Three kids care.

Its Sunday.

I'm swamped.

I'm beat.

I'm definitely not going to get everything done for tomorrow.

I've been grading and planning for HOURS.

It is the third week of school and I already feel like I am drowning.

I doubt my ability to sustain this pace.

I doubt my ability not to need this pace.

I've already started beating myself up for working too much.

And I just received and replied to my third student email today.

Wait, that isn't bad.

It is actually pretty awesome.

Ok, being inundated on Sunday or at odd hours with emails is not fun per se.

But.

Three kids are paying enough attention to notice I posted grades.

Three kids care enough about their grades to have questions.

Three kids are savvy enough to email said questions to me.


During week 3 of our first year as a 1:1 school, I find that pretty impressive.

It isn't like we taught them to do that.

This year in general, my students seem to care more.

I am seeing much less apathy and task avoidance than previous years.

Oh and I heard such utter nonsense about this incoming class.

I hear the same nonsense basically every year:

"This is the worst class ever!"

And every year, I'm like, "Really? This group?"

Some years, I kind of see where the middle school teachers are coming from.

One year, I had an enormous number of students with serious mental health issues.

My favorite was a child who interrupted class to converse with her pet rock.

But this year, I just don't get it.

In large groups, I see that they are a little louder, a little more talkative, than might be ideal.

And a couple of kids are already displaying attention seeking behaviors inappropriate for a high school setting.

Even the loud kiddos, though, are so lovey.

They are kind, and sweet, and generous, and interested in their own success.

It is pretty awesome.

The best evidence of this:

Three kids emailed me on a Sunday evening to ask about their grades.

So it might be inconvenient.

And I might have to set hours for my own sanity.

But that level of care is definitely a good thing.