The ups and downs

The other day I was in the office at school and a 6th grader came in and asked for a bandaid.  He said, almost apologetically, "I got hurt at recess and it won't stop bleeding."

I was amazed, mostly that his teacher didn't have bandaids in the classroom because I use bandaids daily.  I think third graders have a much lower threshold for what needs a bandaid and I must also.  I will slap a bandaid on anything because I want to get on with it.

A lot of my day consists of hearing complaints.  They come in from recess and tell me about the wrongs that were dealt them.  I say, "Did you tell the recess teacher?"

They say, "Yes."

So then I realize they aren't looking for justice, they are looking for sympathy and my outrage to match theirs.  I try.  "That's terrible," I say.  "I'm sorry that happened."

That seems to satisfy them.

Sometimes the aches and pains are general and vague.  My cure all is to go sit down and rest.  "Sit at your desk and rest.  Don't even get up to sharpen your pencil.  I will do that for you.  You need to rest."

They go to their seats and after awhile, come and find me again.  (No one has ever taken me up on the offer to rest and I'll sharpen the pencil.  I think they forget.)  "My leg/head/side/arm still hurts," they say.

"But you aren't resting!" I say.

So they go sit down again.

Soon enough they've forgotten any ailment and we can get on with it.

Because there is so much to get on with.

I was sitting with some of my below level readers and having them write word chains.  dim dime dine din fin fine.

One boy was writing along, puzzling over every b and d choice.  When he got to fin, he wrote phin.

"Not ph," I said.  "It's an f."

So he erased the h and left the p.

I go home exhausted every day.

There are such rewards though.  I love those guys.  I love when they burst in the room in the morning, excited to tell me something they only marginally remember.  "We are going to visit my cousins during spring break!"

"Wow!  That sounds fun.  Where do they live?"

"I don't know."

But I love that they want to share their good news with me.

I love that they draw me pictures and paint pictures for me in art.  They write things like I'm the best teacher in the world and I am really not but it's their way of saying they like me too.

I love the way one student finds me in the chaos of when the final bell rings and everyone is shouting bye! and I'm saying, "Don't forget your backpack!" and "Whose coat is this?"  

He finds me and takes a little bow and says, "See you tomorrow, Teacher."

And I'll be there because I know how lucky I am.