Not just a couple of weeks, but a couple of months. I needed to get FAR away from the wild things, and I did. I roamed all over.
But now tomorrow’s the first day of the new year, and today was wrap-up of last year.
We got our scores today, both last year’s class’s results and this year’s incoming class’s. I was surprised to see how wildly well the 19 wild things left standing did: 8 advanced(!) in Language Arts + 4 proficient; 7 advanced in Math + 8 proficient. That’s 63% and 79%! Not that test scores measure valuable things like creativity and flexibility and insight and writing ability, but they do measure something, so the creatures did learn something. Hurrah for them! Bless them and let them go their merry ways, for I have moved on.
To 5th grade, to be precise. Picking up the remnants of the cohort I had in 2nd and 3rd: a straggly 15 of them, plus an additional 20 thanks to class-size increases. I’ve spent the last week (unpaid, thank you again State of California–can you imagine the Governator deciding not to pay prison guards for working?) arranging and rearranging tables trying to fit 18 double desks plus conference tables, teacher table, computer tables, lcd projector table, and science experiment tables plus 35 5th graders into a room the same size as the one inhabited last year by 19 tiny 2nd grade bodies.
Have you looked at any 5th graders recently? They’re huge! And they’re hormonal or verging on hormonal. And we’re in the midst of a heat wave. In 2nd grade we had to deal with odor issues for children who weren’t properly cared for and bathed regularly. But with these guys & girls, it’s not something in their control. Their bodies are morphing on a daily basis. I’m thinking I should sprinkle them with lavender from my garden. Lavender water, perhaps? Water fight, guys!
My son, who is about to become a 7th grader, was helping me set up the classroom today, and when asked for an aesthetic consultation, he squinted around the room and declared, “It’s too kiddy in here, Mom.”
Me: Why is it kiddy?
Him (vaguely flailing his hand to indicate the room): There are. . colors.
Me: Is this a bad thing, this thing we call color?
Him (with weary patience): Mom. Look at me. What color do you see me wearing?
Me: Black. Dark green.
Him: What colors do I usually wear?
Me: Black. White. Dark green…
Him (with slight condescension–note to self: don’t use that tone of voice with students, EVER): Exactly. Do you notice a pattern?
Me: Um. Dark? Solid? Distinct lack of floral prints?
Him: People like…me…us…at our age, we don’t like color.
He’s 11. I don’t remember saying ‘at our age’ at 11.
I looked around the room. It felt quite muted to me. Just a bit of color on the science board, and it belonged to Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, and really, I couldn’t take responsibility for that. A little bit of red newsprint trim on an otherwise black writing board. The hell if I was going to unstaple all that again. Where was this so-called color?
He put his earbuds back in and went back to the computer screen. I discreetly consulted with two other colleagues who had taught 5th for several years. They did not think the room was too colorful.
I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
New challenges. Dealing with kids who have personalities and opinions. Just like I have at home.
I’m looking forward to it. Really.
As long as I have lavender for my bath.
And chamomile. And eucalyptus. Soothing.
And who knows, if I like it up here, maybe in two years, the wild things and I will cross paths again.
on Sep 9th, 2009 at 6:41 am
Lovely! Good luck, and I have some Givenchy if you need for spray purposes.
on Sep 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
No odor issues today at least, though I did have a girl tell me she just got her period yesterday and could she go use the bathroom (again) (and again) (and again). Never had to deal with that one before.
on Sep 13th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Thank you. So far, it’s been wonderful, 34 and all. And you are so sweet. A great year to you guys, too.