Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Today as K****i was walking in to my room for his pull out session he goes, Ms. G, you know my very favorite place?!
I was just waiting for him to say, "Your classroom! I love learning!"
And he goes, "The pharmacy. They have the best toys there. It's awesome!"

I continue to be fascinated by him - how his brain works, and at other times, seems to just....shut down.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Working 12 hour days 5 days a week, plus a 3 hour commute, doesn't leave much time for blogging.
But there are moments to be captured.
Like when K****i listed his favorite place as the pharmacy and then wrote 5 small moments about it in writing.
Or K**k, and how autism, or whatever goes on in that brain of his, is fascinating and scary all at the same time. Sometimes he repeats, "We're in grave danger," over and over again. Sometimes he spaces out and won't respond to anyone or anything. Sometimes he cries hysterically. And sometimes....he's a totally normal 5 year old.
And my team. Teachers and administrators, working together for these kids. Showing up to work optimistic. Supporting one another. Working effeciently. Selflessly.
It is not perfect. And I am more tired and overextended than I've been possibly ever.
But I love my job. I look forward to going everyday. And I feel unbelievably supported.
This is what I moved here to do.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

They're Succeeding

My babies - in middle school.
"I miss our old class," lamented Yahkemp.
"Me, too," I confessed.
Comfortable silence was followed by regret all of the time I'd spent counting down the days until I wasn't his teacher anymore.
He was, after all....exhausting.
And hilarious, witty, brilliant, and brutally honest.
In many ways, he was one of the toughest students, and people, that I will ever meet and be responsible for educating.
And I miss him.
Like crazy.

Monday, September 01, 2008

Changes

Their voices changed - my old kids.
I called them all today, to hear about their summers, to wish them good luck, and to tell them, just one more time, that if they needed anything, they could always call me.
I could hear Ken smiling on the other end of the phone as he told me about Six Flags and Coney Island.
Adony vowed to be bad if I didn't come back...I pleaded with him to make good choices, but can only hope that he does.
And the others...they are ready. I prepared them. I can only hope that their teachers are ready and see the potential in them that sometimes gets hidden beneath the need to be tough and survive.
Tomorrow we will enter different doors. Me a charter school in Brooklyn, them public schools all over the Bronx.
2 years ago we met for the first time.
Who'd have thought our journey would be so powerful?