Dear Friends,
I went back and read what I wrote last year about the last day of school. I was getting ready to leave for Maine the next day and I was full of love, in a way, for what had happened in my classroom last year. I have been thinking about those days a lot lately and, in a way, they seem so long ago.
As I reflect on this year, it has also been a learning experience and it, too, seemed like my first year of teaching. In a way, I suppose, it was my first year yet again, but I’ve also been going into classrooms since 1997 as a facilitator. This was my first year of teaching fourth grade, so that was different, and my first year in a public school.
What I learned this year was that school is just “the” office for kids, at least when they are in fourth grade. They go there, put in their time, and hope they survive so they can do what they want. They don’t want to get hassled by the “Man” (me, in this case), and they always want a fucking raise.
I’m the “one minute manager” in a nutshell (Nut house?). If you’ve ever read that book, you know what I mean. The gist of the whole thing, if you haven’t, is that you can’t manage everyone the same way. You have to manage them the way they need to be managed if you are going to be good at your job.
The more systems I have in place, the less I need to manage people. I know this now. In about 70 days, I’ll get to start again and apply what I have learned once more. I will acquire more knowledge and next year will be yet another year to grow. Rinse-wash-repeat.
What interesting little people. I have written about a lot of them here. I want to try something…I’ve been really loving haiku and I want to see if I can write a haiku about each of them.
A1
Lots to say in a
Tiny package. Anthony
Will grow into love.
A2 A2b
You slept through my class Please get some sleep next
Way more than I liked but you year on school nights. Your brain
were sweet when awake. Will thank you and grow.
E1
Tiny assassin
With smiling eyes full of hope
For something better.
A3
Vixen in training.
Future crusher of men’s souls,
But your heart is kind.
A4
The super coolest.
Sly smile and perfectly
Executed pen.
A5
What is the cube root of
Tiny times vicious times sweet?
Football’s for girls.
*****
Outta gas…but I will do all 31.
See you tomorrow.
GW! First POTUS.
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