Never the Same Day Twice

Teaching has its extremes. Some days pure joy. Other days, well, not so much. After 15 years I thought I'd seen it all, but this year keeps proving me wrong at every turn. In one week, I've been accused of "giving up on a student" by a frustrated parent and then I've also had a colleague tell me she met a former student of mine now living in Minneapolis who said I "changed her life" and I think she meant for the better. Two summers ago in one of my gardening moments I caught up with a former student who said I was the person who "got her reading for fun" and that she reads all the time now. Of course, I have a few who are doing time for all sorts of sad crimes. I wish I knew where more of my students ended up or in what ways I influenced them for good or taught them useful things like when to use it's and its... One boy admitted that was the one thing he learned in my class. Thanks, Kiah. Well, it's something, eh?

One thing can be said for teaching. It's never the same day twice. I have a dynamic job with unique challenges and I get to be a "teacher/parent/social worker/mentor" 185+ days a year and my "kids" never really age. I just keep dealing with that same sophomoric behavior and can't figure out why they can't figure it out... Hmmm... perhaps because it's a fresh crop of kiddos every fall! Forget the challenges for a minute and ponder these gems--moments that made me grin from ear to ear this week.

Two spelling errors made by two different students:
S. Cargo (Escargot)
Hycute (Haiku)

And today?
Today I watched a 5 month old baby kangaroo hop around in the hallway at school. He was wearing a diaper with a little hole cut out for his tail. A former student whose family has a small petting zoo brought this little guy in for the teachers to see.

He's tucked up in his "pouch."