Roll up your sleeve...

It's time to get my flu shots. I'm very shot phobic and the last time I rolled up my sleeve I had to in order to start grad school, and that was over 4 years ago. But a local drugstore is giving out flu shots today and after I saw one of my second-graders suck on an eraser and then put it back in the collective box, I said, okay, that's it, time to get that flu shot.

Last year I remember one of my kids--a very angry, troubled little boy--jam his entire fist into his mouth while I was reading aloud to his class (I remember this in connection to germ-spreading). One of his teachers later told me that is a sign of abuse. What I also find sad about boys like A and C and J, is that these angry, failing students (third and fourth graders) are like butter when it comes to helping me out in the library. They don't want to do the lesson work, or read, and get easily upset, but if you ask them to reshelve books or sharpen pencils they would willingly do it for hours. They ask if they can help. They want to. When they are helping, all signs of hostility disappear. But they can't substitute menial labor for academic work. I wish I could channel that into making them happier people and better students. For now, just forging a connection, I hope, will help.