The Pot of Gold

I've been so busy with Art, Love, Mardi-Gras, and the like I haven't even had time to write about MY BEST DAY OF TEACHING MAYBE EVER!!!!!

Friday before MG break, during 3rd period, I got my kids' Interval Assessment scores back. The intervals are designed to mimic the LEAP (state standardized test that holds them back in 4th, 8th, and 12th grades- like a train pile up because the years in-between they don't take it seriously), and are administered twice a quarter. At the beginning of the year my kids, like the rest of the school, were averaging 50-60%s as a class. One of our two Big Goals (as in TFA-taught gotta-inspire-kids-with-specific-big-goals-to-make-them-get-down-to-business-a-la-Dangerous-Minds-Stand-and-Deliver) is to- as a class- master 80% of Grade-Level-Expectations.
So I was ecstatic when I read these results:

3A
80.4

3B
75.7

4A
84.7
ROCK STARS!!!

4B
77.1

5A
77.3

5B
67.1

So, 5B and I had a serious discussion of their behavior/focus and how they need to kick it into high gear to keep/catch-up with their peers, and the rest of my classes and I had severely honest celebrations of their rock-stardom improvement. Seeing their own success brought out such fantastic motivation from them.

Here's how it went down:
Kids are working on their bellwork, quietly, wonderfully. I'm trying to hide my grin inside my body and reprimand the whisperers, reminding them we have only 18 more class days until testing and these questions are taken directly from the practice book. It's taking all my cheek muscles to control my smile.
Word of the day: VIVACIOUS.
I explain the meaning to the class. Full of life, enthusiasm, energy.
Hosheria: Ms. Craven, you vivacious!
I laugh and say thank you.
Students start raising their hands because they know the next thing we do is go over bellwork.
Me: Wait. Before we get to that, I have something to tell you.
I smile ear to ear in a theatrical yet honest way and point.
Me: Look at my face.
A confused but curious pause from my students.
Janique: You wearin' makeup?!
I crack up.
Me: No, look at my expression!
Students: You happy!
You excited!
Me: I'm sooo happy.
Them: Why?
Me: Because I'm proud of you.
Them: We did something good?
Does it have to do with our scores?
Me: Mmhmm. On the Interval Assessment. You guys. What are our two big goals for the year?
Them: Grow by three points on the writing rubric and master 80%!!!!
Me: Exactly. And Guess. What.
Them: We did it?!! We mastered it?!?!?!

So I read them the class averages. The room erupts into smiles and applause.
Then I read them the names and scores of every child who scored above 80%. I do each one like introducing the boxer in the left-hand corner. Hosheria pulls out her drumsticks and leads the drum roll before each one. Other kids join in beating on their desks.
They applaud for EACH AND EVERY ONE of their classmates. Even A, whose sole purpose in life at this point is to make people as uncomfortable as possible, usually by referencing war and sympathizing with Nazis.
After the whole list has been read and everyone has received their accolades, I give them another "I'm-so-serious-I'm-so-proud-of-you" mini speech. They are literally beaming.
Then Hosheria starts the Who-Dat.
If you've never been to New Orleans, or if you aren't a Saints fan (although shouldn't everyone be a Saints fan by now?), you might not know this, but the Saints have this song/chant called "Who Dat." Essentially, it goes,
Who dat! Who dat!
Who dat Saint that's gonna beat them Saints
(Repeat ad infinitum).
And of course, it's a challenge, a war cry. It is certainly not a question.

So Hosheria starts Who Dat, and the rest of the class quickly joins in, and we're all yelling
"Who dat! Who dat! Who dat says they gonna beat 4A?!!?!"
And I'm dancing around the class like a madwoman.

It was amazing.

Later in the day was the student-staff basketball the PBS (Positive Behavior Support) team put together. At halftime, me and five other female teachers went out in Hannah Montana black dresses, wigs, and drawn-on tattoos and danced a choreographed number to Beyonce's Single Ladies. The crowd went WILD. THEN we transitioned into Black and Gold (Stand up and Get Crunk! --- The Saints' official song of the season). They went even MORE WILD.
THEEEEENNN I ran into the bleachers and grabbed Mr. Nini (the 5'4" linebacker principal) and escorted him down the stairs. The cheers of anticipation were deafening. I've never heard that much laughter- noise even- in the gym. Including the time last year when they started jackhammering the roof in the middle of our Black History production.
He came down and did the sprinkler and it was all over.

It is more than likely that I'll be working at Truman again next year.

p.s. If I happened to fall into $150,000 I might very well purchase this place. I mean, I don't really want to own anything substantial for quite some time, but I would like to hang out/live/do art in a place like this for a year or two.

Wow.