Oh, Just Shut Up and Let Me Be Proud For A While!

In my last post, I alluded to the fact that my class of sixth graders gave a choral reading of an excerpt from Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. We started practising the speech the day we returned from break, so we only had two weeks and two days to work on it. Really, less then that, as I had gotten sick during break, and by the time we returned to school, I had a bad cough that prevented me from talking much those first two days back at school.

But, they did a phenominal job! I was really proud of them. The normal spots where they'd sometimes stumble with the words went off without a hitch. There was loud applause, and some "Whoo-hoos" from the audience. We were all so proud of ourselves. We had an extra recess to celebrate our success.

This is a class that was together as fifth graders last year. They were to "loop up" with their teacher to sixth grade. Last year, their teacher was a first year teacher, a very soft-spoken young man who just didn't know how to handle fifth graders. I learned that his background was actually with preschool, and he had student taught in second grade. Why they hired him for fifth grade, I don't know. But his class was so horribly behaved, and had an awful reputation. My class was right across the hall from him, and his class' behavoir made me shudder. In the spring, as teachers began to plan what they were going to do the following year, he decided to take a second grade opening at our school. I decided to take over his class, as the other two teachers in that team were teachers I wanted to work with, and I no longer wanted to team with the current gal I was working with. I shuddered as I would watch his class, and would begin to discipline their behavoir in the hallway (I wanted them to know I meant business...).

I worried about having this class all summer long. But due to some placement changes that happened last year, and some boundary changes, most of the real problem boys were gone, and the class is a fairly good one. And I'm not a first year teacher...So, to have them go from a class last year that, if there was ever a sub in the class, reinforcements were called out, to a class that now can stand on stage for an assembly and do a choral reading of "I Have a Dream," is pretty impressive, I think.

Now, here's the story: This past week, our regular custodian was out. Her sub was a guy who was our night custodian last year. I always liked him; he was upbeat and pleasant, and knowledgable about a whole lot of things. He'd also talk your ear off, which I was reminded of on Friday.

He had been helping out during the assembly. Apparently, during the power point of MLK's life, two of my Ukranian boys were being disrespectful. So the custodian was "teaching" them all about MLK and why they should be greatful for what he did. In fact, the custodian, as he retold in detail exactly what transpired (at least, in his mind...), made it sound like they really had quite a conversation WHILE THEY WERE ON STAGE DURING THE POWER POINT (I would have just told the boys to knock it off and be quiet...). I just pretty much smiled and nodded at him. And hoped he'd end the conversation. I was proud of what the kids did, and didn't really want to hear his story. Finally he finished letting me know how well he set those boys straight, and left.

I finished getting my things and left for my three-day weekend. I went out through the office, so that I could say goodby to my principal if she was free, but she was in a meeting. Our counselor was in the office, though. She had told me earlier that day that she had found a great gospel recording of "We Shall Overcome" to play at the assembly, and indeed, it was a rousing rendition that had me singing along with our kindergarten teacher. So I told her, "You found a great song..."

"Thanks," she said. "Your kids did a great job, too."

"Thanks," I said. "I was very proud of them."

"Did the custodian tell you about your two boys? They were saying derogatory things during the power point, and..." She continued to tell me the same story that the custodian had told me earlier. It really made me angry that she felt she had to tell me. First of all, she wasn't even a part of this story. She was at the assembly, but ran the power point presentations from the gym floor. And second of all, she of all people know how far this class has come...

I wish I had simply said to her, "You know, I think I just want to be happy, and think about how this class has gone from having such a bad reputation last year to being such a great class this year. And it's all due to me. Have a nice weekend."

One day last week our principal was in my class, observing our counselor do a lesson with my class. Later, she asked me if my kids liked our counselor. Now I wish I had been truthful instead of evasive...