A day in middle school...


Britnie- Ms. Tompkins?
Me- Yes Britnie?
Britnie- Do you have a boyfriend?
Me-*laughter* No, um, not really.
Britnie- Oh, ok.
Riley- Do you have a crush on someone Ms. Tompkins?!
Me- Um, yes.
Polly- What's his name?!
Me- Cliff.
Hunter- Cliff, like jump off a cliff?!
*middle school laughter*
Me- Hunter!
Hunter- Yes?
Me- Respect, remember, you're practicing respect.
Hunter- Oh yeah.
Riley- Cliff what? I'm totally looking him up in the phone book!
Me- You can't, he doesn't live here!
Polly- Where does he live?
Me- Alaska.
Hunter- Alaska! Cool!
Lexie- My Aunt lives there!
Taylor- I went on a cruise there!
Me- Awesome, that's where I grew up!
Riley- Can we call Cliff in Alaska?!
Me- Actually he's in the Airforce and is over in Afghanistan somewhere.
Britnie- Ms. Tompkins' boyfriend is in the war!
*middle school laughter*
Polly- Ms. Tompkins, how old are you?
Me- 24.
Riley- I'll be 12 on February 10th! You're baking me a cake right?!
Polly- I'll be 12 exactly a week after that!
Anna- I'll be 12 on February 26th!
Me- Wow, you're all half my age!
Hunter- Ms. Tompkins! Can you shop with your iPod?!
Me- What?
Polly- You've got to see this, go ahead Hunter.
Hunter- *shopping with iPod dance moves*
*gut splitting laughter*

Every day. Every class period. Every student.
Is different. Is amazing. Is capturing pieces of my heart.
Sometimes they make me really upset because they are so excited that they can't sit still or keep their mouths closed or their hands to their selves and they do the exact opposite of what I instruct them ... and I run out of patience.
Sometimes they make me laugh out loud. Sometimes we have so much fun being goofy.
I'm putting aside my fear; I can be me. I don't have to be popular or like the things they do or say the things they say, I just get to be me. I get to love them for who they are and for what they bring to my class and for the glimpse of who I see them becoming.