Last week I wanted to not work at my school four out of the five days. What made me happy and kept me going? Knowing my brother is at home and that I might be teaching next year in Indiana, living with my grandmother. But that 5th day...Friday...was the first time in a long while that I actually wanted to keep doing what I'm doing...I saw again the willingness to learn, kindness and goodness in others, that makes me love some of these kids... so here are some of the highlights of the week back from Thanksgiving...

1. One of my students talked to me after class, apologizing for her poor behavior (and not paying attention or trying in class), saying she's been having a hard time. She showed me her face- huge welt on the top of forehead and a bruise on her cheek- that was from her father's baby. I was sympathetic, telling her she would have to stay after another day so that I could work with her. I even felt the need to hug her. But really...what can you do? What can you say?
2. Two of our students' mothers passed away this week, one from an enlarged heart and the other from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm sure others have heard about the black boys from Yazoo and the white boys from Belzoni...to make a long story short, the white boys were "getting back" at the black boys and were gonna shoot their tail lights out. So they shot at a car they thought was the Yazoo boys, and the bullet went right through the backseat and into the back of a mother from Belzoni. Students collected money for both of these families Friday, and the students and faculty alike were amazingly generous.
3. Geometry has gotten better...although I don't feel like I'm really teaching all the time, just drilling them. I need to work on that. But...students are doing their work, paying attention, and all but 6 passed the last (freaking easy) quiz.
4. Trig kids drive me crazy daily. With the exception of 5, the rest could care less to be in there. I have to fight and yell every day to get them to do anything. Friday was better, though.
5. Algebra II were simply adorable Thursday and Friday, diligently working on their Linear Programming worksheets, helping each other understand, asking me over and over to check their work, trying to correct their mistakes. They get it, so they want to do it.

On a totally unrelated school note: we have a beautiful 12 foot christmas tree again that we (again) got from south of Jackson and had sticking out of my accord all the way back home. It's fully decorated, and our living room has those "old school" lights. It's silly, but it makes us all happy.