This was our last teaching day. I'll have to say with all the frustrations of the days...crazed kids who were ready for summer to start, locker clean-out to name a couple....that I realized I really, really liked this crop of 6th graders. I watch them sort through all their stuff.
Some of them look at the things in their locker and tell the stories behind each thing they take out. The half full bottle of water, the almost full Reading Journal, the torn-up lab worksheets. They have to figure out whether the stuff in their locker goes back home with them, whether it could be donated to community shelters, whether it can be recycled by our Green Team or if it's just trash. Amazing how many lost textbooks, overdue library books and missing assignments come pouring from the depths of these 14" x 38" boxes.
I look at each of them and sort of allow myself to remember what they were like last August. Their wide-eyes and respectful demeanor long gone. Now they tease me and let me tease them....they have grown up so much. We gotten used to each other quirks and have found ways to enjoy the uniqueness of each other.
As we finish up lockers, we move down to the commons for the All School Talent Show. OMG....it's amazing. Now probably you wouldn't make that same evaluation if you listened to the acts. But I am thrilled as I watch each student so bravely perform. Here are some of my favorites....
This young man transferred into our school mid-year. The transferring school told he was pretty much hopeless..he had terrible acne, BO and I'm not sure how long it had been since he washed his hair or clothes. School was hard for him, no two ways about it. When our social studies teacher got to the Rome unit, he wanted to research gladiators. Figures, doesn't it. Well, he studied them alright and really got interested. He learned how they used their swords and blocks the blows of others. He also learned how they choreographed their moves....and he started working on imitating them for his presentation. And the rest is history. OK....he transferred that love to light sabers from Star Wars. But today he performed the most amazing set of moves in the dark with his light sabers blazing and everyone in the audience chanting his name. A freak turned a hero.
One of my most brilliant math students stepped to the piano and started playing a composition she had written. It was unbelievable that this 13 year old could even play the music she did, nevermind that she composed it.
Next was the AC/DC cover band. A couple of our little guys had their big amps and the most popular sevie singing some random song I don't know. The bass player in this is one of the most introverted kids I've ever met....you know the kind you have to get really close to hear him talk in class...and when he did that hop/jump thing that guitar players do across the stage....well, I thought I was going to bust my sides cheering for him.
The best part of all of it was that I saw kids that have evolved into new beings since I've had them. I could almost watch the passing of the guard happening in this show...the 8th graders doing their last performance for the school and the new rising 6th grader stars taking their place. I love and hate this time of year for that very reason.
It's showtime boys and girls.....time to cheer for each other, laugh and smile together before we have to say goodbye. Some for the just the summer and others until they come back and visit from HS..some I will never see again. I loved the day.
