Swagger.

Teaching at an urban school: something I never imagined would happen to me. BUT HERE WE ARE. 

Two months ago I tearfully left my rural fourth graders to start in an urban kindergarten classroom. And I was not prepared. 

Things my world is currently full of: 

• lots of extra syllables 
• hair grease stains smeared across my belly
• "I'M TELLIN'!"
• wanting to throw the ball at the student who won't stop talking during morning circle
• chewed-off hair beads on the floor 
• three fingers held up for can I go to the bathroom?
• learning a Beyonce dance and Wang Wit It for the T-CAP (state testing) pep rally
• "CRISS-CROSS APPLESAUCE, BUBBLE IN YOUR MOUTH, EYES ON ME."
• children tripping over themselves and falling on the floor. All the time
• a rap song for counting to 100
• boys saying they love me one minute and defying me the next.

Swag.

This is what I'm having to develop. Some mornings, I literally have to swing my hips back and forth and tell myself that I am cool. Why? Because if I'm not feelin' it, the kids know. And when the kids know, I'm done for.

Buuuut....sometimes it is fun to feel like I'm on a children's tv show all day long. And sometimes it's fun to get sassy. And sometimes it's fun to be called Miss Looooooove. And sometimes it's fun to accidentally catch myself using their vernacular outside of school. For example: 

"Dinner's ready!" 

"Oooo, dat's nice!" 

"Look at that!" 

"Oooo dat's nasty!"

(I do things like this at least once a day)

In a week and a half I'll be leaving them, and I'll admit, it's going to be a little sad. I'll visit my fourth grade classroom one more time, which will be even sadder. And then I'll graduate. 

Shoot, grrl!