I Love 9th Graders

I had a very bad year last year. It wasn't ALL bad, but it was MOSTLY bad. I was very nervous about coming back to school this year since it was a very difficult transition to the school where I teach now. There are still some difficult things, but this year is unbelieveably different--I almost feel like I am at a different school. Things are going very well for the most part and I am more relieved than I can say. I tried to figure out what the difference is and I think one big part is my 9th graders.

This year I am teaching two sections of Spanish 2 at the honors level. There are two sophomores in one of the classes, but otherwise they are all 9th graders (13 and 14 year-olds) --and I have never had so much fun with classes in my entire teaching career. The combination of fun and hard-working is really tough to beat. From the first day these kids have come to Spanish class ready to go. We always have "talk-time" at the beginning of class and it is by far the best part of every day. They come in the door bursting with news to tell me in Spanish. Whether it is telling me about a soccer game that was won or telling the class about getting in trouble in handbells for laughing at something the handbells teacher didn't think was funny, we all start the class smiling and fully into Spanish mode. I don't know why they are so awesome, it must be that they are still young enough not to let inhibitions or fear stop them from trying. My two sophomores are definitely more sedate, so I must be onto something. 9th graders just rock.

Since they are so awesome and yet so focused, I have been able to do some very fun things with them this year. I think the best one so far is called "Sr. Español". I happen to be very lucky in my choice of a husband, since he is a great teacher and a native Spanish speaker (and because he is just amazing generally). We set up an activity where I give him the topics that we are working on and a time that we will be in class. While we are in class he calls my computer from home (we use Skype) and asks to speak to a student (whose name I give him ahead of time). When the Skype tone rings on my computer the whole class goes ballistic and everyone wants to be chosen. He will have a 2-3 minute conversation with the student about things the class has been learning and then ask to speak with a different student. This way everyone gets to talk to Sr. Español a couple of times each quarter. We do this once a week and the kids love it. The conversations are hilarious, because one of the rules is that they have to ask Sr. Español something about his day, so they ask him things like what he ate for breakfast that morning or if he is feeling tired from speaking so much Spanish. I can't wait for those two classes every day.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just very easily entertained, (or maybe my maturity level is just the same as theirs) but I think there is nothing more fun than watching kids learn. So this year I am appreciating my 9th graders and feeling grateful that I have 8 whole months left with them.

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