why do I do what I do?

so it's been awhile I know, but I have been thinking very hard about what I should write about and I decided I would compose a list titled: "Things that I do Not Know How They Happened (while teaching) but They Did and Thankfully No One was Seriously Hurt"

**names have been changed to protect myself**

1. One day during my 7th grade study hall, I left the room to make sure 2 of the bad boys in my class were actually doing what they were supposed to do (cleaning out their lockers) and was gone from the room for about 2 minutes and when I came back all the remaining kids were gone. No one was in my room. What to do? Well I went out the back door of my classroom to see if anyone went outside and found a couple of kids and when I turned around my principal was standing at the front door to my class with a confused expression on his face. "What's going on?" he asked. I went over to see what he was talking about and sure enough, the remaining 4 or 5 missing students were on the ground outside my classroom hiding under this boardwalk in front of my room with huge eyes and looks of mild fear on their faces. "They told me they were working on a project for you," my principal said...talk about bad moments for my principal to come by and see all the kids in my class hiding out completely not doing what they should be doing and me having no idea how they got there or what was really going on...

2. April Fool's Day: I made one of my students cry. It was terrible. I then went home and cried about it.

3. Another study hall story: three boys were standing in the back of the room playing with my globe. All of a sudden 2 of them run out of the room yelling. They had been playing "spin the globe", their version of spin the bottle, (I thought they were just being curious about the world around them) and as the rules go in spin the globe, the two boys that had run yelling from the room were supposed to kiss each other--don't worry they didn't actually do it and I put a stop to that real quick. I'm thinking that may not be super appropriate to play at school

4. Towards the end of some class where the kids were just doing work: I look up from my desk and Stan is taking off his pants in the back of the room in front of students. "What are you doing?!" I exclaim. "What? I have gym shorts on underneath," Stan explained as if it were perfectly fine to take off your pants in class as long as there was something on underneath

5. Study hall again: Twice a week I get to have some awesome 8th graders last period of the day for study hall. I am the worst study hall teacher I will admit. George and Rod are good students but totally take advantage. George freaks out all the time and screams like a girl. Sometimes George and Rod pick up chairs and pretend like they are going to hit each other. One day George and Rod kept chasing each other and I told them to stop. Rod, being a generally good kid, obeyed and sat down. George being full of sin and large amounts of energy kept running around the room. As he ran by me I stuck out my foot and tripped him. George fell flat on his face and the rest of the class laughed. Let's talk about good ideas and bad ideas Miss Holcombe..or just bad ideas that thankfully didn't end too badly.

6. Two seconds ago as my 7th grade study hall ended (why are all these study hall stories??? does that tell you anything??) two boys whom we will call Tom and Ryan were being boyish and somehow one of my windows is now broken, the glass came out of the frame

7. One day in history I told a story about when I went to Mexico on a missions trip and it included the phrase "Oh crap" (apparently a no-no phrase when teaching at a christian school) and "don't worry it was just my pee" and ended with the entire class horrified and one boy with his head in his hands muttering "that was the most awkward moment I've ever had in a class"

8. I won't even get into the numerous times the whole class starts asking about if I have a boyfriend, am I dating mr. schindler (a substitute teacher) or coach sharpe (high school teacher)

I feel like this is only the beginning of the list and these are only the things I could think of right off the top of my head. Some days life as a middle school teacher truly is a battlefield and it is a wonder anyone makes it out alive by the end of the day. News travels fast in this school too. Stories of students doing bad things spread in 2 seconds. Example: my window that just broke, 1 minute after it happened, 3 other students completely unrelated to the incident come running in, "Which window was it???" they excitedly ask. "We heard one of them broke!"

Would I want any other job right now? No. Except maybe being a mailman on the side. I always thought it would be fun to drive one of the mail cars where you sit on the opposite side and deliver mail and drive through pretty neighborhoods with the sun shining on you listening to fun music all day. Or even better, I would be a mailcarrier in a foreign country. Like Belgium or Croatia or Austrailia.

Ok I have to go somewhere now so I am done, but will try to update more often. Oh and next post I will put up pictures of Jamaica!!!