The Green Mile
Today is my Official start day back at school. The kids don’t come until the day after Labor Day, though I will get to meet them on August 31. It’s always funny to me how Meet the Teacher night goes. The kids stare at you as though you have horns and fangs. They don’t know how to shake hands. From their demeanor, I half-expect them to grab their mother’s thigh and hang on for dear life, just like toddlers.
From my perspective, I meet about 90 kids in the space of an hour. Inevitably, a mother comes up to me and tries to give me her son or daughter’s life history. :blahblah: He/she needs special seating, they need their homework monitored, yadda yadda, and all the while the poor kid wants to curl up and die in a mortified heap. 
I usually send the kid a look of sympathy. But what these moms don’t realize is that I will remember none of this on the first day of school. It’s not like an elementary classroom where I only have 28-30 warm bodies. It’s more like 110-115 warm bodies. I really won’t remember any of this. So I try to look the kid in the eye and tell him/her that if they need to be near the front, to choose a seat there on the first day. 
I’m entering my ninth year of teaching. In some ways, it feels like the Green Mile, facing an execution. 
Thank God for the kids. They’re the ones who make it all worthwhile. The first week of school is a circus, inundated with all those awful forms to fill out, rules to review, and names to remember. But when I start to bond with my classes, when individual personalities emerge and make me laugh with their off-the-wall comments, it’s worth every moment. Middle-schoolers have an energy and a sense of pluck that some people never really understand. I love them dearly. They wear their hearts on their sleeves and when you look in their eyes, you see the adult they’ll become one day. And when they earn that 100% on a quiz, or when they come running down the hall to tell you–”Mrs. Willingham! We just got a dog at our house!”–and you were the first one they wanted to tell…it just makes you smile. That’s why I teach.
Michelle posted in Writing @ 7:06 am | Viewed 1358 times
kacey Says:
Couldn’t pay me enough to teach middle school kids.:confused2: It was hard enough to raise my own at that age. But I’m SO glad there are teachers out there like you who love teaching and love that age kids! Just wish you had lived in our town when my kids were that age…
MaryF Says:
Middle school has to be tough! I have 3rd grade this year and love it. The office keeps calling for forms they never handed out, though!
Katie Says:
My daughter has 41 kids in her 6th grade class this year. Yikes!! Her teacher has already lost her voice…:crazyjumping:
My son loves your ‘jumping and hitting brothers’ smilies.
Sharon Says:
41 kids?? What the hell? Heck my kids’ classrooms have 18-20 kids and I think that’s overwhelming lol.
Michelle, good luck! I’d need a straight jacket.
Leanna Ellis Says:
We’re all given different gifts. So glad there are teachers like you. Can I send my kids to your class when they’re old enough?
Mary Says:
Have fun. I used to love to teach.
Steph T. Says:
I’m jealous of your first day. I loved the first days - except parent/teacher night didn’t happen until the second week of school…but yeah - I loved teaching middle school aged kids.
On p/t night, what I’d do is hand out index cards and ask the parents to fill out their name and numbers, and then I’d ask them to write down something about their child that they thought it was very important that I know about. It was a tip someone me my first year teaching - worked like a charm in avoiding those - my child needs special seating questions.:)
And seriously - reading the index cards was funny - lots of useful tips.
Melissa Says:
Oh Michelle, what a wonderful post. You’re the type of teacher that I want my kids to have!
I couldn’t teach middle school or elementary or even high school. It’d have to be college for me and even then, I’m not so sure…
Tori Says:
I couldn’t teach school for love or money. I’d be a basketcase:headspin: within seconds.
Jill Says:
I’m just in awe that you can be around that many teenagers daily.
Suzanne Says:
I miss middle schoolers. Sometimes. When I’m drinking.:twisted:
Melissa McClone Says:
Oh, Michelle. I don’t know how you do it. Jr. High/Middle School is just so hard. :starwars: I’m so glad there are teachers like you!
LauraP Says:
Thank God for teachers like you. More precious than rubies.
Rene Says:
I really don’t know how you do it. But I know other middle grade teachers who say they wouldn’t trade it for the world. I don’t know how kindergarten teachers do it either. I am in awe of teachers in general.
Christine Keach Says:
Oh, thanks for reminding me of what’s important on those days when my 7th grade girls are giving me attitude and the boys are trying to argue with me and a 6th grade boy is whining. Im just starting my 5th year and I’m already sure that I won’t be able to do this forever. Still, there are those rare moments…
Danica Says:
Well, at least I know now not to bug the teacher verbally about my child’s special needs. I’ll send them on the first day of school with a note:
Dear Teacher,
Please find enclosed roll of duct tape. I know my children are adorable and appear to be quite harmless, however, rest assured that they are quite capable of single handedly bringing about the apocalypse in thirty seconds flat. It is in your best interest to keep them duct taped to their chairs at all times. I also suggest taping their head facing forward so they can see the blackboard. It would also be to your benefit, and the rest of the class’s as well, to tape their mouths shut. Do not attempt to make conversation with them, otherwise they will never be able to shut up.
Good luck, and when I pick up the kids each day, I’ll have a bottle of your preferred alcohol for you. The last teacher preferred Scotch.
Sincerely,
Mother of the holy terrors who’ve just entered your class.
Michelle Says:
LOL Danica!! I would be on the floor with a note like that. Too funny!
Everybody else–I think you have to connect with the right age group. For me, it’s the hormonal kids. I love them to pieces, otherwise I wouldn’t do this job.