Do not point!

I really enjoying teaching middle school. Other educators find it hard to believe that middle school teachers can be with middle schoolers all day! I cannot imagine being in an elementary school all day. And even high school! I admire all educators of every grade level. We all have a grade-level that we are comfortable in. For me, that is middle school. I love the quirky, little squirrels in middle schools. They are just young enough to want to still follow directions but they are all coming into their own and discovering what makes them unique. I truly think that there is something magical about middle school. Encouraging students to embrace their individuality and how to effectively communicate with others is so important at this age.

This year I am blessed to have a roster full of hilarious, energetic, spunky, comedians. A few students, in particular in my 6th grade language arts class are true characters. One of my little ones is a fellow shoe lover who's free spirt reminds me of Leslie Burke from Bridge to Terabithia. Another one of my little ones is an interesting little bird who's energy is unmatched. She is strong-voicing all of her opinions, kind and brave, and can always helps me brainstorm "lists of randoms". Another one of my little pumpkins is a boy who is unlike any student I have had before. He is often seen as a student who just blurts out everything that comes to his mind, but he is so far beyond his years. His humor is not matched by his middle school classmates. I was so impressed with him when he acted as the sole translator for his mother during a parent-teacher conference. His professionalism and character was astounding. This student, in particular, was present when one of my dear friends visited our classroom for a read-aloud. After he was done reading to the students, this student decided to make a mystery out of a post-it he found. It was obviously a student trying to calculate his grade, but he was making up an elaborate tail! When he was speaking to our guest, he did address him as Mr.Conner, but then he pointed. I instantly used that as a teaching moment to ask him not to point at other people, stating that it was unkind. He immediately tucked his finger into his body and proceeded to point at our guest with his elbow! Declaring that HE had left the mysterious note. It was just too funny. Both of us busted out laughing at his witty ability to still address him with his elbow instead of not pointing at all! It truly amazes me at the amount of different characters that are in my classroom every day and I love encouraging them to embrace their uniqueness!