A Bobcat Forever!

It was a sort of "old home" day for me today.

I subbed at my old Junior high. It wasn't the first time I've graced Union with my teaching presence, but today had special significance.

I subbed in an English class for a teacher who I remember as one of the most hated while I was a student. No one liked her; some thought she may be a witch--such juveniles they were--witches aren't real!

Anywho, back to the sentimental moment of today.

I was able to take the 1st period 8th grade Reading class to the library to read and check out new books. I noticed two things about this experience:
1) I spent three years at that jail-like school and can only recall entering the library on two occasions: once to meet with my counselor about an SEOP (which I won't go into now), and another time to check in some books that my teacher had borrowed. It was total unfamiliar territory for me there today. To show how education has changed in the 5 years I've been out of the public schools, these 8th grade students are in that library a few times a month, getting new books, doing internet research, and taking Accelerated Reading tests on the computer. The big reading push is a huge trend right now (thanks to NCLB); back then, only the real nerds went to the library.
2) Just last night I was at my mom's house going through some old stuff she found in my closet, pictures, notebooks, 'treasures.' I found a real gem when I opened the panoramic picture they took of my 9th grade class on the second to last day of school. I laughed at how goofy I looked, chuckled at my skinny little 15 year old husband, and stretched my brain trying to remember the names of the very girls I claimed to be my "best friends." There, today in that library, I saw the same picture, amongst others from different years, hanging proudly as a stamp of the class of 1997 on the gray wall. It was crooked, but kind of made me proud.

Another thing: While I was on my prep-period break, I roamed the empty halls (feeling a bit rebelleous) and passed my 7th grade locker (#5-132), walked into the same bathroom I found out my 9th grade boyfriend had dumped me without my knowledge, and stood on the same stairs I did every morning waiting for the forgotten-named "best friends."

Despite these precious memories, I would not want to go back to junior high.

Yeah, you couldn't pay me enough money to return as a student.