Middle School Boys' backpacks

The title should be scary enough! Oh my goodness. Boys in middle school have some NASTY backpacks!

I went through two backpacks today. It is hard for me to understand how in the world a person can just shove papers into a backpack without caring what happens once those papers are inside the backpack. The term "black hole" really does apply to some cases.

The first backpack was pretty scary. There was a stack of paper and folders and garbage at least 4-5 inches tall. At LEAST. We didn't get the chance to go through the whole thing, but tomorrow that project will be completed.

I got to go through another backpack 4th period. Again, the bell rang before we could finish, but this backpack was in serious need of help, and we were about half way done, so I told the student to come back after lunch and we would finish the job.

The student came back and we went through the rest of his papers. About 1/3 of the papers were almost unrecognizable because they were crushed and smashed and had pencil smudgings and were just dirty. Yuck. But, we did organize all the papers into subjects. We didn't quite finish math because there were an awful lot of math papers in there. We will have to finish that tomorrow.

This student didn't have any binders or folders though. Everything was just shoved into his backpack. I have a few 1/2 inch binders that I use for purposes just like this one: a student needs a binder and most likely does not have the support/finances at home to have binders.

So we got a couple of binders, three-hole punched some papers, and then put them in those binders.

The student joked that his backpack seemed so light - almost like nothing was inside it! I told him that considering how many papers we took out, it made sense!

After he had gone to his next class, I realized that he had left a couple of notebooks behind. I ran over to his class and gave him his notebooks. He was sitting in the front row, and on his desk was his newly organized binder.

I don't mean to get all mushy on you, but some of these kids don't have the support and resources that you and I are/have been blessed with. They don't have parents at home who ask about school and help them with their homework. Their parents also don't have money to buy school supplies. I was so touched that he had his binder out. This kid can be a punk (he NEVER stops talking), but he has a place in my heart.

I love my job and I LOVE the opportunity to help my students. :)

-Ms. Damron-

Sad moment

Before 3rd period started, I noticed that one of my students was looking...sad...about to cry actually. I asked her if everything was okay and when she sat down in her chair, she started crying. I knelt beside her and asked if she wanted to talk about it. Originally she said no, but I offered to talk to her during journal time, and she agreed.

Once I got everyone started on their journal entry, I walked this student to a nearby bench outside my classroom and the poor girl broke down and said that her hamster died last night. (I really hope you didn't just laugh, because that would be mean!)

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Here's the thing about this girl - I don't know all of her background story, but I get the feeling that it isn't perfect. (No one's is, but hers seems particularly difficult.) She is from Mexico and I think she came up here with her siblings to live with her aunt/uncle? Her parents may have joined her...I'm not sure on the details.

She's actually quite the bully though and can be rude to other kids. (When a student is a bully, you know there is something more going on than what you see at school.) BUT, she has a love for animals, particularly her hamster. She always talks about her pet hamster and even printed out a picture of a hamster on a get well card she made for someone who works at our school. Ironically, we are writing persuasive papers in my class and her topic is: convincing parents to buy a wonderful pet. EEK. 

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Back to the present situation though...

She was really distressed, so I told her that she could take it easy today and we wouldn't work on her paper. Fortunately by the end of class she seemed okay, and I saw her laughing in the halls later that day. 

I hope she can get a new hamster! I remember pets dying when I was younger. It can be rough!

-Ms. Damron-