School Days...

The first full week of school will be ending tomorrow...and a 3-day weekend will be beginning! :) I really do like my class this year; I have a bunch of fun students. We all really seem to mesh well together, which makes my job easier. Of course I do have several chatty ones, but that's to be expected.

I did have one student who two days ago thought I was being racist!!! I was having a discussion with the class about how they shouldn't take their education for granted because years ago, African Americans did not have the same educational rights as other races. Well, apparently because I used the politically correct terminology, it went right over her head and she thought I was being racist. Being the bold little girl that she is, she raised her hand and said that I offended her by calling her an African American. My initial reaction was to chuckle, but I held back, looked at her wide-eyed, and asked, "Sweetie, what exactly do you want me to call you then? Would it make you feel better if I called you black?" She went on to say, "Well, my Mama told me that when a white person uses the word African American and is talking about those times (I think she meant slavery and/or segregation), they are being a racist." The best part of the whole story is this...I said to her, "I can assure you I meant no offense, and I wasn't being racist. My husband is black..." and before I could go any further, her eyes got so big, it was the perfect Kodak moment!!! I went on to say, "If I was racist, I would not have married a black man." Needless to say, she let it go and was ok after that. :)

Tomorrow I am getting a student in my classroom that was expelled at the end of last year and was not allowed to come back until September 1st. He was going to be placed in the one and only 5th grade male teacher's room, but apparently the social workers at my school, along with GOD, had other plans. :) The social workers felt that I would be the best candidate to deal with this troubled young man...I guess that's what I get for being such a nice teacher, huh?!? :) On a serious note though, I am a firm believer that no student enters my classroom without God placing him/her there...so I believe that this boy will be in my room for a specific reason and purpose. He technically should be a 7th grader...he has been retained twice. The social workers at my school are going to try and "grade correct" him, which means that if all goes well, this boy will move on the 7th grade sometime in the very near future. My hope and prayer is that I can touch his life for the time that he is with me...whether it be short or long.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend everyone!!!