TGIF

Today has been a good day.

The traffic was smooth, the temperature in my room was perfect and the classes went on without any hitch.

Some of the students were taking their AP exams so my periods were ideal in terms of "population".

Alex in my fourth period had his birthday yesterday but the ladies in his group decided on surprising him with a cake today. They even frosted and decorated the cake before it had time to cool.

Jonathan, on the other hand, was alone in his table and didn't want to work with another group. He didn't want me to take a picture of him but consented to have his hand working the dough photographed instead. Jonathan is the only one, in a group of six, who is not in the AP program. I've noticed that he is so quiet and just do as the others would tell him to do, which is more often than not, to wash the dishes and pots. Many times I'd ask him if he wanted to join another group but he would only shrug his shoulders. I really want him to show what he could do but his has always been a 'no-care' attitude. Today, he was left with a dough that his group had prepared yesterday. He didn't want to touch it, said he'd wait till his group is complete. I told him: "Jonathan, this is your time to shine. Show us what you can do with this dough. Just by yourself. I know you can do it. Come on!" He shrugged his heavy shoulders again (he's a big lad I look like a midget beside him), smiled ever so shyly, and took the dough. And to the amazement of everyone, he finished rolling, shaping and baking his pastry and cleaning his area! (Just a few minutes more than the others.)

I also worked on convincing him to move to another group and be the lead person. To my surprise, he agreed!

I can't wait to see a new Jonathan on Monday!

Thinking back, when I tried to pat him on his arm to tell him how impressed I was with his performance, he acted startled, moved his arm away, almost with a jerk. I wonder why........