Another one

Another ridiculous story: A mother called to comment that her son, my science student, had too much on his plate. She doesn't think it's fair that he has a final draft of his short story due on the same day as the rough draft of my 6-paragraph science project assignment. It's too much pressure for a 7th grader to complete two writing assignments at the same time. I asked the student today after class how much of his rough draft he had completed (this was the 3rd entire class period he's had to work on it). Can you take a gander at his response? ...he...hadn't...started...it. Three classes at 46 minutes each. That's 2 hours and 18 minutes of class and he didn't take the opportunity to write a complete sentence. I asked him to share this with his mother when she drafted her next email to me.

I am absolutely grateful that I don't sit at a desk in a generic cubicle making phone calls for a company that exists just to make money.

I am grateful that I remain cool, calm and patient with kids who don't pay attention.

I am grateful that my students like me and that I connect with them on a level most of them never have with an adult.

I am grateful that I am well educated and that I will never lack for a job or dreams or plans.

I love where I live. I love my curiosity. I love ice cream. I love Jay Moon. I love that my dog doesn't have deadly cancer. I love that it's becoming cooler.