It’s 12/12/12!

It’s 12/12/12, and I have at least 12 x 12 x 12 reasons I love my junior highers. Since listing all 1,728 reasons could be time and space prohibitive, I’ll just list 12 reasons I love my students.

  1. They have spirit. They do things with enthusiasm. When we have dress up days for special occasions, I can’t wait to see what they will wear next. When asked to sell coffee and chocolate this fall for a school fundraiser, they hit a home run, smashing through the $11,000 goal that was set.
  2. They are game for new experiences. First Lego League, KidWind, geocaching…it doesn’t matter. When I introduce something new, students rise to the occasion. Someone grabs the reigns and inspires the more reluctant to join in the pandemonium.
  3. They know how to laugh. Of course, all kids laugh! I must say, though, one of the wonderful things about my students is, for the most part, they know how to laugh. They know how to laugh with people, not so much at people.
  4. They are passionate learners. They are becoming lifelong learners and taking ownership of their learning. My students always have their next idea for genius hour on deck.
  5. They take a challenge with grace and persistence. For instance, in August I told my students I wanted them to take the 40-book challenge, reading more than they’ve ever read before. Many are on track to read 40 or many more books. When I ask them how they are doing on that challenge, almost all say yes, they are reading more than they ever have before.
  6. They contribute, making the world a better place. I could go on and on about this, but two things. In the fall, they raised $1780 for American Cancer Society. Along with the high school students, this month they brought in a pile of presents, wrapped and ready to give to two needy area families.
  7. They don’t mind my messes.They joke with me. They ask why Roz isn’t doing her job reminding me to “file the paperwork.” But, all in all, they are patient with my messes.
  8. They know how to be underdogs. Our school is small. They love sports and the students play with passion and enthusiasm, always rejoicing in a win, but not getting downtrodden with the losses.
  9. They love God. I love being in a Catholic school where we can worship and pray together.
  10. They love others. Because God said loving people is a priority, my students take that seriously. They love each other like brothers and sisters. They love their church, community, and the world…
  11. Including me. I am so blessed to be able to call myself their teacher. They make me happy to come to school because I know they love me.
  12. They are geniuses. They create, produce, question, and make a difference.

I can’t imagine doing anything else with my days! 

Here are the students’ 12/12/12 posts.

3 thoughts on “It’s 12/12/12!

  1. This is a great post. Middle School is definitely the place to be 🙂 They are special people!

    Laura

  2. Thanks, Laura!
    Yes, you know about how special this age is. They are open books — sweet books — and I’m honored to be able to spend time with them!

    Denise

Comments are closed.