new kid.

got a new kid today. he walked in, just as we were getting settled in to take a mock state assessment.

i had no idea he would be coming.

i never do.

i'm sure he's a lovely kid. i haven't gotten a chance to really interact with him, but i felt angry that upon his arrival i felt shock and frustration, rather than welcoming. unfortunately, this is how it always is.

i checked my email, and sure enough, 4 minutes before he walked through my door, THIS little gem popped into my inbox:

Good morning,

We have a new student.

i've got so many reasons WHY.

but this is just one more reason WHY NOT.

reason #2:

today, while grading a student's reading response to To Kill a Mockingbird, i found this little gem:

"Everybody in this book is kinda racist. Actually, pretty much everybody today is racist.

My whole group told me that it would get better eventually if I keep reading. To be honest, I wasn't gonna read it; I was gonna sparknotes it. But no I didn't! I knew that doing that is cheating and that Ms. Salinas wouldn't be proud!

...Atticus is defending a black guy named Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. In the beginning of the court, everything wasn't too exciting or interesting.

Later on as I keep reading, Atticus was like PWNING Mayella by asking a series of questions."

that's right. that's why Atticus is my favorite literary character of ALL TIME.

because he PWNS.

and also, because i can't resist: