What would my lifes "comment" section say?

SPECIAL NOTE!
-I wrote this about in June while i was doing report cards and needed a break from the grades and what not. Enjoy



I am in the middle of writing end of the year comments for my student's report cards. These are at the end of the report card paper, a chance for me to get in a few words about how the student did or did not perform over this past semester. These are the hardest/easiest for me to write depending on the student. Some I get done in a minute or or less. These are the students that have tried hard, are intrinsically motivated and want to do well in class. Then there are the other students that take time...... These are the students that have taught me a new level of patience over the past few months. They have not tried hard, been disrespectful, not cared and over all WANTED to add gray to my hair.
You would think that these students would be the easiest to literally write off! I could fill more than a few boxes with the frustrations they have provided me over the time i have tried to teach them. Yet at the same time it is a big moment of personal reflection. Writing in these boxes I continually ask myself, have I really tried to do everything i can to encourage these students? I think about the parents reading the comments after I have cleaned my hands of the year and how they will think about their child as a student, and my representation of that student in the comment box.
There is a balance that I try to walk, of grace and honesty.

This comments section got me thinking/reflecting a bit. I got to wondering what would my comments sections say for life? Where would N/S/O ratings? Where would the "shows good effort but needs improvement" or "outstanding" or "doesn't try hard enough"? I took a moment and thought about that, it was fairly though, eye opening and well, an interesting moment to say the least.

So how about you? What would your life comments section say?


Allan

Yes i am Mean Mr. Heida

Well, i had another post in mind, but this happened today and I can't pass up writing about it. I have a 2nd grade class and they are wonderful. I mean yes, they are 2nd graders whom all seem to have the attention span of a gnat, but when ever i have a sub i am always left with notes that say, "Great Class". I do have some challenging students, one of which has provided me with a few early gray hairs. We shall call him Daniel for the sake of this blog.

Daniel has given me more than a few stories which i will blog about later, but today i could pass up this story. Daniel has a hard time paying attention, like all young boys and well, seems to hear things much differently than all the other boys and girls. So we were doing centers today, when the students get into groups to re-read our last story in a group, do flash-phonics cards etc. The group Daniel was in had this assignment; to read a short story 2 times and then find the words with, "ee, ace, or ea" in it and WRITE a sentence using those words. I was with the flash cards group so when Daniels group was done i asked them what they were suppose to do next, and they said, "write sentences..?" I said yes, and I re-explained the directions. They all went down to their seats and started working, except Daniel. I called Daniel and said, "Daniel, i want see you start writing your sentences with the words from the story" He looked at me and said ok. i continued working with my original group until recess time came. So I started to dismiss the students by with work groups making sure each student had done their assignment, the only student who had not finished was Daniel. I asked Daniel where his sentences were and he said, "Ohhhhh....i thought you said write them in your head!" ending with a smile.
I said, "When have we ever just wrote them in our head?"
"Ummm....never?" he replied
"Correct, i want you to take your folder and finish your sentences at recess"
Tears started forming (yes i am ok with this). Daniel can also get a bit of an attitude, which came out at this point and he lost the rest of his recess for the rest of the day.
After recess Daniel hands me his paper and there are 3 sentences there
"I have a face. I like bees. You are mean."

Yes it is true, i am Mean Mr. Heida.

Hope you enjoyed this blog. I do have more to come.


In Christ,
Allan