Day 60: Kids' Pics

How Will You Be Remembered?

One of my top priorities is to make sure each and every student I see everyday knows I am happy to see them at school.  Since I don't work in the same classroom throughout the day, this is my way of connecting with students in our building.  I try to make sure I smile and acknowledge every student I see in the hallway.  I've tried to learn as many names as possible this year.  I'm up to knowing about 250 students, so I'm a little less than half way there (the principal, secretaries and kindergarten teachers have us all beat--they know everyone).  All of these interactions are great, but I still wonder sometimes if I am connecting.

One of the chances I've had this year to get to know and interact with students is during my cafeteria duty during the week.  Honestly, cafeteria duty is not every teacher's favorite thing to do.  It's hard to get 100 kids to focus just on eating their lunch for 25 minutes.  However, the interactions I have with these kids are worth it.  They make me laugh every time.

One girl calls me "Mr. Higgy-baukie" because she thinks it's funny (and it is).  Another boy told me I'm going bald.  And one girl likes to bust the rock when she sees me because she thinks it's funny when I tell her she's "busting my knuckles".  

The best part is they think I'm funny.  Trust me: the next time a 6-year-old asks you to peel a banana, hold it up to your head, say "Hello?", and see what happens.

This week, I received a stack of letters from one of the 1st grade classes.  They were thanking me for spending time with them at the end of the day last week.  The letters full of kind words, but the pictures were the best.  One picture in particular made laugh out loud, but it also made me wonder "What do kids think of me?".

As you might be able to see, the girl who wrote the letter that goes with this picture said thanks for walking them down the hallway after lunch (Just picture a 33 year old guy trying to get 100 6 year-olds to move quietly from the lunchroom to the classrooms at the end of the building).  I love this picture because it's funny and because it shows me what some kids might be thinking of me: The guy that "shushes" them in the hallway.

While we hope our kids will remember the words we choose carefully to pass along knowledge that will help them, chances are they will remember the very words we don't want them to.  

It makes you wonder what your kids remember about you.