I guess I've been pretty (relatively) zen about the kids and their craziness this week. And, I've said it before, but despite the lunacy displayed daily, I do love my childrens. They've really mellowed out considerably from the beginning of the year (although, if you saw them you might not believe me). At least, in my classroom they have mellowed out. I cannot and will not speak for other classrooms. I'll get my ass in trouble or say something untrue and that's not what this is about.

True, there are a couple of them that I can live without. But mostly I love them. They make me laugh. They are beginning to surprise me in good ways. Students who fought me in the beginning, now I think I've earned a little respect. It was hard earned, tooth and nail. And there is still a long way to go, but I am proud of them for what progress we have made. What progress they have made. It can't all be quantified, unfortunately, in the iLeap exam that my children will take in a little more than a week. And that is what is breaking my heart right now.

The kids are starting to ask me if I will be back next year (of course!) and a few even asked me if I would be teaching 7th grade math because they thought I should. I don't know the answer to that question, but I do know that it means that at least for a couple kids I have accomplished one of the things I set out to do when I pursued teaching math in the first place: to not be the sucky math teacher that I had in middle school.

Score.