CURRENTLY. . . NEEDING ADVICE (and a freebie, too!)

Didn't we just do February's Currently yesterday? This school year is flying by and I am OK with that!

Here we are. I feel like I may have finally gotten my act together. My assessments are done, my grades are entered and I am ready for conferences tomorrow morning. Yes. Puke. On a Saturday. 

The nice thing is that I get to hang in my room and get work done because almost every parent forgets to show up on Saturday conferences, despite my multiple reminders. So, maybe I'll finish up my new math product, which I'm keeping under wraps for now. Stay tuned.

Loving my new sheets and blankets! Okay, my little guy was watching a movie in my room and I was blogging cleaning. All of a sudden he says, "Mom, I made a mistake." 
Huh? 
He continues, "I just was playing with scissors and got a mind of my own and started cutting through your sheets and blankets. Accidentally!" 
I was like, "What!? First of all, you should have a mind of your own- so don't think you shouldn't. What you shouldn't have is a scissors. . . In my bed!" He felt awful and I did guilt him a bit, but once I went to Target and treated myself to sheets and a duvet cover that I LOVE, I felt like it was a blessing in disguise. :)
 I just love looking at my bed now and I love making it every morning!


Okay, I need major advice about some problems that I am hearing about from some of the 6th grade girls at my school. I am SUCH a kindergarten teacher and DO NOT understand older grades- so I am desperate for some help from my bloggy friends. 

Yesterday there were four 6th grade girls crying in my hallway and they said that their teacher said they could go talk. I invited them into my room and they started telling me about bullying that was going on and how cruel the boys were being to them. I felt like I understood and tried to connect with them about how much these years can suck but that it gets so much better. I remember junior high/high school and it was awful and teenagers can be so cruel. 

But then. . . the girls opened up about their family lives. One girl has been in foster homes since age four and started telling me about the horrific abuse she's incurred over the years. Another told me that her mom had her at age 13 and boys are pressuring her to have sex, but she doesn't want to end up like her mom (WHO IS NOW 25 YEAR OLD!). Another girl started telling me about how her dad has beat her mom and threw her at a glass door in their house and how she's had to call the cops so many times when her mom is getting hurt. Another chimed in about how she witnessed her dad stabbing her mom when she was 7 and the list goes on! I asked them if they felt safe and they all said "yes," without hesitation. They went on to tell me how their dads are gone now or one said that she left with her mom and they are living in a shelter. They just had so much that has happened to them in the past and needed a safe place to talk about that.

I was just tearing up listening to these girls, yet so relieved that they felt comfortable opening up. Can you imagine? Being a teenager is so hard, but having all of those traumatic experiences on top of being a teenager, is just heart breaking. Maybe some of you have lived similar lives or have students that do- I forget that this is happening all around me. It is so easy to go through my days and I needed this reality check of what is going on right here, in my school. I need this reminder when I tell kids to go to class or wonder why they aren't listening. Who knows if they can't get the sight of their mom getting hit from the night before out of their heads. 

As a teacher, I forget how much baggage these children are carrying with them every day- especially at an inner city school, like the one I teach at. I didn't know how to relate to them when they were telling those stories, but I did have open ears, an open heart and an open door. What else can I do? I really want to know. I'm thinking about meeting with them individually and checking in each week as a group. We don't have a counselor at our school or resources like that. They don't feel comfortable talking to their own teachers about this. They came in today twice, just to talk and they seemed much happier and more comfortable with me. 

   I just hugged these girls and talked to their teachers about meeting on one of my preps at least once a week, but for now they can come during both of my preps. The teachers were on board and very supportive.

????

Am I crossing boundaries? I would LOVE advice from other teachers! Thank you!

Finally- Like, Love, Hate:

My name is Irene, so this was a tough one. However, I think I got this- I do like ice cream, I LOVE iced coffee and I HATE the movie, "It." I still have nightmares!

Sorry for the depressing portion of this post- but I appreciate your comments and wisdom!

Hopefully this will cheer you up!

It's the perfect complement to this!

Happy March!