Monday

Monday morning, 6:50 am: "Bones sinking like stones, all that we've fought for. Homes, places we've grown, all of us are done for." My ipod alarm summons me from my dreams with my favorite Coldplay song. My arm raises. The snooze button is hit.
7:00: "We live in a beautiful world, yeah we do, yeah we do." My pesky alarm goes off again. I don't care how much I like the song. Anything besides my internal clock that causes me to wake up is pesky. My arm raises, my brow furrows, the reset button is hit. Much to my dismay, Monday is here... already. Time to get up and get ready for work. Where did the weekend go??? Spring break is just around the corner, and I am living for it! I simply do not want to go to work. I couldn't fall asleep last night for hours and the idea of saying, "voices off in the hall please," "WALK, please!" "raise your hand" "are you tattling to help or to hurt?" all day long is anything but enticing. No, I do not want to get up this morning. Yet somehow I lift my still foggy head out of bed to face another day.

As I stand outside with my class during their lunch recess, I tilt my head towards the warming sun. So this is what spring is like, I muse. I'm glad I have recess as an excuse to be outside in the middle of the day. No cooped up little office for me, thank you. Then I turn my focus back to the kids. Given that these kids come to the program based on behavior problems, they require constant watch. So, I watch. I watch them run, climb, and laugh.

I watch as one of the girls in my class, a little third grader whose arm is completely bandaged up from a fall last week climbs the ladder and leans towards the monkey bars. She's going to try and traverse them, bandage and all! Then I watch something truly remarkable. I watch as a baggy pants wearing, earring sporting, "trouble starting," sixth grade boy steps in front of her and gently holds her by the waist to assist her across the bars. When she can go no farther, he sets her carefully back on the ground. "Look at how far you got!" He says smiling at her. She smiles back and runs off. And I, watching all of this, am completely struck. No one told the boy to help her. Surely no one would expect it from a "trouble maker." There was no reward in it for him. I am the adult and he, a 12 year old, has shown me what a truly selfless, small, random act of kindess looks like. And to think I didn't want to come to work today!

12:45 pm: My attitude has done a complete 180.

This is not the first time this student has blown me away. I've watched as he has instructed one of the less coordinated students in my class to go out for a pass then tell him "Oh! Almost! Nice try!" as the kid misses a pass that could have been easily caught by someone else. I've watched him make sure everyone gets a turn in the game. I've watched him hurry over to a hurt child to make sure they're ok.

This is not the first time I've seen the incredible, undeniable, mind-blowing potential of such a "troubled kid." This is not the first time I've wondered why me? Why am I lucky enough to cross paths with such outstanding kids? Why am I so blessed to learn from kids who, despite what they've already endure in their short years of life, are so good? Why do I get such moments? All I know is that Coldplay was right: We really do "live in a beautiful world."

Last Day

(Things the students were sweet enough to give me)

I work in a behavior management program at an elementary school. For eight weeks selected students from throughout the district come to our class to (hopefully) learn how to make better choices. Yesterday was the last day with the second session of kids. I hated it. These kids are absolutely AMAZING! I am not ready to let them go yet. I just pray that when they go back they will continue to be the amazing kids I know they are, and that their teachers, parents, classmates, etc. will see and help cultivate their potential.

To those students:

Thank you. Thank you for all that you taught me in the two months I was blessed to work with you. From you I gained more patience, a better sense of humor, and most importantly I learned to NEVER give up on people. You all came into my life at a time when I needed you the most. Because of you I am a better person. Because of you I will never, ever be the same.