Euphoria and not

Yesterday we got results of two Big Deal tests.  

Most of my students did SO well.  I was thrilled.  They learned!  They worked hard!  I'm not just wasting my time!  It is working!

A few of them did not do so well.  That is discouraging.  I don't know if it is more discouraging for the ones who tried their best and that is all or for the ones who didn't try their best and won't try their best no matter what kind of dog and pony show I can provide.

Sigh.

Next week is more state testing and it will be stressful and not fun.

After all the state testing we have looser structure (rehearsal for the dance festival!) and that is its own kind of tricky because sometimes structure is exactly what we need.

The weather is warm and they come in sweaty from recess.  They bring me flowers they picked.  They lose their jackets because they abandon them somewhere along the day and can't remember when.  They demand to know why I'm not going to be a 4th grade teacher as if I am mistreating them by staying in 3rd grade.

It's all part of May.

I love being warm when I have recess duty.

I love seeing their progress.

I have one more chapter of the read aloud book and I'm looking forward to starting another one because they are getting better at listening!

Life is good (and sometimes not).