The kids...

Today was day one with the kids at school for this year... I got to meet some new students and also got to see some of the kids I have worked with before.  Some of them looked exactly the same while others looked a bit more grown up.  My day started with my homeroom... 14 eighth graders with 14 different personalities.  After getting some of the logistics out of the way (forms, forms, and more forms) and telling the kids I am not sure when their laptops will be passed out... (In Maine all students in grades 6-12 are issued a laptop) ... I asked the kids to share anything they wanted to share about their summers... one boy said among other things, that he had grown a whole centimeter... He is quite short compared to other boys his age.  I asked him if growing was important to him and he said, of course. The girls in my homeroom all sat at the same table  and made sure they mentioned that they thought it was weird that the boys didn't join them... Hmm... they apparently did not realize that they were sitting in all the chairs that were palced around the table as well as pulling in a couple of extras... and there were no room for anyone else at the table.   But... that's how middle school minds work.  And I love it. 

My first class included kiddos who are new to me... new to our school.  It's amazing to see what kids reveal to you day one... One kid clearly wants to be the leader of the group... but chooses to get t othe top by stepping on others... which, for the record does not happen in my classroom.  The first time I spoke to him to begin to set some boundaries he smiled... I knew he would do it again, and he did, twice.  The third time, which I do not think will be the last time, I let him know that he does not want to be in trouble with me... so we'll see how that goes... I am not worried... I think he will be fairly easy to contain... just need to help him readjust some of his behaviors... and I need to make sure I use his leadership skills in a proactive way, and show him how to use that power for good and not for evil... my biggest concern for that group... is ironically the littlest guy in the group... he's new to our school... and Mr. Personality.. who, for the record, I predict, will challenge the above mentioned student... and I will have to watch that...he is my biggest concern because today, after talking with them about my class, the rules, blah blah blah... I asked them to fill out  a simple interest inventory... 10 questions, all about themselves...wha tthey like, what they don't like... and they had plenty of time to finish it.. he avoided it, completely.  He wrote his name on it, but other than that, wrote nothing.  During his avoidance he made comments about how hard it was to think of answers... I had no intention of having the kids take it home, but knew I had to feel something out... I told him that he needed to finish it in class or else it would be homework.  A smile flashed on his face... and he said he wanted to take it home, that he gets help there.  I think writing is really difficult for him... and I think he compensates for his inability to write with his personality...so.. lots to keep an eye on in that group...

My third group of the day was filled with kids I know... except two... and I think it's going to be a good group... one of the kids in there was a kid I knew form last year, but did not work with directly.  What a hard life this kid has had... one parent died and when the other parent got involved in a relationship this kid had a hard time... and when that relationship ended the surviving parent made it clear it was the fault of this student... and one thing led to another and in the kitchen this student held a kitchen knife in a threatening way and was hauled off to a mental health facility... oh and did I mention he has a medical condition that is usually fatal?  That was mid year last year... after that things seemed to calm down... he is a pretty low key kid with a lot of nervous energy... an interesting combination... today he was... almost manic... which included climbing on my tables..well not really climbing as much as sitting in various positions on them, on the edges of them... which is not allowed in my classroom... and atypical for this kid... a few reminders to get off the tables... and he did something very odd... After briefly sitting in his chair, he stood up, and then stood next to the back of his chair, then kind of straddled the back of it... it was awkward... kind of like if he was the bear in the Jungle Book who scratched his back on a tree... but this was no tree and not exactly this kid's back... My mind has gone to many places with that one... I am going to keep an eye on it, try to observe him in another setting and if it continues, go to the nurse, then the social worker... something is just not right there... I am not so much worried about that exact behavior as I am the marked difference in this kids behavior from last year... Also in that group is another kid who is usually pretty quiet and shy.. and he was a bit mouthy today... and it annoyed me...later I talked to a teacher that worked with him last year, more closely than I did and asked if he ever got like that with her... and she said sometimes, but usually when he is anxious... Anxious? as in anxiety? She said yes.   Hmm... this is not a kid I would peg for anxiety... so.. clearly I still have a lot to learn... I need to check in with him tomorrow and get the scoop...

One last kid thing... there is a kid who is new to our school this year.. on the Aspergery end of Autism (yup, my favorite!) he is also in the behavior program... and is also in my homeroom.  Before today I had met him three times... the first time he was compeletly nonverbal, leaning into his mother's shoulder when I asked him questions and she would answer for him... which by the way is not going to happen with me... he will speak for himself... because this kid, more than most, will need his own voice... So that day I asked him what he liked to be called.... Let's say his name was James Rudabega.... I asked him if he prefers Jim, or James, or JR... and he looked to his mother and she began to answer and I interrupted her saying that I wanted to hear it from her son... and she looked perplexed.... and he scowled at me... he is a VERY good scowler... and gave me the silent treatment... so I said... well... until YOU tell me what name you would like me to call you, I am going to call you Jimmy.  It did not take him long to grunt at me that he liked to be called JR.  Ahhh.... there it is... smile... the next time I met him I was in school trying ot get some things done.  He was there with another special ed teacher completing his summer school hours.  She was having him walk around the building so that he would be able to get to all of his classes.  He kept popping up and I joked with him that he was stalking me... and he tried to scowl... but scowling is hard to do while grinning... I am serios.. try it... Then one day I was in my room working with my assistant who is new to the position this year, my old side kick left me to go back to college full time for social work... anyway... JR walked in and said he had a letter for me, that he had written, to tell me about himself.  (An activity done at the end of last year, but since he was not in our school last year he did not get the chance to write...)and oh yes, YAY, he spoke without prompting  I asked him if he could introduce himself .. and he scowled... surprise surprise... and stared at me silently... I said.. oh.. well.. this student is Freddy.. he is in our homeroom this year.... and he growled a little, briefly... and then siad... I like to be called JR.  Ohhhh, I said... JR this is Mrs. T, who will be in our classroom.  Thank youf or introducing yourself and thanks for the letter.  Today he showed up to homeroom very appropriate... little eye contact, but I would expect that... He spoke to the other kids and shared a bit about himself... we decided that my room was a good location for his backpack.. kids at our school are not allowed to carry backpacks around the building... and his locker seemed a bit too small for this kid, who I feel has some issues with having other kids get in his space especially in a crowded hallway... throughout the day he came into my classroom to get things from his backpack... and I also think to have a little bit of reassurance... had one of those last year too... his mom had sent a letter to me this morning... quite long... very concerned about his day...wanting to know how it would go and gave me all 50 of her phone numbers and email addresses... okay not 50... but you get the idea... Around 10:30 I had a few minutes and gave her a call.  It's always interesting to call a parent for the first time... I told her who I was, where I was calling from... we had met the first day I met her son... I said, hello I am calling from the middle school, calling about JR... and her tone changed and she said... with a sigh... Ok?... I told her that his day seemed to be going well and she asked if that was it... I said yes... that I just wanted her to know that so far so good..... and she waited.. like there was more I should say... I think she has received many phone calls from school... and I suspect they were to let her know about what her son was doing that he should not have been doing or things he wasn't doing that he should have been doing... A very good reminder that I need to call parents... for good news... both as a teacher and when I get to that next step... administrator...

So ... while I really wanted, and still want a different job... today was a good day for me... not so much because it was an amaing teaching day with amaing moments of learning... but because I know... with capital letters... I KNOW... that my instincts are there about these kids... that my rapport with the kids is going to be there... that my heart... is there... while I am there... and that feels good...

Phew.