Three things...

Ok, so a while back I did "Three Things That Make Me Want to Leave my School and Never Come Back." I figured I should balance that out by compiling a list of the "Three Things Currently Assuring Me That Despite my Daily Sufferings, This Year is Better Than Last."

1. My rolling chair is sitting behind my desk. That may sound like a big "DUH" to you (isn't that where rolling chairs live??), but don't be fooled. Last year after week 3 I had to lock it up in the storage closet to prevent children from rolling around the classroom in it at high speeds.

2. Nothing has been stolen from inside my desk. Again, last year by week 3 they had bopped me for all I was worth. Staples, tape dispensers, stickers, white-out, erasers--nothing escaped their grasp. This year, I still have zero pens/pencils, but that is due to me handing them out to the daily 24 people who forgot them and failing to get them back. My drawers have remained closed and undisturbed.

3. Remember this post? Yeah. Nothing near that has happened. Thank the good Lord. No one has attempted to pick me up off the ground, I haven't been threatened, and I can't recall at the moment a time where anyone has loudly and clearly cussed me out in front of the class. Notice I had to put a few qualifiers in that last one!

In other news, I went on a field trip Friday with our "good" kids and had a blast. I played giant Jenga (and DOMINATED), let them take turns wearing my ballin' big-assbutt watch, and taught them this dance, which we later recorded and put on youtube because we are that cool. GOSH they're funny. If I only I didn't have to teach them, being around them would be so entertaining and enjoyable.

A tall, stuffy white dude came by our lunch period for a fund-raising event. I could see him watching me as I supervised my table. At one point, he came up to me and asked me how long I'd been teaching.

"Two years."

"How is it for you...teaching all boys in only your second year?"

I gave him this look in response.

"Yes, yes." He paused here to survey me more closely. "I imagine it would be difficult for you."

Because I'm young? Because I'm a girl? Because I'm white? Because you can smell my weakness? What exactly are you getting at, BRUH? Because I'd like to see you try.

"Well, I taught all boys last year too, so really it's all I've known," I said with a smile.

"Hmm. Seems strange that they'd do that to a first-year teacher. I've taught for years on the south side of town."

The south side of town? Congratulations. I can already tell you that your worst behavior problem is the boy in the back who drifts off to sleep after lunch. I've got kids smuggling in tequila in their water bottles (yes that happened last week, for reals).

I don't know why I felt like one-upping this dude. As I was fumbling with my sweater under his intense gaze, Leontay broke the silence from across the table. "MS. M, THAT GUY TRYNNA GET FRESH? TELL HIM TO BACK UP OFF OR WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT FOR YOU!" He grinned broadly. I turned to Mr. Fundraiser to shrug my shoulders, but he was already gone.