Half Days

Half days as a student are amazing! You go to school, usually don't do much in class, and go home for the afternoon off.

Half days as a teacher are no fun. You must babysit your hyper students, eat a quick lunch out at a busy restaurant full of teachers in a hurry just to go sit in a long meeting all afternoon that usually does not help with anything but raising your blood pressure.

That has been my story until today. This half day started out with a student rushing in to my room to get me to help a sick student in the bathroom. We ran to the bathroom only to find that there was no student. By the time we got back, my class had set up a surprise birthday celebration complete with birthday cake, a signed card, and singing! I have never felt so loved by a group of high school students than I have today. 

See, as a high school teacher you spend your days trying to get the kids to like you and your lesson enough that they do their work without complaining. We must earn their cooperation, respect, and attention on a daily basis. It is not like being a kindergarten teacher where the kids love their teacher and look up to them. No, if a day goes by without a student complaining it is a miracle. 

So, to see that even through the complaining and hard work I have put them through I have done something right somewhere. For my students to appreciate me enough to outwardly show me on my birthday truly makes my day, my week, heck, my school year! 

So with this, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and a great long weekend!