sour and sweet.

I haven't posted anything in a while because I got a little worried about anything coming back to me in an unwanted way. However, I have to share this. Yesterday, I received a slightly hurtful comment from one of my students. Get this... one of the kids actually asked me when the retired teacher who started the school year was coming back. I was so floored that I said, "You're kidding right?" Not very professional but I was shocked. I tried explaining that she was just a sub and that if she came back, that I would have to leave. I wanted to explain that she couldn't wait to get out of there. She had no interest in hanging around and saying goodbyes on her last day. She was done, retired, over it. I got the impression that she didn't even like them very much. I have been there for 6 months and she was only with them for 5 weeks! Maybe they are longing for the easy days as we near the big standardized test, but it was kind still quite off-setting.
Today though I had an awesome conversation with the mother of one of my students. This particular student is extremely quiet and shy. He is smart and a good reader and well behaved. Whenever I try to talk to him though he sort of turns his body away and looks at the floor. He is so soft spoken you have to listen very carefully to hear him. I have thought maybe I scare him or maybe he is so bored in class that he dislikes me. Nope. His mom says he loves me and loves school for the first time. Apparently, he even dislikes breaks because he misses me! I had no idea and was almost in tears on the playground when she told me this. It totally made my day.