Thoughts on Tiggers and the End of the Year

So here we are. The last full real day of school. Tomorrow is a half day of handing things back, an awards assembly, and then they are gone. And, so of course, like most teachers, I look back on the year and think about what worked, what didn't, what drove me crazy and what gave me JOY.

There is a lot of end of the year craziness going on. My trusty yardstick disappeared. I looked everywhere for it. I mentioned it the other day in my 8th hour speech class.

"Well, yeah, about that....."

And the story came out about filming commercials and hitting a ball and, well, let's just say that now I have a half a yard stick. No telling what happened to the other half. Gotta love my SSB's.

And my freshmen boys, well they are another story. They are done with sitting still and being quiet (not they ever really did those things). A few days ago, Katherine wrote about how being the parent of boys helps you in the teaching of them. And I have to agree. I think you are used to all those strange behaviors. I tweeted her on Friday and told her my freshmen boys weren't acting like puppies--they were more like Tiggers (you do remember Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, don't you?).

Watch this and imagine several of them in your room...

And then there are the procrastinators.

I don't believe in zeroes. I don't give much homework, so the work I  assign is important in showing me how kids are doing. I won't give a zero until all avenues are exhausted (or the last day of a semester, whichever comes first).

But

Now those "I don't care" attitudes have turned into "What do you mean I'm going to fail?" incredulousness.

Now I'm getting work.

I'm also getting, "I turned my work in at midnight, why don't you have it in the gradebook yet?"

Now don't think I'm all negativity. Really, I'm not.

I'm having lots of fun today talking with kids and sharing why I will miss them.

I'll miss the randomness of the conversations in my first hour Creative Writing class...
      Who'd win in a fight between Batman and Superman?
I'll miss the kids who sit in the little square outside my room and avoid work like the plague...
     Mizz Day, I gotta get my music going first or I can't concentrate
I'll miss quiet freshmen girls who are planning their reading for the summer.
      I want to read all the Nicholas Sparks books this summer. I hope I can find them all.
I'll miss the silly ones who stop in to visit in the middle of a class period
     I'm your favorite, right Mizz Day?
I'll miss "Father" B and his speeches
    We made a deal with the devil and won the golden fiddle
I'll miss the competitiveness of some and the passiveness of others,
I'll miss the noisy hallways and the silliness.
I'll miss my kids.
But not enough that I won't enjoy my too short summer vacation.

And, by the way. Batman wins every time. He's the keeper of the kryptonite, you see.

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