Yesterday was the last day of school for my sixth grade students. They are now, officially, considered seventh graders. While I will miss them, I am very proud of them and know they are ready for the next grade level. I look forward to watching them learn and grow over the next two years in middle school.
There is a time-honored tradition in my classroom that the students look forward to at the end of the year. It's something I came up with my first year of teaching, and I have followed through with it every year. It means as much to me as it does to my students.
I have two big boards in my classroom. One is a whiteboard at the front of the room and one is a chalkboard on the side of the room. I don't allow students to write on my boards in the classroom unless we're doing work. No one writes on my boards "(insert name) was here!" or "Luv u!" between class periods, before/after school, or during any clubs in my classroom.
Wait.
Did I say no one?
Well, that isn't true. Seventh and eighth grade students are allowed to come in anytime (when class isn't in session, of course) and write on either of my boards, anywhere they like and write anything they like. Sometimes, they even draw pictures. They enjoy their 'honored status' in my classroom. I enjoy giving them that honor, as well.
Does this sound like I'm being cruel or unfair to my sixth grade students? I assure you I'm not, though it sometimes feels that way to them in the beginning. I'm actually teaching them something. I'm teaching them how to enjoy anticipation and how to truly enjoy earning their own rewards. I'm also teaching them patience and respect and honor. And, believe it or not, I'm also teaching them what it feels like to be cherished.
You see, these students have watched my former students visit my classroom from time to time and sign my boards. They see the messages they leave, and they look up to the older students. Now and then, when given the chance, the older students pass on good advice to younger ones. My former students set a good example for my present students. By the time my sixth graders are ready to sign my boards at the end of the year, we know each other very well. They have come to understand the importance of earning rewards, respect, and honor. And they certainly know how much I love and cherish them.
Do you think I'm overstating the power of this very small, daily lesson that extends over the whole school year? If so, then allow me to share with you what I experienced yesterday, and what I experience every year on "sign in" days...
The last two days of school are exam days. Only after students have completed their final exam in my classroom do I consider them seventh graders. Once everyone is done testing, I congratulate them on their accomplishments and hand them a chalk or a marker to "sign in as a seventh grader" on my boards. They get so excited and their faces beam! They know they've earned it, know it's time to move forward, and know I now expect them to be the examples that lead my next class of sixth graders.
It's a very big deal to my students.
Most of my students take this opportunity to leave me one last message, a few just want to sign their names. All of them want to know how long it will stay there. I tell them the boards will be cleaned at the end of the week for the summer, but that I always photograph everything they've written with the camera on my phone, to have it with me wherever I go, and with my 'nice' digital camera to keep on my computer.
You see, it's a very big deal to me, too,...because my students are a VERY big deal! :)
I found this book at Half-Price Books and was attracted to the title and the cover. I love music and thought it might be something like Rob Sheffield's book Love is a Mix Tape. When I realized it was a collection of short stories with music woven in to the stories, I decided to take a chance on it (there's that great book instinct rising to the occasion again). 
Since my last post was about my love of book covers, I must mention that there was nothing that appealed to me about the cover of this book. There are two covers, actually, and neither of them 'spoke' to me, but I could not deny my love for the quote and the title. Reading the little introduction convinced me it was for me.
The Winter Sea is two tales in one (something else I love). The story is written in both the present day and in the past. The novel begins in the present with an author who is visiting Scotland to do research for a book she's writing. She finds more than she expects in the ruins of Slains Castle and is inspired to stay awhile longer. She begins to write a novel that almost seems to write itself. It is as if she is haunted by a story that must be told. 
It's been awhile since I've blogged. Truth is, I've had a lot going on in my life. Things...I don't care to blog about. And, because I know myself all too well, I know if I blog while I'm going through something, part of it is going to leak out in my writing. I didn't want that, so I didn't write at all (other than for myself, where no one sees it but me). Now, while I realize we live in a world where people want to talk, tweet, blog, and post about every little detail of their lives, it isn't my style. I have nothing to hide, I just don't believe everything that happens in my life, or flashes through my mind, needs to be blurted out to the world. Just call me old-fashioned. ;)
