A First.

So, I got new 6th graders this week.
I start off the first day of French class the same way each time.
I have a discussion in the beginning about what they need to bring, do, and the one rule in my classroom that no other classroom has (no English!).
I also tell them WHY I do this, so they don't think it's just for something to do.
I also usually ask them to tell me what they've already heard about French class. I've been doing this for 6 years. Always, I get kids who raise their hands and say "I heard it's fun!" "I heard you play with barbies" "I heard you tell funny stories"
Now, I'm sure that other kids have heard other things, I get that. I teach hundreds of kids each year and I'm not delusional to think that every kid loves French class.
But no one is going to say that to me.
So I thought.
So this girl in the back raises her hand and says, "I've heard from a LOT of kids that it is stupid and dumb."
I was dumbfounded. She was SO snotty in how she said it. And I felt my face burn red and that burning feeling inside.
After school that day a colleague came up to me at a staff meeting and said, "Christy-I just have to tell you. In advisory this morning, I was telling kids what applieds they were changing to and everytime I told someone they had French, they were like, "Oh, you're going to love it! It's so fun!"
I was sooooo thankful for that.
And then the next day came and I saw that girl come in and I was all mad all over again.
So we had normal class and I ended two minutes early, like I typically do in the beginning, to debrief. I asked them how it was going-anything I could do better?
Some kids raised their hand and said it was easier than they thought it would.
That girl raised her hand and I was actually hesitant to call on her-namely because I thought perhaps she was a little disrespectful, ya know? So she says, "I think this is so fun. I'm so glad I have French right now and I already know I'm going to take it next year."

Um.

What?

Seriously.