#2: Mornings with J and M

Just because I never know, I will always use initials for my student references. Today I am thankful for my mornings with J and M. Every morning M, my student, and J a neighbor teacher's student come and "hang out" with me in the morning. Some mornings, I honestly can see it as a bit of annoyance because I am busily trying to get things done. But, today when I see them come in, it just put the biggest smile on my face.

My student, M, is a goofy black boy who grins when you say anything or ask him anything. It is not disrespectful it is just like breathing to him--"M, get to work." Grin. "M, how was your weekend?" Grin. M can also get a little hyper in the morning probably from his breakfast which is a bag of chips and a jug of sunny D he carries in his backpack. Yes, a jug of Sunny D--I know. J on the other hand is a very timid black boy who I have learned thinks argyle sweaters impress girls so has decided to where them every day. He greets me no matter where I see him in the school or after on my way out. "Hi Ms. Hall!" "Bye Ms. Hall!" This is all I have ever heard him say. Besides my favorite statement--"M didn't do his homework again." J is quite the overachiever and DOES his homework where M NEVER does his.

So when they walk in each morning, I ask them about their day before or weekend and I always here M say "oh boring, nothing going on" to which I reply, "so how come no homework." Even though I lovingly get on him, he somehow stills come by "just to hang out Ms. Hall" each morning. The teachers really appreciate this because before he would wander around our hallway starting at 7:45 making random noises (no way else to really explain them but loud, random noises.) It now has gotten to the point where he comes to find me in the morning if I am not in our first block classroom and instead in my homebase class. (I am a floater!) This is a big improvement from one day early in the year when a teacher suggested, "why don't you go into Ms. Hall's class since you are here early and work on homework" to which he ran down the hallway away from me.

I really don't know if M will pass my class. He really has low low math skills that are probably why he is in my repeater course for algebra one part one. But, I do know I am thankful for him and J coming in to visit me each morning and for moments like the one on Valentine's Day where M looks at me and says, "Ms. Hall, what do you LOVE?" Grin.