December 14, 2012
The first half of today went really well. All of my kids are really becoming avid star
watchers, with most having watched the Geminid Meteor Showers last night!~ and
today I was able to have Ken be a” phone a friend” and answer all sorts of
Astronomy questions from them! I was amazed at how much thought they have put
into this unit. Rony asked me the other
day, “How long does it take to work for that Space thingy?” (NASA) He wants to
be a part of building a colony on Mars. Honestly he has some great Ideas! All
the kids are working very hard on their Postcards from Mars and can’t wait to see
them hanging up! I am going to ask if we
can put them in the display case.
The kids have had a very tough week; Jerome has been
suspended again; this time for breaking a desk in Julia’s room. I heard he took out a few lockers too. Word has it that he also had to be
restrained. Somehow, maybe it’s because I am not Tootle the Train and I never
stay on the tracks, they have been OK in my classes. A few little dust-ups but nothing I can’t
work with.
Deunta told me I was
“fuckin’whacked” when I asked him to begin his postcard, (suspensions and
absences) cuz, “I ain’t goin to do that shit.” Unfortunately he had to
leave…..He did return with an apology and was able to participate in the “phone
a friend” asking Ken about what was the big fuzzy thing in “the dude’s sword?
(Orion’s sword/nebula) Gotta love
it….the dude….
……Then, Cheryl showed me a text she had received
about the Sandy Hook shooting. My first
thought was about my Syracuse friend, JoAnn, who is an elementary school
teacher “somewhere”in CT.
My next thoughts were of KJ and Ellie and how much I
needed to hold them. I had the same
awful gut wrenching sick feeling I had when my two babies were at Waybright
Elementary School and the planes hit the Trade Center in NY.
These are some of my FB posts and blogs. The FB page
is where JoAnn and I have a lot of mutual friends who are teachers (Syracuse
University)
Profoundly sad.
As a public school teacher, I spend 5 days a week with students with
whom I have become very fond. I do not teach them, they teach me. I guide them
and help them learn. I encourage them
when they fall, to pick themselves up, turn it around a try another way. I
laugh with them, I cry with them. I listen to them, I hug them and yes, I discipline
them. They have become, “my kids” too. I would throw myself under a train for
KJ and Ellie as I also would do for my TMMS kids. An on occasion, I have
already.
I have no words to express how, profoundly, utterly
helpless I would feel if I could not have protected my kids from the animal who
attacked them, today.
We had our first lock-down drill about 3 weeks ago and my
"kids" did great. It was routine and business as usual.....Never
again, will I ever. ever take this drill as routine and business as usual. I am
sure that each and every drill we have, will open this horrific wound. The next
one we have is going to be very, very hard for everyone. Peaceful thoughts are
wished to all; we all need them, we all have been touched by this tragedy.
December 17, 2012
I sat in a circle
with my 8th graders and reminded them that when they walked through my door on
the first day of school, they became "my kids" and that our door to
the hall will be locked and remain so until further notice. I also told them
that if, IF someone broke through the door, the first thing they would see is
the flat screen ....really close up, followed by the rock I use for a
paper-weight, the tape dispenser, the scissors and my great big teeth, biting
them.....and the list goes on......simply locking the door brought a visible
relaxing of the shoulders. I do not have shades for my huge windows, but I am
going to break out the sewing machine and make some this vacation, so we can
hide better. That also reassured.......so sad that in a community where violence
is not uncommon to "my kids," the last bastion of security, our
school, is questioned.
December 25, 2012
Peace to all
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