What's in a name

From the moment I started teaching "my kids", almost 4 years ago, I wasn't known by Mrs. P---, but rather "Miss" or "Miz" depending on the student. At first I was offended, but then realized that for these kids it's more of an honorific than a butchering of my name, or a grudging use of something other than a "hey you!" I've come to realize that my students are from a culture who does value education, and they show me as much as they know how.

Because they come from all walks of life, I often get asked, "How do you deal with those kids?" meaning the tough kids I teach. Often this is something that is asked by teachers in other schools or people not familiar with the teaching profession. My now-standard response is, "You know the kids on 'Dangerous Minds' or 'Freedom Writers Diary'?" When the response is inevitabely a "Yes," I reply, "Those are my kids, but I don't treat them any differently from any other kid I'd teach." Which is VERY true. I treat all my students equally and hope that it shows through in my teachings and dealings with my students and their parents.

**Disclaimer** Yes I call them "My kids" because often I have them for the two years they are with us in the school, so I do form an attachment as do they. I've had kids come to me for anything from advice on life to dating to just what's going on with the world. It's such a good feeling!

Thinking about a new school year

Since I teach in a year-round school, we have more unique breaks than a "traditional" school year. We do get a summer break, but it is only six weeks long for teachers. Don't panic though, we get a two-week break in October, an extra week for Winter break (3 weeks total), and two extra weeks for spring break (3 weeks total). At first it's taken some getting used to, especially with having to go back to work in the heat of July, but I do enjoy the extra time off during the year. I think that with my group of students, I need it!

I just can't believe that in the past school year I have:
- Completed my SPED Master's Degree (December 2010)!
- Finished year three of teaching at my school and starting year four in about four weeks!
- Have a 5 year old who starts kindergarten in August '11!
- Have a husband working on a novel!

Over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish this school year. A partial list includes:
- Continuing NaNoWriMo with my students who would LIKE to write, instead of making it a "Required" part of the course like I did last year.
- Bringing in different styles of writing to my students, including some college prep work
- Helping my students find their passion for writing, and helping them boost their own skills.