Kids that stick

There are a few kids that stick in my head. Even after substituting at different schools. Even after a long time.

Manuel was an 8th grader who wore a hoodie and pulled the sleeves down over his hands because the tattoos on his hands are against the school dress code. He tried to push my buttons by making irritating noises. I let him be. When he handed his work in I said, "Did you really finish?" He responded that he did and I told him, "You made me think you couldn't do it and then you just totally surprised me." The next day when I was at the same school subbing the same classes, he didn't try to be obnoxious. He even talked to me, "Did you think I don't do my work?" We had almost the same conversation as the day before and I told him how he had far surpassed my expectations. He loved it.

Last Friday I had a 7th Grade kid in English class with a really cool last name: Zavala. I told him what a great name I thought he had. The next Monday I was at the same school subbing for an 8th Grade English teacher. When I came to that great name Zavala again, I asked this 8th grader, "Mr. Zavala, do you have a brother in 7th grade at this school?" He said that he did so I told him that I subbed his brother's English class the week before. Later in the period, when he had finished his work, Big Brother Zavala came up to talk to me:

BBZ: "How do you remember my brother?"
Me: "That's just such a great name, I couldn't forget it."
BBZ: "What did you think of my brother?"
Me: "I thought he was a good kid. He seemed pretty with it. Socially mature."
BBZ: "He's really smart, but he's lazy."
Me: "I didn't notice him being lazy."
BBZ: "My mother was a kindergarten teacher so when I was learning the kindergarten stuff from my mom, my brother was learning it all a year early. He caught on really fast. Faster than me. It has always come really easy for him, but he's lazy."
Me: "Sometimes not having it come as easily teaches you to be a hard worker."
BBZ: "He needs me to keep on him."

At the end of that conversation, I couldn't help but feel like the one of the brothers that was really something special, was the Older Zavala brother. I have thought about him all week and how he was looking out for his brother. I guess I'm pretty impressed with a middle schooler who thinks life is about more than just himself. Pretty unique.

A few weeks ago I substituted 3rd Grade at an elementary school that I like to go to. Good kids. One of the little boys, Miles, was a hugger. A big hugger. He probably hugged me ten times during the day. During one of those hugs he looked up at me and said, "I...I think you're cute." As he said it, he reached his little hand up to my cheek -and pinched it gently. I had to turn around quickly so he didn't see me die laughing.

Yesterday I got to substitute 1st Grade at Will and Ivy's school. I had promised my kids that the next time I had an Aaron in my class that I was going to call him "A A-Ron," because of a silly youtube video we saw about a substitute making all the names on the roll inner-city names. Well, I just couldn't do it yesterday. This Aaron was an adorable little Indian boy with eyes like almonds and even a slight Indian accent. School wasn't easy for him, but he was the sweetest little gentleman. There was a fire drill near the end of the day and it was raining outside. He took off his hoodie and wrapped it around Bailey's arm to keep her cast dry for while we were outside. When we came in and Bailey told me what happened, I announced to the class, "We have a hero in our class! Aaron took off his hoodie and protected Bailey's cast while we were outside in the rain and Bailey's cast didn't get wet at all." I watched him grow three inches when I said that. Cutest thing in the world.

The fire drill was very upsetting for some of these first graders. While they were waiting in the rain outside in their line, one of the boys, Juvani, looked terrified. I went over to talk to him:

ME: Juvani, are you okay?
Juvani: It's my heart! That was so scarey!
ME: Did the fire alarm scare you?
Juvani: (Nods)
ME: But did you notice what you did? You knew exactly what to do and where to go! You showed me where to go!
.....later when we had come in the classroom after I announced that Aaron had been a hero, Juvani added proudly, "And I showed you where to go!"

A cute little girl named Italy in our class was so upset about the fire drill that she fell to tears in the classroom afterward and thought that she might need to go home. I told her that it would make me too sad to have her go home before the end of the day because I wanted to tell her goodbye and give her a hug with her classmates. She somehow found the strength to stay. (Italy had previously complained to me about some physical problem she was having in class...was she the one with the hangnail? I can't remember, but when I asked her if she need to go to the nurse's office, she said, "My Mom says that she won't come pick me up from the nurses office anymore and that if I go there, I'll get in trouble.")

I also substituted at Faith's middle school for the first time ever this week. It was fun to see some of the people I have heard her talk about and have lunch with her in my classroom.