Sometimes I'm Just So Proud

     My students and I recently had the opportunity to experience sharing in a student's health crisis.  One of my students was diagnosed with a brain tumor a couple of weeks ago and was immediately taken to UVA for a couple of operations to remove the tumor.  He left Friday like every other student and by the following week, my class was only hearing from him through second-hand accounts of his status.  My group of fifth graders, who can be extremely hard on each other and often don't get along very well, rallied together to support our sick classmate and send him warm wishes.  I was lucky enough to maintain a running dialogue with his family memebers and received daily updates which were then passed on to my classes.  The "M. Update" became a part of our daily schedule - after journal writing and before our read-aloud time. As we discussed our concerns and celebrated the good news we received from the hospital - no cancer!!!- the opportunity arose for some very serious discussions.  Students made cards, prayed during our daily moment of silence, and made plans for M.'s return.  When they heard that M. had enrolled in the hospital school, they were shocked.  (What?  No break from school even for brain surgery?!) M. came home last week, but he won't be returning to the classroom for a while.  He has a lot of therapy ahead of him and will be homebound.  I was thrilled when he asked his mom to bring him to school Thursday for a visit.  I was so proud of my brave boy as he was guided into my classroom (he still can't see in one eye, and the eye with vision droops and must be held open.) My ususally chatty students were completely silent.  You could see they did not know how to deal with the change from the boy who left our room to the kid standing before them.  M. acted as if nothing was wrong and even shared with the class that his doctor had been in the operating room when they did surgery on Christopher Reeves.  Yep - M. ranks up there with Superman!  It wasn't long before his friends began to open up and start talking.  The kids most likely to be ugly to others and tease anyone who is different were so kind and gentle.  I was impressed at the way they showed empathy.  They are already planning trips to M.'s house and asking me how we can keep him involved with our class.  I am so proud of all of my students during this stressful time for our classroom - M. for his courage as he faced a health crisis no one his age should have to face, and the rest of my fifth graders as they came together as a classroom community to support one of their own.