Students amaze me! They are sometimes so different from each other and at other times so much the same. It is this unpredictable behavior and student culture that I love about teaching.
I began working today as a long call reserve in a school with a much higher economic background than where I was working last year. I retired from a high poverty, high stress program this past summer. Just as school started I stepped in with another teacher to work part time in a 3/4 classroom in a more affluent part of town. The teacher is out on medical leave and they needed someone 0r someones to step in and support this group of students.
These students walk with books in their hands, talk politely to each other, fighting is not something they will even think about. So different from my last years class. All the outside trappings were very different. No uniforms, almost all home lunches, everyone with backpacks, supplies and books at this new school.
But when we got down to working – the over chatty girls, the distractible boys, the quite ones in the corner were all there just like last years class. The readers and the non readers, the class clown and the one who is considered the class artist where there. There are somethings that do not change. At some point kid are kids and they are just great fun to teach!
Happy to be back in a classroom part time! Lot of new writing and reading ideas to try with a new group!
Words from JL 
Isn’t it amazing… the more they’re different the more they’re the same. I love kids.
Enjoy your new students and time with them.
Yes, they are just kids, aren’t they? I just wish there could be a little more equality of supplies, etc. Hard to believe schools could be so different, but kids are just the same.
It is amazing how kids are kids! Some just have more resources.