She's Back.

I admit that I get close to my students. I have loved this class. Only 18 of them. Not quiet, but, easy to entertain.  I have two Guatemalans, three born in Mexico, 10 who have Spanish as their first language.  I also have two white kids. What a journey we have been on. They have done well. 

One of my Guatemalans came here in August.  She moved to a small town down the highway for a while and then came back. She disappeared again and we finally got hold of mom and they had moved to Chicago.  Chicago!  It is one thing to live in a dumpy neighborhood in Wendell Idaho and it is another thing to live in a dumpy neighborhood in Chicago.  They never sent her to school so she was always enrolled in my class.  When she showed up Thursday with 4 more days left in the year I took her hand and said, "She's mine and she's back. "  I was so happy to see her safe and sound. 

I know she needs to stay in Kinder, but I'm still working on it. She has just missed too much of a difficult year of language transition and I'm not sure they have settled. 

People probably have no idea how much a teacher deliberates about retention. It's rarely the solution and never an easy decision, but in this case it might be the right thing to do. 

Happy Spring.