If the Earth Can Turn Around, Then So Can My Day

Today, the world was against me.  I woke up tired.  I showered way too long, but somehow left the house earlier...but got to work later.  My students were a mess.  My very clear instructions on a quiz somehow still managed to give them trouble.  On top of everything, a fourth grader would not stop trying to convince me that my book about the solar system was wrong.  Look, kid, if the book written by professionals says that comets often look blue, then they probably do.  Just because you think it's wrong doesn't mean it is.  Now get out of my class because you're five minutes late for recess.

Thankfully, I end every day with fifth grade, which means I get to spend the last three hours with kids who don't waste the entire period whining, looking confused, or ignoring directions.  They know exactly what to do.  And because they know exactly what to do, it is painful to spend the first three hours of each day with these barely fourth graders who require constant reminders to use common sense.  Like the conversation below, which happens almost every day:

Me: What grade are you in?
Student: Fourth.
Me: Then why are you writing down fifth grade homework?
Student: Oh.

So many blank stares.  So many.


Fifth grade saved me today.  I was an overwhelmed wreck and on the brink of a minor breakdown by the time they arrived at my door.  They came in, they worked hard, they read directions, and they cleaned up before they left.  Don't get me wrong, I still had to fuss at a few to sit down and issue several reminders to reread directions, but they were really great, and I needed that.  I desperately needed that.

In the end, the fifth graders will always be my favorite.  Not just because they're more mature and have a better sense of humor, but also because I taught them last year.  I know them.  I know their strengths and weaknesses.  I know where to comfort and where to push.  In some cases, I know what they're going to say before they say it ("No, you can't use that bathroom pass right now.  Put your hand down."  "Yes, I'm well aware that he can be annoying.  No, you can't switch seats.").  Today, I spent fifteen minutes talking to one student about stressful things going on in his school life, and it was one of the best parts of my day.  I'm not sure if we solved the problems, but he at least knows I've got his back.

And that is why I love teaching.  I love having heart-to-hearts with kids.  I love joking with them on the recess yard and playing four square with them after school.  I love seeing them learn and grow and change and mature.  Most of all, I love it when they come back years later and gossip with me after school.

In the end, I suppose the fifth graders and students past should actually serve as a reminder that these fourth graders won't be a mess forever.  They'll learn to write their name on their paper.  They'll learn not to wait for me to give them the same directions today that I give them every day.  They'll learn about me, too...and begin to laugh freely at my terrible jokes, if for no other reason than because they know I'll appreciate it.  And next year, they'll be my life savers.

Letter from a fourth grader this year.  He's catching on quickly...flattery will get you everywhere, kid.