As some of you figured out, yes, today is my birthday. Once upon a time this was such a happy thing. Now it feels like just another mile marker on the way to a hole in the ground. No, I’m not really depressed about it. I feel more … ambivalent.
My students found out about it and my fourth period English IV class decided to have a party. Maybe it was a way to get out of doing much work, but it was still pretty nice, and I was surprised by some of the kids who brought stuff. There were cupcakes, chips, dips, pop, doughnut holes, etc. Girls from fifth period (one of my AP classes) made me cards and one of those girls brought Crunch-n-Munch and a Snickers bar and gum.
They may not always be as motivated as I’d like, but I’m lucky in that pretty much all my students really are good kids.
The best gift so far came from my 7-year-old son, who found a birthday card that plays "Rock and Roll All Nite" when you open it. The look on his face when I opened it was priceless. Then he told me all about how he found it and knew I’d like it.
Steven E. Wedel 
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