#BEDM - Compliments

"What's the best compliment that you ever had?"

I've had the day to think about today's BEDM prompt.  I'm lucky: I've received a good number of compliments in my life.  I think genuine compliments are important. It feels so good when you get one; and it's equally important to give them.  I often resolve to give more of them to my friends, colleagues, students, and family.

Anyway, it's hard to choose just one best compliment, but I think the ones that are most important to me usually come from my students.

I've been an itinerant teacher for most of my career; this means that I didn't have a classroom of my own and I get shuffled from room to room during the day.  Heck, I used to be happy if I had two classes in a row in the same room.  It's so nice not to have to pack up all of your stuff and move in five minutes.

This year I've been lucky enough to be in one room for all of my classes.  It's an older science lab, and not the prettiest room.  The cabinets are old and an ugly shade of brown.  Their doors are made of glass so you can see the older equipment inside.  Old hotplates don't look pretty.  The room is just plain worn, and there's not much you can do to make it look sparkly.

However, it's mine, and I've been able to beautify it somewhat.  I've added some colourful science posters that I've collected over the years, and while one bulletin board at the room has info that we're required to post hanging on it (assessment policy, school rules etc.), I've turned the other into my Science Wall of Fun with all of my favourite science cartoons.  I have some Sea Monkeys at the front of the room, which are an easy and surprisingly entertaining classroom pet.  The sides of the room are usually covered with chart paper with students' ideas from some recent activity.  I like that the topics on the side are ever-changing. 

The point of this is that it's nice that I have a space that's mine, and I find that students have come to associate the space with their experiences in my class.  The best compliment I get is when a student from last semester drops by to visit at lunch, or is passing by randomly during class and sticks their head and looks around the room and says "I miss this class". 

It just reminds me that I'm pretty great at creating a welcoming learning environment for my students and that they enjoy my classes.  It's not that they didn't when I was traveling from room to room, I just feel that it's nice this year to have a permanent spot that kids can come back and remember the good times.  I just really feel good when they say that they miss my class.  It's a great compliment.  :)

***

I'm probably going to get behind on Blogging Every Day this weekend because I'm going camping with my Kenya group on a farm.  There will be hard labour apparently.  It's to allow for bonding/preparation for the summer.   Wish me luck. :D