10th Graders are the BEST!

So recently I've been trying to create more of an online presence by reflecting using my blog more.  I think at first I was just stumped on what to write until I realized that I can write about anything!!  So with that notion in mind comes todays post.  I was talking to one of my colleagues, Allia, today and we started discussing which grades we were enjoying teaching, and which, let's just say challenge us to use all of our classroom management strategies on a daily basis =)!...Ever since I knew I wanted to teach English I've said I want to teach 10th grade.  There has always been something alluring about 10th grade.  I love the curriculum, I love the novels so maybe that's part of it.  It also could be the fact that I had an awful 10th grade experience myself and want to do things differently.
WARNING small tangent ahead:  Interestingly enough, my 10th grade English teacher is someone that I still talk to this day, I visit him every time I visit my step-dad at my old high school, and I go to him for advice for teaching particular lessons and novels.  In retrospect, the 10th grade curriculum to me SUCKED at the time I was learning it.  It was during a difficult, transitional period in my life (my mom had just been diagnosed with Lupus at the end of my 9th grade year and was becoming very sick) and all of the books and poems we read were so depressing, it was awful.  Looking back however, those novels and poems became some of my favorites after revisiting them in college.
Okay, back on track...
So back to the "I've always said I want to teach 10th grade" part.  Since starting this program almost 9 months ago (HOLY COW 9 MONTHS!) all I have ever heard from ANYONE, whether it be professors, other teachers at my school sites, or even classmates, is that 10th graders are the middle schoolers of the high school world.  For those of you who don't understand that analogy, 10th graders are essentially the immature, obnoxious, rambunctious bunch of kids NO teacher really wants to teach.  I've literally heard "avoid 10th grade at all costs!"  Needless to say, when this is said by seasoned professionals you take it pretty seriously.  This semester, when we were handed our teaching assignments, I cringed inside when I saw I would be teaching a 10th grade class.  It was as if a dark cloud had ascended over me and began pouring buckets of rain (think Whinnie the Pooh's Eeyore =) )  During my observations of my 10th grade class I would be teaching they weren't too bad, but I figured it was just a fluke and every Thursday they were somehow on their best behavior.
Then I started full time...
I was actually afraid of them at first, thinking that they would think some of my strategies and teaching methods were silly and childish (you know because they're not freshman anymore, they're grown up sophomores now =) )  I was pleasantly surprised when they all participated in my "Queen Clap" which many of you in the program know as the AVID clap.  I use this method to gain their attention during group work.  Each one of them participated, and immediately became quiet.  Thus far they've listened attentively, participated, and listened to my rules without question.  The real test came when I had to video tape myself for TPA 4. I thought to myself "oh man, here we go, someone is going to get smart and do SOMETHING in this video."  Again, I was surprised, every student participated in my activity, they were quiet when they needed to be, and they respected the fact that I was videoing myself for something very serious.  They also ask me questions a lot and have taken a great interest in getting to know me.
Now some of you may be wondering, okay, where's the point of this blog anyway?  I guess it's just what I said previously, I found myself over and over again surprised by this group of students I assumed were going to be obnoxious, immature, un-attentive brats for lack of a better term.  My experience with my 10th graders has been the complete opposite; in fact, they are my favorite class (but shh don't tell them it might get to their heads =) )  I am back to whole-heartily wanting to teach 10th grade again.  I love their innocence and the fact that they are still young at heart and still think some of the goofy things teachers do are fun.
All in all the moral of my post is that, although we have these stigmas in the teaching world and teachers as a whole have reiterated rumors about certain types of students or behaviors at different grade levels, make sure to make up your own mind when it comes to these opinions.  Give your students the benefit of the doubt and let them show you who they really are; don't rely on others views to make up your minds for you.  You may be find your students will completely take you by surprise!