This week in 8th grade...

• My last class surprised a birthday girl who came late by pretending to be deep in thought on the warmup when she came in, only to start playing Dora the Explorer’s happy birthday song insanely loudly over the speakers when she was about to take her seat.

• I left my purse in the Language Arts room at lunch. Twenty minutes into 4th module, one of our burliest 8th grade guys walks into my room, my purse swung over his shoulder, and waltzes through all the tables to deliver it to me. I didn’t even realize he had my purse till he reached me.

• “I’m wearing a skirt today!” from a gymnastics lover who’s always pulling her leg over her head. She was taking a chance with skirts (totally remember feeling that way when I was that age!) and was feeling proud of it.

• “I’m wearing a skirt today!” the other gymnastics lover who’s always pulling her leg over her head. Same exact same thing. Why are 8th graders so cute when they’re so pleased with themselves?

• I asked for the gentlemen in my first module to pull down the empty chairs in our room (I have a half class there in the mornings), and on Monday a couple girls ended up just doing it themselves. One of the boys: “Well, they’re already getting it.” Me: “A real gentleman would take the chairs from them and say, ‘No, ladies, allow me.'” Every day this week, two of the boys have made sure to take down all the chairs before the girls get a chance. :)