For those of you who took the time to honestly answer the student questionnaire and give me feedback, I truly appreciate it. I have taken a little while to evaluate myself based on your responses and I have decided to resolve the following things:

Tone down my sarcasm even when students use it or when I think a student knows I am kidding. I cannot promise to eradicate it from my speech because it is how I communicate, but I can try to take the edge off.

Show students their grades more often, even if I don't let them keep the assignment. Any time a student wants to see grades I can run a progress report or show them their average.

Try to mention my last year's students less. I thought I was doing it to show you guys methods that have worked in the past (using the blog, conferencing, etc.) but I see that instead it has come across as me idolizing them and making you feel you aren't equal in their talents and abilities. You are.

Those are my big three. I heard the complaints about not treating students fairly or me not liking my students and those aren't easily fixable. Treating students equally is not always fair and therefore I feel there will always be some disparity in how students feel I treat the class. I hope to work on that with individual students. As far as me not liking students, it's just blatantly not true. I love that Mandy is such a book-lover and while it sometimes DRIVES ME CRAZY that she's reading while she shouldn't be, I love that she has such a passion for it. I love that Raleigh can almost always be counted on to be forthright and positive. He usually doesn't make excuses for himself and is a strongly opinionated male who isn't afraid to show it. I love that Ally has learned humility at such a young age. I see her catch things very quickly or get frustrated with some off-task behavior, but she catches herself and takes a step back and lets others learn however it works for them. I love that Kathryn always manages to smile and be pleasant, even in the face of an awful reading assignment. I also love that she isn't afraid to think out loud even if that means letting others hear her run through incorrect answers or funny thoughts before she gets to the right answer. I love that Casey is such an active listener (except when she's messing with her phone :) ) and always makes me feel like she is listening and giving me her undivided attention. I also love that while she seems shy and doesn't really volunteer her opinion, when called upon she has something to say. I also love that she likes sushi. I love that Brandon has managed to become the class whipping boy yet somehow he takes it like a champ. I feel the need to protect him sometimes but then he just feel punished :( I love that out of everyone in the class, he isn't afraid to ask a question despite knowing that one of his friends is probably going to berate him before I can answer. That's bravery. I love that Julian has adopted such a quirky style so young and doesn't seem influenced by others. Learning to be yourself is hard and he seems good at it already. I also love that he uses our vocabulary when he talks and he asks really good questions. They are always specific enough to show me he really understands and they guide me right to what he needs to know. Love it. I love that Valerie takes initiative. She likes to be in charge and can usually do a good job in that role. A smart woman who doesn't sit back and let others do things for her all the time is honorable. There is a sense of accomplishment in achieving things for yourself. I see her dedication to things like spirit club and I appreciate her leadership. I love that Landen always seems to be having a good time. I feel like in her head, things are always more entertaining than they are to me and I envy the ability to have fun as much as it seems like she does. I also love the way she picks on Julian when it seems like no one else can. I love that Sarah isn't afraid to stop asking questions until she's sure she understands. Some kids give up if my initial response isn't helpful but she keeps firing until she gets it. That's the way to truly learn. I also love her hair. I love that Andrew is such a daydreamer yet somehow has managed to do really well athletically and academically. I also love his planner. Every time I say a day or assign something, out pops the planner and I admire such organization and memory to think to do that. It works too; he always has his work. I love that Chelsey is such a team player. With so many "chiefs" in our class, it would be a disaster if there weren't a few people willing to go with the flow and she does it pleasantly. She seems to work well with everyone and that's commendable. That leaves me with Allison. Sadly, this little journaling exercise has led me to discover that I know relatively little about Allison. I will make it my mission to learn about her as I continue to learn about the rest of you.