Checkers

Played checkers in special ed class ...



... and lost.

My, how they've grown.

One of the main things that I miss about being a classroom teacher is the bonds and relationships one forms with their students, and the opportunity to see those students grow. Sure, I get to go to OHS and check in on my former charges, but I am not experiencing the growth with a fresh batch this year.

Even as a substitute, though, you can see some growth. For example, I was at AK-8 today, with the Wednesday kids that I used to see weekly in the fall. The eighth graders today came in, were relatively polite, mostly did their work in a non-messy way, noticed the time, cleaned up completely, and headed back to class! Color me speechless! Now, of course I can't take credit for more than a tiny percentage of their education, so at the end of the day I went down the hall and complimented them to their teacher. She said that's the third compliment she's gotten today - they went on a field trip and were praised by the Courthouse staff and the city bus driver who took them there. So they really are growing!

More found objects

I do not remember being this smart in high school.
(Found at my old high school, which has an unfair reputation for being "ghetto" and underperforming.)