smiles

i have a kid who consistently makes me smile. he is just great. he jokes around with me, is respectful, doesn't curse (at all), and put letter stickers on his desk (which i started to reprimand him for, until i saw what it said ...) and he had spelled "god and jesus."

he's always asking me to sing disney songs with him.

but today, he told everyone that i stopped by the after school program where he goes on monday (i had, to talk to another parent). he says, with funny hand gestures and a huge grin, ms. matthews, it's just plain awkward, like, you know, to see you outside school. it's just weird.

he also told me today that he keeps meaning to watch 24 but he always (as in the last 2 weeks) remembers tuesday morning that he forgot to watch it. he did, however, ask me on tuesday how the episode was last night.

and he watches american idol and has hilarious comments - he thought rhonetta could sing great. whoah boy. he says when he's 16, he's going to audition for it. go for it, man.

american idol

anyone watch tonight's episode?

do you recall rhonetta? (big attitude woman at the end)

she, aside from the outfit (thank God, seriously), reminded me of one of my student's mother.

yup.

the days

are not really getting better. i'm getting better at handling the bad days, i think.

today 2 of my students greeted me with these words (and some profanities mixed in there ...):

"you *%#@* old lady i'm gonna get you fired."

"you'll be sorry you ever came to this school."

"i'm gonna make your *@^# day miserable."

good morning sunshines.

calculus

last week my 2 brightest kids begged me to do some 12th grade math.

hmm. what calculus concepts would they understand??

so we learned limits. not technically, but how to draw the long S symbol with the numbers on top and bottom and the equation to the side and then plug in all the numbers and add up the answers ...

i don't even think that's really how you do them, but they felt SUPER smart.

they're staying after school tomorrow to learn more math. i think we'll do something a little bit more basic.

driving?!

i asked my little shrimp of a kid today how his weekend was. he smiled this bright ol' grin and said good. this is a rare response from him, so i pressed him ... what was good? what'd you do??!

"i went drivin'" (still with the grin) (he is a reaaalllly small kid. like comes up to *my* waist)

you what??!

went drivin'.

in a car??!

in my 4 wheeler.

is that legal?

shootings

1. last thursday or friday at 38th and sansom, near "the sev," more often known as 7-11 ... practically on penn's campus, right where i lived senior year ... over a fur coat. crazy.

2. last saturday at the rec center where my kids go to afterschool programs ... a teen dance was there sat. night and a guy came in with a gun. 2 people in critical condition. my kids tell me there are bullet holes all over the walls and they won't let anyone in there.

3. last week in my classroom - but that was with a stapler, not a gun. whew.

sad stories

today after school i stopped by an afterschool program to talk to a kid's parent/guardian (actually his aunt) - and found out that he found out this weekend that his 15-year-old sister, who had been missing for over a week (who was on the news ... who knew this was my student's sister?!), got shot in the eye with a bebe gun. his sister has been living with his biological mother who is a drug addict (he was born addicted to crack cocaine). my student was all out of sorts today, but now i know why ...

he wants his aunt/mom to have custody of her too ... she said she had to sit him down and tell him that she can't take his sister too. She said he's really upset about it and taking it hard because he's afraid for his sister.

Can you imagine going through that at 11 years old?