Musings on a New Bunch of Tigers

What I miss about 5th grade...
-Their independence
-Having deeper conversations bout forgiveness, injustices, working for change...
-Their awareness (to some degree) of themselves and their world and being with them as they dealt with those issues
-Their sarcasm and wit
-They understood my written directions to them. No need for pictures...
-No tears as they said goodbye to their parents at 8am. In fact, rather than clinging on to mom as if they were being sent off to some dungeon filled with lions, they just wanted to be dropped off at the door
-My Tigers. Really, I just miss my Tigers.

What I love about 1st grade...
-Just a stamp on their paper is enough motivation to keep them working.
-They are grateful for an ice cream treat.
-The way they hum to themselves as they color and write...Oh, the music that fills my room as they each hum to their own made up toon...and I can't move any clips because, technically, no one is talking...
-The many hugs I get in between transition times.
-The way they spell and how they think the letters they are putting together on their paper really truly form a word.
-How they answer my questions about math and words and reading with "You're the best teacher..." You know, that's a pretty smart way to get out of answering a question...
-How they make up lies but can't follow through with them. (i.e. "What did you do yesterday when you went home sick?" "I went to Karate."...)
-Pink roses on a Monday morning with a hug for no reason at all.

I love my first graders. They're cute. I look at them every day and at their pictures at night and smile. Their little cheeks, mischievious smiles, and quirky personalities just warms my heart. I love getting a peek into their brains and hearts every day.

But I also miss my 5th graders. A LOT. More than I ever thought I would. I see them in the halls. They smile and wave and sometimes let me hug them. I hear about how they are doing in their new classrooms and how amazed their 6th grade teachers are by their love for learning and I can't help but be proud. I miss their phone calls. I miss having lunch with them and working with them during recess on things they didn't understand in class. I miss being in their lives. I heard them sing their cheer the other day. In one line, they screamed "20-20 is the golden date." Yes, it is, Tigers. Yes, it is. On that day, a new world of possibilities will open up to you.

And I know that, come June, there will be a new bunch of 20 Tigers that I will cry over and miss.