5.26.11

On the first day of school sometime back in August, I told both of my French I classes that although they may be looking around and thinking the kid next to them was weird, they would be best friends by the end of the year.


I don't know what it is about the French I classes. They bond. It's literally like twin speak; the 50 of them or so who are learning the language are immersed in their own little world and share this incredibly cool bond of communicating and not really letting anyone in on their secret conversation.


Of course back in August they all looked at each other nervously, rolled their eyes at the kooky lady telling them that, and blew off my prediction. 


Fast forward to today, four more school days left in the year. 


The French I kids had the last three days during my absence to plan a fashion show, MC it in French, dress up, work it, own it, flaunt it like they got it. 


I didn't even grab a pencil and paper to take notes for grades. I knew before they began that I was going to see something incredibly special. 


These kids--from the band kids to the cheerleaders, the super shy introverts to the class clowns, the video gamers to the love-to-dancers--they put on quite a show. 


I took a video here that made me laugh. So many different backgrounds and social circles coming together. The group that enters from the right asked another group to be their "runway dancers." I laughed at their choreography. Hopefully you get a kick out of it too. 

And then as much as I was laughing, I was instantly brought to tears. Yep, cried in front of 43 kids today. I blamed my exhaustion from the last three days. But really, it was them. Through my tears, I told them this: 


Remember that first day of school, when I told you you'd love the person sitting next to you by June and you didn't even know it? Take a good look at the people around you and think about how much each and every one means to you. You are the reason I am here. You care about one another, you look after one another, you cheer each other on, offer hugs and high fives and hand shakes. I don't care how much French you learned. Seeing the amount of love in this room is the reason I do what I do. I am so honored to have been your teacher this year. Thank you for taking French, thank you for letting me change you as much as you have changed me. 


Except what I said was full of a few more pauses, shaky vocals, and eye wipes. 


A couple group hugs and kleenex and I was put back together. 


To my 8th graders--a year could be so long; this one went so fast. Merci. Beaucoup.