Reply #50: I'm glad to hear that.

[LWolf]

You are absolutely correct about the powerful effects of knowing all the kids. I'm an elementary school teacher; I've worked in K-8 schools most of my career. When you have 500 or fewer students, you know most of them. You follow their progress after they leave your class. It's an educational family atmosphere, and you "catch" a lot more kids who would otherwise be dropped along the way.

Last year my school went from 500 to 900 due to redistricting; the 400 new kids flooded the place and really changed the dynamics. My class, mostly new to the school, was suprised and confused by the fact that kids were stopping by to visit throughout the day; just to say hi, to read or study during lunch or recess, to borrow things, to bring back things, to share a project, etc.. I kept trying to explain, but it took half the year before "They are my students, too," sunk in. Interestingly, it was the kids who were sent to me for some sort of a transgression that finally did it. Kids who came in to do a detention, and hung their heads in shame when they had to tell me about a behavior they didn't want me to know about.