The Good Ones Make It Worth Putting Up With the Punks

i realized the other day that i complain about my students sometimes. and let's be honest, folks - i teach 9th graders. there are bound to be some tools in the shed. but i do have some really great kids, too, and sometimes i forget that. sometimes the punks are pulling so much of my focus that i forget why i do what i do. it's for the good kids. the ones who can't wait for the next writing assignment so they can top their friend's last story. the quiet, observant girl who sits on the side of the room in my chatty 3rd period class and, when teased about how she obviously doesn't have a myspace account - apparently a mortal offense in the world of teens - she continues up to the front of the room, smiles pleasantly, deadpans "oh, i have one. i just don't want to have to add people like you," and starts her presentation without skipping a beat. it's the kid who i taught two years ago and who still stops by my room just to say "hi", and the senior who stops by after school for help on her college entrance essays because she values my advice. it's for kids like my "repeat student" from last year - a great kid who's quite bright, but just got a little lazy last year. i just found out (via the presentation he did yesterday) that his father died about 3 months ago - which explains the large chunk of missed school at the end of the year - and though he wanted to share a memory of his dad, it quite literally broke him yesterday. he spent the last 15 minutes of class trying to hold it in, and he was down again today. (this is a kid that doesn't know the meaning of "down" or "stressed".)

it breaks my heart that i can't help, because that's my job. and it's what i want to do - inspire these kids, help them along, make figuring out their place in the world a little easier. i just realized that maybe i don't mention how great some of these kids are. maybe i would benefit from noticing that more often...