6th graders

Let me first say that I have hated May with children for years.  It is close enough to the end of the school year that kids are "done".  They are wild in class and just don't want to work. By June they seem to settle down a little and there are lots of field trips and other events to break up the instruction time.

 Well, Hungarian children are no different and might be a little worse.  Everyday my classes come in and ask to "play" because school is almost out.  I tell them the same thing each time; "I am paid to teach you english and you don't learn any by playing Heads UP 7 UP!"  I taught them this game because it is American (I think) and ensures that at least for a couple of minutes they will be quiet!

So, on with my story of the 6th grade girls.   I chose to walk to the 2nd bus stop and get on there yesterday.  That way I don't have to wait with lots of crazy children for the bus to come.  As it pulled up some of the windows were open and I could hear this racket.  I looked in before boarding and saw a pile of my 6th grade girls right in the front of the bus just screaming and laughing.  Well when they spotted me getting on they made a beeline for the back where they clustered and continued their rowdy behavior.  I followed them although it would have been easier to just sit in the front and ignore them.  When I got there, I got no attitude, just whoo, hoo party type stuff.  They respect me enough to have quieted down enough so that I could give them the "You represent our school and right now you are embarrassing me" speech.  They quieted down a little and just tried talking with me about how they couldn't help it that school was almost out and they were too excited.  (Mind you, school is NOT out until June 15).  "Oh but you love us anyway, Mrs. Holmes" one of them said to me.  I looked each one of them in the eye and said, "Yes, I love you, but sometimes I don't like your behavior!"

We all got off the bus at the same stop.  They were going to the complex of flats on the right and ours is more on the left.  One of the girls that I found to be more challenging in the fall than the others, but who has come around did not veer off with her friends, but instead walked side by side with me.  I had seen her go toward the complexes on the right before, so I knew that she was taking a slight detour.  When I asked her about it, she said, "Are you trying to get rid of me?".  "No, I like talking with you, I was just curious" I replied.  We continued to walk and talk for another block.  I knew that she had a hand ball competition over the weekend,  so we talked about that.  When it came to the point where I should cross the street, she said goodbye and took a hard right.  Her body language said I am too cool to want to spend time with my teacher even though she had just made an effort to do just that!  Gotta love 6th graders because by the 7th grade the peers always win over adult contact!