"You got any kids, Mrs. Most?"

Yes, dears, I do. 39 of you as of the end of today, to be exact!

My students, like any elementary school kids, LOVE to ask their teachers personal questions and try incessantly to get as far into our business as possible. That's not a complaint, that's a fact! Kids are curious. Frankly, I think it makes sense--they spend nearly all of their waking hours with us, why would they not be nosey?! Today's question was, as you guessed by now, "You got any kids?"

This is a BIG student question. I usually answer "yes, but not any actually my own yet!"

During the day, I sure do have kids. Let me tell you! I had 41 students this morning and, with one pulled by his guardian to go to the fast-track program (which offers to put him back in his correct, pre-retention grade if he passes) and another going back to live with her grandmother instead of her mother she was with while at our school, I was down to 39 across my two classes by day's end. And with the amount of mothering we do at school, particularly for the multiple children without mothers of their own, I'd claim my kids as... well, my kids!

I will say I come to school and treat my students as I would want my own flesh and blood to be treated, and I aim to teach the very best of the best. While they are in my classroom, they are my children and I make sure they know I love them and respect them as I would if they really truly were mine. I think we'd make excellent foster parents, because I truly believe that every child is the most wonderful child and deserves all the love and education I can muster for them. And no, I may not have a child of my own yet so I may not "get it," but I sure do love my kids, from this year and those past. I told a teacher friend today that two of my current little ones are so wonderful, I could put them in my pocket and take them home with me (that's a teacher phrase of affection, I know it sounds odd!). They are so wonderful! I fell in love with them all instantly. One of my former students (half) jokingly said I'm the "proud mama of, like, you know, 500 kids." Yeah, that's about right!

And on a side note, I just started reading Teach Like a Champion. Stay tuned--I'm aiming to bring rockstar into my classroom and implement as many of the 49 strategies as are appropriate.