The Meaning of Life

Isn't this what we are all searching for?

Luckily for all of you still searching, I can now report it has been found!

Composing a "mixed taped" through writing, the sophomores on Wilson St. have been busy.  Several class periods have gone into reading an excerpt from Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield, choosing a worthy person to make the "mixed tape" for, brainstorming a list of meaningful songs, and writing about it all.  At the end of this process, it is time for me, Ms. Teacher, to settle in and read through the final products.  

Not far into the pile of paper, I can upon a beauty.  One of my bright, enthusiastic students wrote her "mixed tape" for her best friend.  For the final track, Track 10, she selected Cindi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."  This is a portion of her explanation:

     Most people spend all of their lives looking for the meaning of life.   I, however, am 

     especially lucky.  I am fifteen years old, and I have already found what life is about. 

     Life is supposed to be fun, so why not have some fun.  These are the words that my 

     girlfriends and I live by... 

So... to all my girlfriends out there, forget about the budget meeting where administrators will be discussing the $400,000 in teacher cuts, forget about your puking child at home that has already missed 3 days of school, forget about your dog that peed on the brand new carpet, forget about that healthy, home-cooked meal you you were going to make last week and the week before that.  Just boil up that mac and cheese for the 4th night in a row.  It's time to let down your hair, throw on those skinny jeans, shake up that pomegranate martini, and GO HAVE SOME FUN!

If I remember correctly, my fifteen-year-old self would have!

What a day!

The end of the quarter makes me want to scream, tear my hair out, and leave the profession of teaching. 

Why is that? 

Hmmm...Let's see....

Any teacher, in her right mind, would start reminding students, let's say around the end of September, that the quarter will be ending in mid-October.  This same teacher, in a state sanity, shares with students their grades in a timely and regular fashion throughout the quarter.  With these two scenarios taking place, why is it that students act so surprised at low grades?  Have they completely checked out for the last 7-8 weeks?  Or maybe it is the other teachers in the profession that dole out extra credit assignments to students failing to do the regular work in the first place and once again handout  assignments from August for full credit.  Okay, teachers...what is this really teaching?

Twist this complaining around and what is found? 

Aside from the end of the quarter woes, much was learned today on Wilson St.  Today I had eleventh grades grow as editors of their own work and as writers of their own thoughts.  They developed skills in punctuating compound sentences and dependent clauses.  They added cohesiveness and unity to their essays.  These concepts of writing will continue to develop and grow as the year progresses.  This is what I want to remember about teaching today.

Now as the second day before the end of the quarter comes to an end, I am being called to cuddle up and read Crash to my own little whippersnappers.  Now for the real fun!