Monday, December 10, 2007

Fare Thee Well

Friday was my last day of teaching for a very long time. I do not think it will sink in until I'm staying at home and taking care of a baby.

I was very blessed the last 4 years to work with a wonderful staff. They were so very supportive of me this last year. I never had to deal with the ugliness that I hear occurs when one leaves in the middle of the year.

I worked with some of the best principals at this school and with the best team. They are thoughtful, hard-working, and so much fun!

I will miss the students a bit, but not as much as the staff. I have to admit I was burned out on teaching after 6 years. I don't know how others, like my dad, do/did it. I am so happy not to deal with state requirements/testing, grading, poor behavior and blatant disrespect anymore!

I did have some very sweet kids that hugged me or brought me cards before moving on with their day Friday. I will miss some of their humor and jokes. I also ended on a positive note with one student that really made my day. His grades had been falling drastically after carrying a 100 average. Thursday, it was apparent that he had just given up. He was upset with me, so I knew that talking with him would not work. I ended up writing a quick note to him, telling him not to give up and he was capable of so much more. He didn't change his attitude on Thursday, but he was totally different on Friday. He was positive and scored a 100 on his test! He told me it was his gift to me...and I really see it as a gift!

Now that I am not teaching, I will be in prayer for all of those in schools. I can only speak for the kids that I have seen in my low-income schools, but the world is a very scary place for these teens. In looking at the last week alone, there were students dealing with gangs and fights, deciding on keeping or aborting a baby, and family members in jail. Believe me, a science test is not high on their lists of concerns. There is a real and true concern for the education of the children in the US. Keep that in mind when you vote for the next president.

3 comments:

Carolyn said...

I know you had a tremendous impact on the students and staff there. There's a Swankie blankie in your CARE box!

Kristi said...

What a blessing for those kids to have you in their lives!

Now the waiting begins :)

Shannon said...

I am positive that you were an awesome teacher and a light in the student's lives.

Can't believe it's already time to have these babies!! I'll be praying for lots of rest this week for you and for a QUICK delivery!