morning exam

Friday morning. I'm tired and sleepy and I need more coffee. It took longer to wake up today. It took a bit more snoozing and a lot of heavy sighing and a tweet or two to see if someone out there can muster a bit of encouragement for a stranger who is having a hard time waking up in October.

The kids, because as much as they like to think of themselves as adults, and as much as we are supposed to think of them as young adults, they are nothing but kids, big children, actually, they are restless. It seems like they are not underslept and as nervous they may be about the exam, they are all jumpy and excited. I walk in, barking as I make my way to the front of the room to move a desk a bit to the left and pick up that piece of paper and what is this backpack still doing here and how come people are still talking and I don't really see what are you planning on using to answer your exam with if you have no pen or pencil on top of your desk. I use my loud voice and ask them to be quiet and I can wait as much as you want for you to be ready, but I will definetely not give you more time to answer this test, ok? And suddenly, just as everyone has miraculously shut up and I have looked down to sort the exams, a voice comes loud and clear from the left side of the room.

- Miss, may I please say something? Please?

- Please- I roll my eyes dramatically- please do.

- It will be with all due respect Miss, okey?

- What - I tap loudly my heel against the floor- is it?

- Miss, just go ahead and BRING IT ON!

And then they are ready to take the exam. And I no longer need more coffee.