My Grade Tens
- pete
- Jun 15
- 8 min read
Updated: Jun 26
I have no doubt that people know that teaching is a hard job. Compared to brain surgeons, we are glorified babysitters. I get that. But teaching is difficult. Raise your hand if you want to spend eight hours a day with teenagers. I thought not. You’ve probably met a teacher or two and they likely talk about how rewarding it is when students graduate or have an “aha!” moment, but that’s garbage. It is a grind. Most of the time it isn’t fun, and those moments don’t make up for it. That’s why most teachers burn out. That’s why a lot of teachers bail and go work in the private sector. That’s why I kept asking myself how long I can sit behind that desk and grade essays and listen to kids complain about dumb stuff. I don’t have an answer to that question, but recently I’ve found an answer to the question “why do I care?”.
You might recall last year I posted about a group of kids I took to Washington, DC. This post is about those kids. This post is about the answer to why I care. This post is because I care about my grade ten kids.
It’s hard to figure out where to start, so let’s begin in a bit of a comfort zone. This group of kids are a pain in my ass, but I love them. Regardless of the stress they throw my way, I can’t help but be proud that my room is a safe place for them (at least most the time when I’m not on a rampage) . They are constantly jockeying for the two seats on the couch which they have an insane ability to turn into a couch for five or six people. And if there is anything they are really good at, it’s smiling. Look at these kids!
Vanessa came in a bit late in the year last year and wouldn’t say a word. Quiet as a mouse. And I wasn’t sure if she was capable of big smiles, so whenever I saw her, my goal was to coax a big old sonrisa out of her. To my delight (and everyone nearby) she would throw us a huge smile that just made my day. She is an incredible young woman with a million dollar smile.
If I let them, Vanessa and her friends would sit in the back and cuddle and learn nothing about World History. To be fair, I couldn’t blame them, but everyone’s got to learn something.
And I’m not sure why I’m singling out Vanessa’s wonderful smile. Look at those ladies! They brighten the room whenever they walk in. I adore them with all my heart. I’m sure we’ll see more of them later…
You know who we won’t see much of here? Franco! That guy avoided my camera like the plague. But I remember whenever he dodged a photo, he’d smile like he just got one over on me. But Franco is worth bringing up here because he is one of the most sarcastic, cynical, and intelligent 15-year old kids on earth. I asked him to write a paper about any part of the United States that is great and he spit out a detailed essay about how good we are at overthrowing democratically elected governments. It seeped sarcasm. But he is a solid critical thinker and for that, I appreciate him.
But let’s get to the other knuckleheads. My main man Giampiero hitting the test hard during MAP testing.
He is a good kid and the son of a friend I play basketball with. He was a mule for me bringing something back from the States and earned the couch for a whole month. I appreciate that he was positive, respectful, and always in a good mood.
Him and the rest of the boys are a very serious group.
And, of course, so are the ladies. Martina and Marya are little angels. Marya continually does more than she is asked to do. She is involved in almost everything on campus, crushes her exams, and has a wonderful, big heart. She has a lot of love to give and I think we all appreciate her more than she realizes.
But we do get work done. I had them do a project about something (who remembers) and they had to do some independent research! How impressive!
Vilchez (who, like Vanessa, has a million dollar smile) gets super high scores when she actually tries. We’ll see her flash her pearly-whites later as well.
As those ladies defy my orders as commander/dictator of the classroom, I’d like to take a moment to talk about Constanza. If you were to close your eyes and imagine someone who also has a contagious smile (at this point, we should assume they all do), but is also thoughtful, mature, insightful, original, and authentic, you’d probably be thinking about my not-so-secret favorite student Constanza. She is a breath of fresh air. Even when she is admittedly in a bad mood, she will still carry herself with professionalism and integrity. I’m so proud of her and I’m grateful that she was my student. I will miss her.
However, she isn’t the only one who sports a positive attitude even when we need to get work done. Bilal crushes his assignments all the time and is a rather insightful philosopher. He and I have had some great talks at the gym in between sets. His ability to reflect on commonly held beliefs is beyond his years.
Atencio is a solid dude. He learns quickly and when he isn’t farting on the other boys in the back of the class, he gets quality work done. He has a good heart and has grown a lot over the last two years.
Thomas is a guy who will get in trouble for some dumb reason and will look you in the eye, shake your hand and accept responsibility. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. It takes only an instant of being around him to know that he is one of the good ones.
When these kids aren’t being nerds in History class, they are definitely being nerds in science class. Get it boys!
Alfredo is the kid who is always in the middle of someone else getting in trouble. If you see me yelling at someone, there is a 95% chance he is somehow involved and a 95% chance it wasn’t actually his fault. It is a paradox I can’t figure out, but he is a hilarious kid and a charmer. And rumor has it he is the best padel player in the school. I don’t doubt it. He is an athlete. Ana Rita (like most kids in class) is exceptionally bright when she actually makes an effort! Hand her a phone with tik tok and nothing gets done. Remove the phone and she scores in the 90s. Layla is delightful and fun and (like Alfredo) is getting in caught for stuff, but never really getting in trouble. Her friendship with Alejandro warms my heart by 1,000 degrees.
I knew we’d see these smiles again! It’s like they were meant for the camera.
Like the post from a few weeks ago, I took my grade tens on a day trip around Maracaibo. It was similar, except we switched up some locations and made extra time for the jump park.
Away we go! First stop, Carabobo street.
I’d like to point out that Alejandro joined us this year and has been a consummate professional. He is smiling all the time even when Layla does butt touches and invades his personal space. He always scores in the top three and engages socially and academically at a high level. A great addition to the team.
And a throwback to the Washington trip!
And time for lunch! Hamburgers and Zu House.
Marisol always has a quick-witted comeback or observation. She is immensely bright and thoughtful and I always enjoy when she hangs out in my room with Sebastian & Nico during lunch time. I’ll always appreciate her sense of humor and contributions to the classroom!
Alfredo is trying to figure out when I’m leaving so he can resume doing whatever he wants.
The boys! I love these guys. All three of them. Aaron is genuine and will tell you what’s going on in his mind. He has a huge heart, all he needs to do is tap into it. Don’t worry about what people think! Just be you, buddy. Big Z!
Diego was my nomination for “most likely to succeed” as he has an great mix of intelligence and social skills. You need both to succeed in this world, and he’s got what it takes. I’d peg Velazco as “most changed” since last year. He went from being a goofball to a legitimate young man. He has maturity, self-awareness, and an understanding of how this world works. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes a grip of cash one day.
Before we head to the bounce house, let’s get a Constanza dance party!
And sorry, I like to do slow-motion every now and then, but my camera sucks. There is that annoying white flash as the shutter opens and closes.
I’m sure by now you can see why they have a special place in my heart.
But before we wrap up, let’s chat a little bit about Martina. Martina is a little diamond that shines day and night. I’ve talked a lot about smiles in this post, but Martina’s smile is the one that holds your eyes. When she has a problem and needs to confront you, she does so with a lovable sense of humor and intellect at which I can only shake my head and wonder. It seems like she never pays attention, but is able to recite all the little “Pete quotes” I’ve dished out over the last few years. When it seems like everyone is dozing off during a lectures, she absorbs all of it. She is creative, thoughtful, funny as hell, and genuinely incredible. I’m so, so proud of her. Her life will only get better, and she makes the world a better place.
What else can I say? I’m leaving these kids a bit too early. I’d love to see them graduate, but sometimes that isn’t in the cards. Life moves on and all we can do is appreciate the time we had together and smile as we reminisce. In the same way our Washington DC bus was our safe place, I hope to think that my classroom was a safe place for these kids for an hour or so during the day. I love them, care about them, and I can’t wait to see what incredible young adults they will inevitably become.
