Mile 25 and Systematic Living

It is the last week of school.

Some of my friends are completely finished for the year.  But we're not there yet.  This week it is St. Croix Prep's turn to close things out.  For me this means late nights of grading, watching a few end of the year plays, collecting books, signing yearbooks, making students be reflective, talking about D.C. a lot, THINKING about D.C. a lot, and keeping order for five more days. 

The thing that has helped me this year: being a teacher who has done this 3 times already.  I figured out a rhythm and a pace that kept me sane.  I'm still myself.  I didn't get too loopy.  When I didn't feel sane today I stood back and made myself breathe in and out a few times.  I stepped away from needy students.  Sometimes students in 7th grade forget that in addition to just them, you also, as the teacher, possibly talk to 159 other people in the course of 7 hours who might just have that same question. 




So I'm praying for patience and trying to be direct.  And when I'm not patient I'm seeing that I really can come up with some well-placed words that don't devastate but definitely keep things tight.  A must have when you're still in school on the anniversary of D-Day.  And four more days follow it. 

The thing I discovered today is that my pet peeve in the last week of school is when students blurt something out when I am talking.  This is a struggle for some students all year long.  Some do this for attention.  Some do it because of their excitement to be heard.  Some do it to try to distract me.  (Sorry, everyone, I know that trick from the year I was a sub).  Whatever the reason, and whatever the background story, I'm not having it.  Who likes to be interrupted?  I've been calm all day, and there is a plan in place, but in the instant that someone interrupted me?  That's when I had had it.

This was not a singular event.  But each time it went like this..."That very thing.  It's rude.  Hear me now. I'm not having it.  Do not do this again all week.  Do not try it again when I'm talking."  All of this was said with a very direct glare.  It's the one thing I can't handle.   I think most classes heard that loud and clear today.  Literal, honest, and respectful.  It doesn't make them shrivel.  We move on and things are understood. 

Maybe I should be glad that I still have their attention and at least they are (mostly) listening to me.

I think that this week is working (and yes, a blog post on Thursday might not be so gracious) because I've also been repeating myself a lot in the last few weeks.  I've been prepping them.  This part of class sounds like this....

Raise your hand if...

...you feel like jumping out of your chair today because you feel that sick of school.
(3/4 of the class)

...you feel that you're sludge in the chair because you've resigned yourself to the fact that we really are all together like this until June 10. 
(1/4 of the class....and they're usually slumped over when they haphazardly raise their hand in this moment anyway)

...you checked facebook and saw that (insert district name here) was already done with school.

...teachers are starting to unhinge a little. 
(Give us a break.  For real.)

I told my students a few weeks ago that the last week of school together could be really beautiful or very treacherous.  It's like athletes who visualize games and races before they happen.   And I used the word treacherous because it was dramatic.  I did it for effect but I smiled so I'm sure it wasn't scary.  When I said it, one 7th grade girl's eyes got very big though.  I don't know what she was imagining, but as a whole 7th grade seemed to get it.  I told them I'm choosing the beautiful.  They should too. 

This has worked.  I've also repeated our basic schedule to them little by little each day.  They know they can't freak out on any given day here just because they want to.  We've got things to do, and it's not treacherous.  In fact, it's very nice.  I've found things that give them credit as thinkers and independence in their own lives while remembering that they are still very much young people.  They still like to play.  When the 8th graders complained about something last week, I said, "Enjoy your finals schedule next year".  And they changed their minds about complaint in general. 

I'm thinking about D.C.   See the map above?  I'm going to most of these places.  See the bus?  I'm boarding a bus like this with 47 other people.  This is home away from home.  And thankfully it's air-conditioned.  This trip is jam packed for four days straight.  It's so fun.  Kind of stressful, but really a lifetime experience with students we've gotten to know for two years.  We can play and goof around on the mall and then be somber and thoughtful in other places like the Holocaust museum or the National Portrait Gallery.  We get to know interesting people who are not from the Midwest, and kids realize that they really are ready to hug their parents when they get back, even though they were a little hesitant to do that when saying good bye for the trip.  I did already preface this moment by saying to them, "Just hug your parents, you guys.  5:30 am, there we are.  Hug your parents good bye.  Don't be too cool in that moment.  They will need to hug you.  It's normal."  They smiled because they know that even at 5:30 am, they can suddenly be too cool for everything.  Ah.  Trends in adolescence.

 Good friends who walked through last year with me know that leading a trip to Washington D.C. on behalf of our school was intense and new and thrilling and scary and BIG.  Bigger than I thought it was in the first place.  But things went well.  I prayed for God's protection and provision sometimes minute by minute, and while I don't consider myself a very natural event planner, this I can do.  

I can take a bunch of people to Washington D.C. and teach them about that place and command respect on the city street when I know what we need to do and the bus is rolling down Constitution Avenue to pick us up again.  This year it will be warm and we will be adventurous like we were last year, and I will once again need many prayers for safety and wisdom and clarity of heart and presence while I am there.   

In light of the planning, the giant checklist, the parent e-mails, the conversation about being from small town Stillwater in the big city (and not waving $80.00 around when buying a $3.00 magnet in a sketchy looking souvenir shop)....In the middle of all of this today, two very nice things happened that gave me solidarity about how things are going.  From a side I can't see called 'Parenthood'.  I got an e-mail from a parent that gave a quality compliment, and someone I work with told me that their son wanted to go again this year because it was just that wonderful last year.  And her son doesn't say things out like that.  Heck, she doesn't say things out like that.  She told me that he buys into things when there is order amidst chaos.  And that is what this trip was for his class.  It meant a lot to her.  It meant a lot to me.   

See that picture of Capitol Hill?  I'll be there.  With 44 students and 3 colleagues on a warm summer day. 

In short: God's provision often comes to me through other peoples' words.  Today was no exception.   

I have late night grading to attend to, but before this closes for the night, I want to remind myself of the good things in this day....

- old students came back to talk to me and reminisce about funny moments
- I watched two 7th grade boys reenact a famous samurai battle with swords and a helmet.  It was historically accurate and they did extra research outside of class.  But I couldn't help it.  I started laughing when the narrator accidentally called one samurai Mooshy instead of Musashi.  It was said so confidently and that is very much not his name.  Thankfully no one was offended, and the battle continued.
- I had dinner with Christi Johnson (formerly Birkholz).  She's classy, fun to be around, and a great conversationalist.  This was a highlight.
- I had breakfast with my dad in Northfield.
- I talked about real Christianity in 3 very interesting ways with 3 interesting friends.
- My coworkers are hilarious and I love them.

Time for grading.  Punch the shark!