Day Forty-seven: Strike!

No, no one is going on strike. It's that lovely time of the performance process where we have to put everything back. Little by little, class by class, we took apart the haunted house, packed stuff up, and put the woodshop back together. It's funny how they at first whine that they have to clean up but then end up working really hard and getting a ton done. I thought it would take us two days, but we finished in four class periods.

Since we were done by 6th and most of the class was absent, I did the kids makeup for Halloween. I have one student that when I ask him something he shakes his head and says nothing. I've started encouraging him anyway, then waiting for him to follow through. Usually it's something like "Hey, can you come join us?" Head shake. I smile. I wait. He wanders for a moment and then sits down. We get to work. Although my 6th period boys really like to wander out the door and pretend I can't see them in the hallway (I watch their little journey) until they wander back in thinking that they've been so sneaky.

This morning we announced student of the month awards. I warned the other teachers not to fall over. The principal opened the bottle of soda I had in my hand and sniffed it to make sure I wasn't drinking. Nope. Yes, I gave it to the girl who hated me and my class at the beginning of the semester, who has told me she hates school and only comes to see her friends. Lately she's been helping a lot with the haunted house, asking to come to my class to help. Unfortunately she wasn't at school to accept it. So I'm holding on to it for when she returns.