hugs and high-fives

We do a lot of hugging in my classroom. And high-fiving. Each one of my students has their own personal preference. Naomi goes for the hug, always. Big, tight, squeeze of a hug. Sometimes she even attempts to lift me up from around my knees. She, of course, fails miserably. Bessy goes for the nuzzle hug; she just kind of burrows in under my arm and hangs out around my side. Reina has a very sweet hug and uses it at all occasions during the day, when entering the classroom, after handing in a paper, when she leaves for lunch…all day long. Some of my boys are very big huggers as well. Melvin LOVES to hug. He continues to hang on when you keep walking. Luckily he is very little, so it actually doesn't become much of a problem. He is also a big fan of the high-five and knuckle pound. High-fives usually happen when we are working on something in the classroom, and the hug is usually a mid-recess venture. He always goes for the knuckle-pound when he has done something really great, as though he knows he deserves the extra encouragement. Farid also enjoys the high-five plus knuckle pound, maybe because it somewhat resembles hitting someone, but nonetheless, we exchange high-fives regularly throughout the day. Josue and Jorge are big huggers and Rigo usually only goes for the high-five.

Usually when returning to my classroom after my class has their Spanish class, I am bombarded by all the students in a large group hug, as though I have been gone for ages. It got so bad for a while that I actually couldn’t walk to the front of the room because all 24 of them were clinging to my legs. We now have a rule that you have to sit down when Miss Anna comes in the room. Melvin usually forgets.

If there is one thing I have learned this year, it is that there can never be too many hugs and high-fives.