Ms. Queso learns a lesson

I have this huge group of seniors (31) that I each 2nd period. That's 9:30-10:40 for all you normal people.  They are kinda my nemesis-- their attendance is spotty, which makes for rifts in continuity, but the class is huge, so when they all show up it's nutso... AND they are really smart, and they tell me when class is boring, which is stressful.

SO: a week ago, I was checking my email box, deleting like crazy to meet Fulton County's 1.5 MB maximum,  just about to (sigh) delete yet another forward (sigh) from my mom.

The forward was about an "inspirational" classroom teacher who invited her class to list the name of every other student in the class, followed by one positive trait about them. (Cheese!)

The email ended with a student's tragic and touching funeral 20 years later, where all the kids from this lady's class pulled their yellowed and faded list out of their wallet, sang Kumbaya, and felt good about themselves. Teacher movie material. Dangerous Minds. Coach Whoever. Akeelah and the English Teacher.

Ew. Delete.

But then I got desperate enough... 

had no rabbits left in my hat...

and tried it.

Bew! I ended up crying compiling the @%$^&ing lists for each kid, crying when I printed them out, and crying while I proofread stuff like:

"he's the most beautiful person who will never know it"

"bold, risk-taking; my secret hero"

So who's the cheeseball who didn't get her progress reports done on time because 31 kids needed praise lists? Call me Ms. Queso.

Thank you mom, thank you forwards (?), thank u for this blog!