to thank them all for coming to school (regardless of the increasing difficultly in parting with your bed each day).

     19 days to celebrate their quirks. 

     19 days to work on their weaknesses. 

     19 days to provide a safe space within your classroom walls. 

     1 more Field Day to lose to my class.

     19 more days see the world through the eyes of these 5 year olds. Or 8 year olds. Or whatever year olds. 

     19 more days to help these kids fall in love with learning.

     19 days to model problem-solving.

     19 more days to highlight every day kindnesses in the classroom.

     19 more days to love your kids with reckless abandon. To give them grace when you really just want to crush them for breaking the same rule for the 168th day in a row. 

     19 more days.

     We can do this, people.

     19 days.