Could I Really be a Role Model?

Today...

One of my students gave me an envelope today. He asked me to look inside. I knew it was an invitation to a "holiday" dinner that his group home has yearly. I feel VERY honored to be invited, and I will surely attend (what a first time experience this will be). First, it's up to the boys at this home to invite the teachers or staff of the school that they would like to attend. The 15 boys at this home (3 of which I have in my classes) have all been in juvenile hall. This home is their last chance. They are strict. Very strict. The kids are all wards of the court. If they screw up while in this program, they go back to Juvi. It's very sad. All 3 of the boys I have from "The Boys Republic" are nice kids. For the most part polite. They all come in to "chill" at lunch, to use the computers, or whatever. It's funny, of ALL the kids I thought I'd reach when I became a teacher, I don't think I would have guessed I'd be bonding with these guys. If you saw them, you'd think they were your average boys. One loves tennis shoes. He loves them to the point that he spends many lunches on my computers looking at pictures of shoes. I can think of worse addictions :) The second one is extremely sharp. He loves to read. He's quite analytical, and can really write, and he's a total smartass. Good thing I can spar with the best of them. The third one has so much stuff going on, I'm really worried about him. He's failing all his classes, including mine. I know he's got so much emotional baggage, it breaks my heart. I too had MANY challenges in high school, not to be discussed in this forum. But this kid is nice, quiet, funny. It's so odd to have a kid in my class who does nothing to succeed, yet will come hang at lunch, joke, laugh smile. Today he had lunch detention with me for not following through on another committment. He showed up, was just sitting there, so I gave him a book of poems. He LOVED the book, asked if he could take it home to read. Unfortunately, I am protective of my books and told him no, but he could come read it tomorrow, he has another day of detention to serve with me. :) Bottom line, when a kid WANTS to read...it's like...like...EPIPHENAL.

Overall--today was a "good to be a teacher" day. Even with the not so glorious parts.