Loving Leaners

sol #SOL17 Day 31 31-day-streak-with-border

Teachers have three loves; love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together. ~ Scoot Hayden

Today is the last day of the 2017 Slice of Life Challenge. I joined this group for the second time and have just as inpsired by everyone’s posts as I was last year. Thank you for inspiring me!

“Have I told you lately that I love you?” This Rod Stewart quote makes me think of my current 7th grade classes. I. LOVE. THEM. I will be so sad to see them move up to 8th grade next year. While I always like the students who sit before me each year, once in a while you get an extra special group. This year I have one of those extra special groups.

What makes them so special you ask? They are hard-working, they complete their assignments (for the most part), they are fun to be around, but most importantly, they love learning. They are not afraid to ask questions. They attack assignments without groaning. They are just a joy. When we are independently reading, they are all independently reading. When we are working on a writing project, they are all writing; they are all in.

They are currently working on an Indpendent Writing Project, and through it we are living the writer’s life. They have chosen a topic and a genre. They have written a “proposel” and presented it to me for approval. They meet with me once week to check in on progress and to make revision suggestions. They are full of excitment and enthusiasm. Some of the products they are planning are: ABC books, magazine articles, cookbooks, personal essays, short stories, and more. I am looking forward to sharing their success.

This group of middle schoolers are genuinely kind and considerate. Don’t get me wrong – they are middle schoolers, and they make mistakes, but they are truly sorry when they step out of line. There is not a “Smart Aleck” among them.

They make me a better teacher. I look forward to each day and what new discoveries will unfold. I am constantly looking for ways to step up my game so to speak and create new challenges for them to explore. I hope they will look back fondly on this year as they move on. I hope they will remember that I always valued the student and the learning more than the grade on the paper.

Thank you class of 2018. You have a special place in my heart.

One thought on “Loving Leaners”

When I was first hired for part-time intervention support in a school, before going back to complete my degree, I told the principal that I was a little unsure of how to help the kids. She smiled and said, “Just love them. The rest will come.” I’ve never forgotten it. The kids so know who really cares. They’re so fortunate to have you. Congrats on crossing the challenge finish line!

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