All of last year, I heard about the kids I would be getting this year. I heard all about how horrible they were, how they would not follow the rules, how they could get away with murder, how difficult they were to teach.
Although it was in the back of my mind, I kept my mind open. The first time I met them was at summer reading camp and they were good for the most part. I was also able to meet some during orientation. Still, there weren’t any major problems.
Despite all the complaints people have about our current kids, I got lucky with the kids I got. They are pretty good. Sure, I have a handful of super chatty ones and some supremely aloof ones, but for the most part, they are pretty good.
Many kids have turned me into a character in their fractured fairytales. Today, when I got a mean edge in my voice when my last class would not stop talking, they looked at me with deer in the headlight eyes and got super quiet. When school was over and the kids were leaving, one of my super chatty, hyper active kid shouted out my name and gave me a big wave and huge grin as he walked out the doors.
As I sat at my desk grading away the afternoon, I realized that these kids are working for me because I am finally ready for them. I am a much better teacher. I still have my lapses, but overall, I am becoming the teacher these kids deserve.
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