Focusing on the positives: the week in review

I wanted to take a moment to focus my attention on a few positives from the week in review.

I got a brand new student in one of my freshman English classes this week. Yes, in Quarter 4. We are 20 / 31 chapters through To Kill a Mockingbird, so I had to come up with an alternative unit for her. Anyway, I have this new girl right before lunch, and she seems really shy.

At the end of the hour, my sweetest, smartest, shyest, kindest girl walks up to the new girl and asks her if she has anyone to sit with at lunch. New Girl says no. Sweet Girl says, "You can sit with me and my friends." New Girl smiles a big, genuine smile.

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During a pop quiz, one of my students drew a picture of a body-building hamster, and it was hilarious. On the back side of the paper, he drew a picture of me (I love when students do this, because I think their pictures are hilarious). In the picture, I have sweet bangs, a forked tongue, snot dripping onto said reptilian tongue, and something across my upper lip that could either be a mustache or pointy teeth. I hung it on my board and it makes me laugh every time I look at it.

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Our standardized testing is done! Now I just have to prepare for AP tests next week. After that? Smooth sailing until June 4.

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The past two days, my freshmen have been doing a trial reenactment of To Kill a Mockingbird. They've been surprisingly into acting out the characters. Some have fantastic southern drawls. I witnessed some shy students step into roles I didn't know them capable of playing. I saw them come out of their shells. Even my student with so much social anxiety he's rarely in class was talked into playing a pretty big role. It was really great to see.

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Also in regards to the trial, today, the attorney defending the plaintiff strutted over to the jury before class, put his foot up on a desk, and said, "Hey jury... so that guy over there? [He points] Totally guilty. Right? Guilty. Just remember. Guilty... Ice cream? With sprinkles, if you remember: guilty."

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It's a beautiful day and I have all three of my windows wide open.