Off to a Rockin' Start!!

I love being in 5th grade! I have a great group of students and am excited to see how hard they are working on not only academics but social skills as well.  Fifth grade where I grew up was the last grade in elementary before heading to middle school.  I have some great memories of that year: my teacher had a baby, we had an awesome sub, we had a great end of year party, skating parties, gossip of who was going out with who (hahaha), etc.  I also have a horrible memory of that year.......bullying! I was a quiet kid but well liked. There was this girl that for some reason just didn't like me. I hadn't done anything to her but she made fun of me...the clothes I wore, how short I was for a fifth grader, and many other things.  It tore me apart. Why didn't she like me? It made going to school horrible.

When I look at my students and I see others making them feel bad about themselves it hurts me just like it did many years ago.  I know how it feels.  It's important to me that my students respect one another and learn how to treat each other kindly.  Not everyone is going to be best friends but in Rockin' Room 14 we will learn to respect one another, help one another, and have a Rockin' Year!!