Classroom Graveyard

The title sounds a little morbid and maybe it is, but it's what I thought of today.

It's the end of the nine-weeks which means time to check bellwork journals. I was going through the bellwork journals that the students keep in the classroom making sure they have doing their assignments. I get to the end of the pile and I find a journal that has not been picked up in a long while. I flip it open and read some of the words and reflect on the student who used the journal.

She was funny. Talked a ton, but it was always really fast. She loved answering questions in class and saying the most random things. The weirdest food she has ever eaten was cow tongue, and like most students her favorite thing to was dance. She got nervous when standing in front of the class, but once she closed her eyes could lay out a rap that blew me away.

I close the journal, get up from the desk, and walk to the back closet. In the back closet you will find a stack of 15 journals of students that are no longer in our class. Most have transferred or their class was only a semester. I wish each of these students success and hope that they lead a purpose filled life.

This particular girl's story is more sad than usual. She got into it with one of the teachers and somehow attacked him. I don't think there was any physical altercation, but I believe it was verbal. She was going to make something of herself, but now she's in alternative school. Hopefully she won't see this as a set back and will make better decisions in the future.