Why it's worth it.

We're in the middle of a pretty intensive grammar unit, during which I always get frustrated that the kids don't get it and quickly tune me out.

However, I just had a student walk up to my desk during the most recent class change and say, "Miss Terry, English is making sense to me for the first time in my life," before quickly walking away and sitting in his desk.

Seriously. Those were his exact words. He got embarrassed and wouldn't look at me when I told him thank you. This is the same kid, by the way, who had a giggle-attack when I lost my temper during class that time.

Hurrah!

(In other more vanity-inducing news, I had a whole class arguing the other day about whether I looked 20 or 24. This conversation was brought on by my apparently controversial example of a linking verb on the board: "I turn 28 in June." It ended when one of the boys (C.) told another of the boys (A.) that "She already has a boyfriend, Idiot." I told the blushing recipient of that insult-to-end-all-insults not to worry, that C. was just jealous. That got the whole class roaring in approval. Success!)

(Not to mention that a student's mom mistook me for a senior in high school the other day in Walgreens after I said hello to her son. She was floored when the kid said, "Uh, Mom? That's Miss Terry. My English teacher." Ha!)