my kids don’t speak english. the school doesn’t provide supplies or materials. i have no paper. a handful of pencils.

i diagnosed my kids. 10 of them are at a kindergarten level. several students have been severly neglected, including one little girl doesn’t know her letters or numbers. today she told me “Ms. Judson guess what? 2 + 1 = 5!” …yikes.

our school scores: math 15% reading 3%

we have a lot of work to do here….only slightly overwhelmed. i’ve forgotten what free time is. i think i may have even forgotten what the ocean looks like, even though i live only a mile away from it.

while exhaustion creeps in and anxiety seems to invade my bloodstream….the small teacher moments keep my heart ablaze.

“Ms. Judson, i never knew i was good at math!”
“Before I leave 2nd grade, I’m going to be smarter than a 3rd grader Miss Judson!”
“I got all my spelling words right? wow, i’ve never done that before…i didn’t know i could be so smart!”

sigh. makes it all worth it.