Thursday, August 12, 2004
Wow.

My kids this year are so much higher than my kids last year...not in the drug sense-- they are a lot less high in that regard. I mean in the reading and writing regard.

I had no idea that all eighth graders were not, in fact, incapable of forming a complete sentence. I really believed that all kids that age (except for one or two waspy teens in private school somewhere in Maine or New Hampshire, maybe) would simply refuse to do homework.

Not true. It really really matters where you work. I stumbled into a good district. These kids don't have a lot of money, but the school culture is intense. Parents are really involved. Teachers spend real time doing planning and not whining about it. The administration trusts its teachers. The teachers are willing to work with the administration. Wow.

When I give my students homework, they groan good-naturedly and take out their planners to write it down. When they get upset about something in class, maybe they make a little noise and need a talking to, but mostly they do what they need to do. I am blown away. Blown away and so happy I could spit. It makes me want to just settle right down in Graham, North Carolina. Except not really. But now I know what to look for in a school when I go where I do want to settle.

In other news, today I called in "tropical storm bonnie" at the bookstore. It was raining so hard and the wind was so awful, I didn't know if I could make it to work. So I decided to take a much needed rest and read young adult books in bed. Heavenly.

North Caroliners-- mark your calendars! Next Karaoke date at Bub O'Malleys: August 19! Don't miss out!
¶ 4:16 PM