so bad and yet...so good

they are so crazy. but they are so great. two of my favorite/most difficult students stayed late after school and actually one is still here (at 4:22 pm). he spent class making a sign for my door, and then had to stay to do his work. it was worth having him here after school, because he didn't disrupt the class. whoo hoo!! he was actually focused on this great sign for my door. i know, it's not academic, but he's doing his work now and he's doing it well.

another one of the students who stayed is one of my 7th graders. he is ridiculously adorable. i just want to give him big hugs when he does his work and give him a noogie when he doesn't do it or he's screwing around. but i don't do either of those things. i just squeeze his shoulder and smile or poke him on the arm. our principal is constantly saying, "do not touch the students." the truth is, i touch a lot of my students on the shoulder usually. it's weird to *not* touch people sometimes--i feel very affectionately toward my students. we spend two plus hours together every day--well, with some of them--and i know that they like being in my classroom, too.

it's amazing how some of the most challenging students really just want attention and affirmation. they exhaust me sometimes during class, but then they stay and it is totally renewing to build these relationships outside of the classroom. it's almost kind of miraculous, actually--it surprises me a lot.

my computer is running out of battery so i should wrap this up. i guess that all in all, the school year is going well so far.