Miss! Miss!

Yeah, that’s actually what they call me. “Miss!” Not Miss Slauson, nor Miss S, which I permitted, thinking it would be easier for them. Just “Miss.” They call everyone “Miss” or “Mister.” Even if they remember ME, I am certain they will not remember my name.

My first day of teaching at Sharpstown Middle School in Houston, TX was last Monday. (I am only at this school for a month during training, and then I move back to Edcouch). It was a tough day; not for me, but for the kids. There was a memorial service for Maria at the end of the day, and all morning they were taking diagnostic tests and reading assessments. My first “real” day of instruction was Tuesday. Though none of my kids passed my reading & writing diagnostic, I have FULL FAITH that they can pass to the 7th grade, attributing the poor diagnostic results to their mourning for Maria, coupled with the lack of motivation that comes from being in summer school. I hope to motivate them, somehow.

Though I can’t yet display photos of my class (since, first, I don’t have any, and, second, I haven’t gotten their parents to sign a consent form), I have taken a photo of their “name cards” from the first day of class. I display them in my bedroom so I never forget their names. I also try to think about, and pray for, them each night.

So, meet (the post-it representations of…) Miss S’s 6th grade English Class.

Presenting: Mohammed, Ajha, Christopher, Asma, Maria, Derrick, Steven, Claudia, Michael, Deon, Quentin, and Gustavo.

Some favorite classroom procedures:

(1) Time Keeping. If anyone knows me at all, they know how free spirited I am about the clock. Well, in a class of 12 6th graders that need to pass onto the 7th grade in 3 weeks, we are racing the clock. That is why I made Gustavo my “time manager.” He comes into class, puts on my stopwatch, and when the bell rings, starts the clock. He is my class “type A” (since I don’t have Rachel Shubatt around), and the Lord knows I need the “type As” to keep me grounded. Thanks, Gustavo.

(2) “Ago, Amé.” So, I told my kids I could speak a couple words in an African Language. This is very true. I can say some full Somali phrases, and sing some Swahili songs, but my favorite is the tribal “Ago-Amé” call-back that I learned in an African Dance class. I use it in my class when I want to get their attention. It works wonders.

(3) My post-it manager. I came up with a “rewards-consequence” system that is very complex, but in short, it entails moving post-its up and down a number chart, indicating positive and negative behaviors of each student. I put Christopher in charge of moving the post-its up or down. What I didn’t realize, when his hand shot up to receive the title of “post-it manager,” that he was 4 feet tall. The adorable 4-foot-tall Christopher is relieved when his classmates misbehave, since it means he moves the post-its down. But when they are rewarded, he has to jump up to “level 8,” where the “above and beyond” behavior is. Sometimes, I offer him a chair as a boost.

So, last week, we learned some fun things. Using Sideways Stories from Wayside School (I know you all read it in grade school), we analyzed inference and prediction, the elements of a paragraph, and the parts of a short story. I think the book is too easy for them, but it is very entertaining (for me, too). On Tuesday, we read the story of Mrs. Gorf, who turns her problems students into apples. Then on Wednesday, I brought 2 apples to school and sat them on my desk, beginning class with: “Based on what we read about Mrs. Gorf, what can we infer about these apples?” As I expected, they loved it. What I didn’t expect was to hear Steven yelling at me from down the hall later that day: “Hello, Mrs. Gorf!”

Mrs. Gorf or not (I do have to be mean sometimes), I simply love them. Today, I was thinking about the worship song that says, “better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.” To me, it speaks to the fact that being in God’s presence (his courts), and in the center of His will, is the safest, most comforting, place on earth. When I step foot into that classroom, with those 12 little (and not so little) 6th graders, I know I am in His courts. I don’t feel it. But I know it.

I have so much to learn about teaching (and everything else). I sometimes feel like I am training to become a good actress, as this teacher role feels so unreal. There will come a day when it will feel real (and I will start talking like my Mom, a high school home economics teacher). But right now, I am striving to let justice and grace, that which God brought me here to uphold, be my embrace. I have nothing else (…except for 2 very thick teaching material binders…) to hold on to.