"Tony" seems like a real goof. He is. He's also brilliant, fun and fun to be around. If he holds onto the combo, he'll be unstoppable!
Demonstrating the essence of loyalty, "Laura" and "Julie" show the world how to be best girl-friends. Both shy and sweet, they cling together and encourage each other with a tenacity that's inspiring. I have to share some background. When Laura first came to our school, I randomly seated her next to a problem student--"Huey." It was love at first sight. For him. Every week he reminded me to put her name tag next to his; and, in exchange for this arrangement, I got a reformed, well- behaved boy. I never knew how Laura felt about it; but, always smiling, she was too gentle and sweet to complain. Until Julie claimed her. It took Huey about a month to get over it. Ah, young love...
"Rosie" is a hornet when crossed. Her moods change as quickly and dramatically as desert storms come and go. I put her in the leader category because she leads. 2 new girls came into the class and Rosie claimed one for a friend. The new girl's super smart, so for awhile, Rosie was consistently more studious. However, Rosie could lead a gang war and I finally sent her out of the room for a shouting match she incited between the boys and girls. She's not forgiven me yet. I get a glower from her in the halls these days...
See the boy closest to the camera? I love "Nicolas!" Sure, it helps that he's brilliant, sparkly, funny, competitive and TINY. Short even among his peers, he's got a goliath spirit housed inside. Like Dustin Hoffman or Michael J. Fox, you notice this kid when he opens his mouth because he's always got something going on in that head of his. Always.
Katy caught my attention when she said "Tomorrow is Wednesday!" with a big smile, shortly after I started teaching. That's her day to come to speaking class. Do you have any idea what that did for me? Talk about a way to make someone remember you! She's in the super-smart category of kids, helpful and kind to all, comes in to play whenever she can, and swallowed "energizer bunny" batteries. These kids--all of them--are what light up each day.
Joanna, your vivid descriptions at once inspire me and crack me up! And they offer a glimpse into the younger versions of the Hyundai employees I once taught in Seoul. Wish I'd had a blog back then--I could have told a story or two about each of those fellas!
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