Baseball

I went to a baseball game a couple of weeks ago. A few of my students are on the team. Two of them from the same class. I figured it might be fun and the kids would enjoy it. I found the field fairly easily and realized there were a total of about 12 spectators. Somehow I had expected grandstands full of fans. I ended up sitting with my student's (the pitcher's) parents in the one covered area as it drizzled cold rain throughout the game. It ended up being one of the most fun things I've done all year. My student could really pitch! and his family was absolutely hysterical. At least 3 aunts were there, his mother, some cousins, and a grandmother. I think there were more people in his family than all the other fans put together. They yelled and screamed and called other relatives every time he struck someone out. As I sat next to his mother, we talked. Apparently my class is his favorite subject (you would NEVER know). Also, his classroom behavior has improved tremendously, since I now know his entire family on a first-name basis. He's still not doing his homework, but I intend to keep going to games and keeping up my contacts.
I also got to see one of my freshman students on the team. He wasn't playing (I found out later it was because he had 5 F's), but the child stood in the dugout and heckled the other team for 3 hours straight. In my room, he's still learning that not every thought that comes into his head should come out of his mouth. During class, he more often has his hands on the ground than his feet and uses the desk as a jungle gym. During one day of groupwork, he sang from the time the bell rang until the end of class. He sang about climate and weather (what we were studying), he sang about his reading teacher's saggy sweaters, I told him to hush and he sang the song "Hush"....sometimes it's intentionally disruptive, but sometimes I really think he can't contain himself. That night, in the dugout, hanging from the rafters, he was in his element. He never got to touch the baseball, but for 3 hours he could yell and hang from the roof and feel like he was a part of something. I still see his feet in the air occasionally in my room, but I gained a lot of respect when I came out to the game. I can't wait for the next one.