floor monitor

My students are generally too old to be coaxed into helping me pick up the floor every day. I try to make it sound fun... "but you're the human vacuum, yay!" But they see right through me.

Today a student hung around with me after school. She always wants to help me. She has "special needs". She doesn't understand social cues too well and we have to teach her what is "appropriate". No kisses at school, no head banging, no high pitch screaming, etc.

But this young lady also has special abilities. Like the ability to make you crack up laughing or light your heart with her daily little gifts.

Today was a gift. I was on all fours, crawling under desks and picking up bits of eraser, paper clips, forgotten notes, and pen caps. She got down next to me and said, "wanna race?"

We started jamming around the floor picking up pieces as fast as we could, just the two of us. She was laughing so hard I think she snorted. And when she left, she said "I love you" and finally, the floor was clean.