January 8th

Ahhhhhh....Friday! It's like a cat's favorite sunbeam; warm and inviting, and missed terribly when it stays away too long.

And today was a really good Friday! I woke up feeling good, and by 6:30 A.M. I was...dare I say it...upbeat! I was thrown a bit of a curve ball after our 8:00 mass, but once I realized I was going to be able to see some Irish dancing courtesy of some of my eighth grade girls, I was happy. And, oh my goodness! These girls are amazing!!! I was so proud of each and every one of them today!

The entire day went remarkably smoothly! Could it be that this thinking positively stuff is actually paying off? I enjoyed being around all of my students today, and I think I was a better teacher today because I was enjoying my students. I returned a social studies test to the seventh graders today and asked if there were any questions on it. There were a few students who wanted to argue their case for a question or two. Normally, I just answer their questions, explain why they're wrong, and we move on with our lives. Today, however, I let other students respond to the questions. What ensued was wonderful! They began debating...history! The facts, sure. But mostly they were talking about the interpretation of history. It was a fabulous thing to sit back and watch.

And, of course, no day would be complete without a recess visit from our eighth grade girls. They say they just come into my classroom because it's cold outside, but I know they love me. They stand around my desk and chatter on and on and on...all at the same time, of course. I have no idea how that works...how can they keep track of all the different conversations? How do they expect me to keep track? Oh well...I loved every minute of it! Especially since they were coming to me for reassurance. They are taking the high school entrance exam tomorrow and are all a bit nervous.

You'll do fine, ladies. I'm sure of it.