Tipping the scales

Yesterday was one of those days that is so crazy, it is almost (but not quite) comical.

I had sick kids fighting not to throw up.  I have another pink eye outbreak.  Grades are due today and sickness isn't helping me get everything gathered.

I found a student had taken a Chromebook and his expensive school headphones home.  (Luckily his brother wanted to get him in trouble so he told me.)

I had a student jam my Skittle machine and get a bunch of Skittles out.  (It's up on a tall shelf now.  The fact that 3rd graders are short comes in handy.)

This same student tied an elaborate knot with his shoelaces around his upper thigh while they were sitting on the rug.  He couldn't get it undone and couldn't move his leg.  Imagine him rolling around on the floor and everyone else (besides me) laughing along with him.  I was finally able to get the shoe off him and then I untied the knot using tweezers.

I don't even want to talk about the distributive property and how about half of them are just not getting it.  

At all.

Sigh.

Here's what tipped the scales back to make it a pretty good day.

One of my students, whose mother had chaperoned the field trip to the Butterfly Biosphere, brought me this:

She had overheard me telling one of my students the blue ones are my favorite and it was just so kind of her to paint it for me!

Also, a fifth grader who was in my class stopped by after school to hug me, like she does about once a week.

A little kindness is all you need to change your day!

Our principal signs off every announcement he makes and every email he sends with:  make it a great day and go make it a great day for someone else.

I'm grateful for people who do that!