Why Work Has Been Making Me Happy Lately..

• The way Cahn (one of my crazy ADHD boys I have taught 2 years in a row now) likes to sing to himself in a southern accent when he works and it actually helps him concentrate.
• The way Kris always smiles no matter what he is talking about.
• The way my sweet, hyperactive, blond twins from last year still visit me and tell me stories in their high-pitched, fast voices. And the fact that even though I am not their teacher this year, I still caught them switching places in their classes. How can no other teacher's tell them apart?!
• Eating lunch with my co-workers.
• My co-workers in general. I am so blessed to be at this school where it feels a lot more like a family than anything else. 
• Having my prep period right before lunch so it feels like I have a really long lunch.
• How excited my students get if I say I need a volunteer to run an errand for me.
• The way CJ always gets in trouble for talking, even though he is usually talking to himself.
• The way Andrew is always confident in the answers he gives, even if they are way off the mark.
• Hearing my kids discuss things like gas prices and hearing how interesting their thoughts on where gas comes from are.
• How if I tell them the baby is making me sick today, they are always very well behaved.
• The fact that I took a sick day last week, and all my coworkers asked how I was feeling when I came back. It's really like a family.
• My carpool of 4 ladies who head out to our endorsement class at BYU every Tuesday night. We may be in way over our heads with this grueling program, but I love our commute together each week.
•  The way my kids think I can't tell when they are eating or texting in class. I usually just make eye contact with them and their cheeks burn up. They think they are so sneaky.
• Quotes like this: "Wow, you are really smart Mrs. Merkley. Way smarter than my mom!"
• After COUNTLESS times of reteaching Chemistry in small groups, seeing it click in their heads and seeing the quiz scored skyrocket.
• Hearing that some of the kids I have this year that I thought hated me with the fire of a thousand suns, nominated me for teacher of the year.
• When I can get my poor, stressed, anxiety-ridden Andru to laugh when he wants to cry about homework instead.
• When they are working on math home work in study skills and ask me if the calculator is correct. 
• When we took our HUGE district essay writing test and I walked around the rows reading their essays over their shoulders and I could see how they are using all the skills and strategies I taught them. I have never been so happy to see transitional phrases! 
• When one of my high-risk kids told me the biggest reason he wouldn't drop out of high school is because he knew it would disappoint me.
• My trouble makers. I have such a soft spot for these guys and this is my second year with them in my class. I love them and the best part is, they love me back. It's been wonderful the past two years with them, watching them grow and learn to trust me. I'll go ahead and toot my own horn, but it's a good feeling to have so much respect from them that when they get into blowups with peers and teachers, or when they run away from school, that I'm one of the only ones they will listen to. I love these guys like my own kids, even if I would have only been 10 when I had them. That's besides the point.
• How helpful some of my boys are. They want to do everything for me. Pass our papers. Pick up papers. Erase the boards. Organize the desks. They are sweethearts. 
• My one, sweet little girl. Yes, one. ONE. I have one female student. The rest are all boys. She is the sweetest and most patient thing in the world. A lot of girls would struggle being the only female in a majority of their classes, but she takes it all in stride and the boys adore her. Although they'd never tell her that.
• The way Christian smiles when he's getting in trouble because he doesn't know how to handle the situation.
• Watching some of my dead-beat kids actually start to care about things. Maybe it's the promise of Spring coming, but something has lit a fire under their butts. And I'm not complaining.
• The way my resource kids and I are kinda like a small and really cool gang. We travel together from class to class and no one messes with my kids when I'm around.

This year has definitely been a challenging one. I thought last year my patience was stretched thin, but I was very wrong as this years it's been stretched an additional 900 million miles. But in the process, my capacity to love has also stretched that far. I have been humbled by these kids and strengthened by these kids and taught many lessons that I was in desperate need to learn. I thought this year was sent to destroy me, but it was in fact sent to make me stronger and prepare me even more to be a mother. I love these kids. I really do. And in all honesty, I couldn't say about all of them a few months ago. (Terrible, right?) I am so glad I can now. I am so glad I get to end the year on such a happy note.