Cold mornings, books, and what the heck, mouthy seniors...

Cold again this morning-- just missed a frost again. And it wasn't supposed to get that cold. Not a great thing-- we sure could use a true warm-up. The days are nice, though. I went to the middle school softball game yesterday afternoon, and the weather was lovely, the girls (Meg's team) won by a huge margin (OK, 18-1), and it was really nice to ignore chores for a few hours. Today, I have to stay at work late for a meeting. Tomorrow, car appointment. I will sneak in some sunshine hours one way or another, though.

I am currently reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass. Yes, I know I'm a little late to the party on that one, and many of my friends have already read it. We got a small set of them for school this year, and I grabbed one to read. I suspect that the students who were supposed to read it (not in my classes) did not; the books are pristine. That said, it is on my AP Language and Comp syllabus to be read in its entirety. Somehow, while I'm reading it, I feel a whole lot more centered. The other book I have on my syllabus is Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird; again, a book that no one was using (it was added to our shelves by a former colleague, and I'm pretty certain it was just left there, undisturbed). I read it a couple of summers ago, and I found it interesting and transformative, while being completely readable. I hope that the kids read it and gain something from it; they might, they might not--teens are quite often a little too egocentric but we'll see. Both texts support the requirements of the course, and I like them both. I've found that if I really like a book (or anything, for that matter), they are willing to at least give it a try.

But that's next fall, not now. Right now, we are managing as gracefully as possible to get through the last two weeks. Seniors are a little wound tight, and they have a new sense of entitlement that is a little out of keeping for them. Don't inform me that you are not presenting on the day we are all scheduled to present (why do parents make dentist appointments during class time?)-- ask me if it's okay for you to present at another time. Another student (not in my class, but I overheard the exchange) was asked if he wanted the work he missed that day in a math class; he replied "no, I'm not going to do it anyway." Seriously. 

We hate to lower the boom at this late a date, but this is not good behavior. We want to feel their accomplishments, but right now, they need a nap or a time out. It's not all of them, but this "senioritis" is a little hard to take. They are good kids, but we still have to be the actual adults in the room.

So, I hope that the next three days go well. After Thursday, they will be released unto the unsuspecting world. 

Amen.

C