It all started on the first Monday in December and the first winter mix/snow/ice day of the year. I was a mess, mentally. This is the first time I had every tried to drive in the snow and on top of this its Monday morning and my Gas Light is on. I’m running late and I’m running out of gas. At my first stop light I reach for the sharpie I keep on my lanyard and write the word GAS on my hand to remind myself because I know I will forget by the end of the day.
Fast forward to first hour. It’s now 8:30 and I’m meeting with my fifth graders during their math time. I usually flounder with this group because I can’t be sure what exactly they need help with and each day is something different. This particular day I was helping them with a rounding exercise that their teacher had given them. In the middle of the lesson on rounding Lucy looks up and says “Ms. Rose, why do you have GAS written on your hand?”
The question was an honest one, but one I wasn’t really expecting. I wasn’t expecting this and I wasn’t expecting them to be paying that much attention to me.
I don't know why I'm choosing to highlight this one instance. I guess I was just surprised that any of these kids were actually looking at me after working with them for three months. They seemed unresponsive until today with any of the lessons or tutoring session I was there for.
And I was also surprised that this girl showed up at our next session and said, "Look Ms. Rose I have to get gas as well." She had written gas on her hand in the same place. You bet this caught me off guard. Why did she choose to imitate this one, stupid thing written on my hand? Was it really that important? I guess I need to go about thinking that everything I do and say and have written on my hand in front of children is important. It’s a good thing I didn’t have something inappropriate written there! I just thought that was funny. That is all.
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