The bell rings at 7:30 in the morning each day,

not a second early,

not a second late.

You may find some kids already in their seats,

 or some standing outside the hallway, 

and some running down the hall — gasping for air — hoping to make it to class on time

because one more “late” turns into one more “absent,”

and one more “absent” means failing the class.

Looking around, you will find students with their books already out,

while some haven’t even opened their backpacks,

and some have already fallen asleep before the class can start.

As the teacher begins the lesson, you notice the girl in the front, 

who makes sure her notes are perfect and neat, even if it means falling behind the teacher’s lesson.

You notice the boys in the back, laughing with their friends and not giving the teacher any attention.

You also find the quiet, new girl in the far corner of the class 

trying to avoid being called on or being asked to introduce herself.

The valedictorian catches your eye, sitting right in the middle of the room, 

not in the front, nor back, but right in the middle for no reason other than to keep their friends by their side.

They always pay attention, follow the lesson, and participate quite frequently.

You start to notice the teacher.

Judging by the attitude they have, you realize that this might not have been an easy morning for them.

Or maybe you saw the teacher glance down at their desk and check the pop quiz they prepared to hand out.

But, instead of picking them up, they remain on the desk. Because the teacher noticed that their students aren’t having an easy start to their day, either.

The classroom is a very diverse environment,

containing students and staff with different styles,

different lives,

different ways of learning,

and, most importantly, different stories to tell.