Where the Heart Is

So I'll just preface this by saying I paid for my Monday off of school. Issue after issue kept popping up at work, so by Friday I was over and done.

However, there have been a few good moments.

The entire 5th grade class was in trouble because someone put an inappropriate picture on the school computer, and no one would fess up to it. That whole day was practically a lost teaching day, and I was really on edge. However, one of my babies asked me if I was still going to be her second mom when she goes to the next grade, and my heart just melted.

I have a student who may be autistic, who doesn't really do hugging. However, all this week he's been super animated, making sure that I see him waving at me and hear him saying "good morning." Yesterday he saw another student hugging me, then he patted me awkwardly on the arm; I reached to pat him back, and he gave me the biggest hug.

Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit.

I saw a facebook post one day that said "I call my students "my kids" because in the time that we spend together, we become family." That is so true; the connection that I have with each of them, even those who tend to get in trouble, is special and unique. My dad keeps telling me that I might be that one teacher that my students remember when they're grown up and living their own lives, and that's something to really think about.

People like my kids, with whom I interact everyday, have a profound impact on my life, the way I think, and the way that I write.

Little interactions here and there have crept into my writing; relationships flavored by my own experiences. If you are a teacher, you know how much your kids are on your mind. I'll find myself writing something and then laughing at how much it reminds me of one or more of my kids.

I've talked before about how important relationships are to a writer; as I think more on it, I realize that my relationships with my babies are some of the most important. In this school year alone, I feel like my kids have pushed me to be a better writer.

I'll explain.

Writing is a big part of succeeding in school. Whether you like doing it or not, it's one of the skills that you will need for the rest of your life. As such, it's important to give students the tools to sharpen their skills; one of these tools are examples. Throughout each quarter, my students have different writing tasks assigned to them. I realized that the best way for me to connect with both the writing and my students is to present my own writing. For example, the students were writing biographies; I showed them the process by writing my own (highly abbreviated) biography of Alexander Hamilton. Suddenly, instead of being distanced and not caring about the examples provided to them, they were excited because their teacher was showing them the work in progress.

As I've been teaching writing skills this year, I've found myself examining my own skills and trying to better them in my work. This year I realized something; God has put me in this teaching situation to help me get better at what I want to do. My love for these kids and the desire that I have to help them do their best is the driving force to make me better at my craft.

So I will continue writing with my kids and working to improve both of our writing. Who knows? Maybe this period of training will be just what I need.

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” 
― Martin Luther