A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That
I have bus duty this week. You can always tell the ages of the students by the way they walk. Sixth graders run like crazed Labradors on speed, hauling their way to the bus because BY GOD, THEY MIGHT MISS IT!! :confused2:
The seventh graders walk at a fairly normal pace. The eighth graders are still in the hallways five minutes after the bell has rung, and then they saunter outside in groups of 6-8. It would take a cattle prod to get them to move faster, I swear. 
It isn’t until the bus ignitions fire up that they finally decide to mosey on.
I had to laugh because I encountered a seventh-grade boy in the hallways just before bus duty. He has Teen Living as an elective, and they are doing the Baby project where they have to carry a rubber infant doll around for so many days. It cries and behaves similar to a real baby, and they have to feed it and so on. The boy had a look of desperation on his face. He begged me for help because he couldn’t juggle getting his books into his bookbag and the baby simultaneously. “Could you hold him for me, please?”
I said sure, and he was careful to inform me that I had to hold the doll exactly like a baby (he even demonstrated), because otherwise it would cry. I nodded, telling him that I thought I could manage since I had two children of my own. He looked doubtful. 
I think that’s a great activity for kids, though it’s no comparison to the real thing. Sometimes I feel like a war veteran, having faced some of the worst enemies life can throw you. I’ve seen a 104 degree temperature and taken my 2-year-old to the emergency room with pneumonia. I’ve watched my eldest strew the contents of his diaper across his bed and somehow he made it to his next birthday (only just!). My stories don’t compare to some mothers, though. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, nor do I want to. 
But I think it’s made me a better teacher. I can understand a parent’s perspective now when I meet with them in a conference. And I feel lucky sometimes, to have known so many students and to have been a brief part of their lives. 
Michelle posted in Writing @ 9:37 pm | Viewed 1252 times
Rene Says:
My son has had two teachers that did not have children. The one adopted a baby when he was in second grade. I cracked up when he was in third grade and she would wail to me about the horrible things her 2 year old was doing and was there something wrong with her. She adopted another baby this summer so I’m guessing she will be glad to return to work after Christmas.
My son’s teacher now is young without kids and I think she is too easy on them. I think she is naive when it comes to their deviousness. She would believe them if they told her a dog ate their homework.
Danica Says:
I always wished we had that baby thing in our schools! We just had eggs we had to carry around.
Michelle Says:
It’s so true, how devious they are. Even a three-month-old baby can manipulate. They know EXACTLY how to push our buttons.
What annoys me is when the mother of a twelve-year-old can’t understand that her child is totally manipulating her. Come on, people. Of COURSE the child will leave out all details of the incident that make him/her guilty. :blahblah:
Peggy Says:
Those classes are great for giving preteens a look at work parenting is really like. To bad they couldn’t somehow duplicate childbirth. . .a sure fire birth control method for any young girl considering sex.
Mary Says:
I used to dislike bus duty so much I would bribe people to take it for me.
Melissa Says:
There’s no way I could teach that age group. I’d pull out my hair after the first hour!
Tori Says:
I think your students are lucky to have you as a teacher.
Missie Says:
I totally agree on the manipulating thing. My four month old knows how to push my buttons already!
But there is no class that can tell you how you are going to feel when you take your precious baby in for shots, which I did today. It tore my heart out. I had to keep repeating that this is a good thing for her, keeping her healthy, blah, blah, but I still wanted to cry.
kacey Says:
argh, bus duty. I don’t know how you stay sane teaching this age group of kids! Wish my kids could have had you for a teacher though!