Welcome to Crazytown...
So, here we are...the final week before Spring Break (oh..did I mention that we are testing too? Yay team!), I have been absent 4 of the last 8 days, due to a variety of reasons including school visitations, Dr. appointments, and illness. I feel that all the work that I have done this year to create an environment of learning has essentially been thrown out the window and, instead in it's place, Crazytown!
Vacations, at my school, typically cause all sorts of issues. They do not bring to mind a road trip or fun with family for most of the students. Many of my students come from homes where chaos reigns, so the predictability of school is actually safe and calming. Sometimes they show their appreciation by being disrespectful, sulking around and acting like they don't like you, but then other times, they act like they miss you and appreciate you. Ironically, due to my absences, my kids are complaining...I will take this as a compliment that either they miss me or like my subs less...
In middle school we spend much our year in Crazytown...kids running around, trying to figure out how to socialize and be appropriate...how to build friendships, walk away when others try to pick a fight...how to interact with adults, how to be good sons, daughters, or siblings. Middle school is complicated...your entire life is changing. You are transitioning from child to adult, your body is changing in ways you don't understand, your emotions are a whirling dervish.
Every community that we are part of is a bit like middle school and each one of us have a little bit of a middle schooler inside us. Our emotions run high, sometimes we feel awkward in our relationships, and are not sure how to talk to others. Communicating with others in an appropriate way can sometimes be taxing, dealing with uncertainty and changes.
Middle school can be a painful and awkward time, yet it is crucial for our development. Without this awkward transition phase, we can not fully develop into the beings we are intended to be. During this time of questioning and changing, learning is crucial. Each step leads to our next step. Crazytown is actually not a bad place to be...everyone has to pass through and by passing through we get to see the other side...(drumroll please...) adulthood.
Crazytown! Think I have been living there this week too! We are testing, and testing, and testing! The kids are off schedule and ready for spring break! Thanks for the reminder that they are just passing through!
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