mailboxes

For anyone who knows me, you know how much I love getting mail, of the handwritten variety.

Well, just this week we got our mailboxes and since we had an extra, I gave myself one as a way of collecting absence notes or other important forms. Imagine my utter delight when my kids started putting notes and drawings in of their own accord. I'm getting an average of three messages a day. Beautiful colored scribbles and pictures. And even some coloring book pages.

And they're just figuring out that I always write back, so I'm getting ready for an influx.

"Ms. Haley, I'm feeling very agitated at you."

carpet

I showed the littles a picture of their new carpet today at the end of the day, and you wouldn't believe their reaction.

They were so excited that they sat up in their seats, and all simultaneously gasped. Then they broke out into cheers and starting high-fiving each other. I wish that I had a picture to share because it was literally one of the best things I have seen. Ever.

Says K (who pulls her uniform tights every day until they rip) while she fiddles, fingers entangled, with her now-shredded tights, "Ms. Haley, can you make this hole go away?"

"No K, but if you stop pulling on it, it won't get too much worse."

"My momma says she's gonna whoop me if I come home with another hole in my tights."

the interrupters

A few weeks ago I went to see The Interrupters, a film about treating violence in the city of Chicago through CeaseFire.

Imagine walking down a street where everyone is armed – with guns, rocks, knives – and a fight is breaking out. Imagine walking into the middle of that fight armed with nothing but your own love, your own courage, about 40 hours of conflict and anger management training, and the lessons of your own violent past. Imagine pulling the participants apart, listening to their grievances, and talking them into being a little bit better than they think they can be, and if you do your work right – if you can listen hard enough and love hard enough – maybe no one dies today. 

Read the rest of the review here. I cannot recommend the film enough - if you have a chance to see it, see it.

good thing I don't teach middle school

[pointing to my armpit] ...Hey Ms. Haley, you got something on your shirt.

Did I mention my school is a toasty mass of cinder blocks?

ms. clark?

My kids are still learning my name. To get my attention, they say things like --

"TEACHER! TEACHER!"
"Umm...excuse me? Mr. Haley?"
"Ms. Clark?"

...What? There isn't even a Ms. Clark in the building.

On another note, thank you so much to everyone who has donated supplies or offered support to my classroom. I cannot even express how important it is to feel that support while A. kicks and screams on the floor.

WE ARE HALFWAY TO CARPET LAND!