A Simple Thank You

Seven years ago, I left the elementary school where I had been an aide and a substitute teacher, and where I began my career as a 4th-grade teacher. It was also where both of my children went to school, so I spent many hours as a volunteer in their classrooms working with students and helping teachers.

I was comfortable there. And there is something to be said about comfort. However, when the opportunity came to teach language arts and to share my passion about reading at the middle school, I knew I had to make that move.

Yesterday, I received an email from a parent of a current student who was one of my colleagues from that school. 

She thanked me. 

The email seemed like a simple thank you. But for me, it was much more than that.

She thanked me for introducing him to new books and creating wonderful experiences for him to learn and grow. 

Changing schools was a difficult decision for me because I was leaving supportive colleagues who had also become friends. 

But her email was the exact reason why I left. 

Instead of showing 25 students each year the joy and power of books, I now share it with 100 (or more) students each year. Reading emails like this one is what keeps me going. Knowing that I have had an impact on a student's reading life brings me joy. 

And isn't finding joy what teaching is all about?

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #SOSmagic

One Lucky Teacher #SOL21

 

Join Two Writing Teachers and other teacher-writers as we share a slice of life every single day in the month of March. 

When I began this challenge, I made a promise to myself that I would not write a post about the pandemic or anything related to COVID. Last year's challenge seemed to be consumed with pandemic life, and it was not stealing any of this year's slices. 

I know it has not been an easy year for many teachers, the stress level has reached an all-time high, and teachers are not getting the respect they deserve. I am sorry if you have experienced any (or all) of these, and I do not mean for this post to take those experiences lightly. 

But for me, things have gone extremely well this school year. Reflecting on this Saint Patrick's Day, I realize how lucky I am as a teacher, so today I share 17 reasons why--even if I am breaking my no-writing-about-the-pandemic promise.

1. I am lucky to have an administration that was ready with a re-entry plan by mid-summer.
2. I am lucky they had teacher input during the entire process.
3. I am lucky to have a principal who knew we didn't expect him to have all the answers because we simply did not know all the questions.
4. I am lucky to have walked into my classroom on August 4th and to teach my 90 students face-to-face.
5. I am lucky we prayed to stay in school for at least two weeks and here we are 140 school days later.
6. I am lucky to have a custodial staff who works diligently to make sure our school is sanitized and safe.
7. I am lucky to have students who do everything we ask of them to keep all of us safe.
8. I am lucky to have the technology to reach quarantined students.
9. I am lucky to have had no COVID transmission at school.
10. I am lucky to have a district-wide positivity rate of less than 5% for the entire school year.
11. I am lucky to have parents who kept their kids home when they needed to.
12. I am lucky to have a team of teachers who support one another.
13. I am lucky to be able to eat lunch every day with teachers in my wing out in the commons area.
14. I am lucky to have a school nurse who keeps track of all things COVID.
15. I am lucky to share books with students.
16. I am lucky to write side by side with my students.
17. I am one lucky teacher.

I'm THAT Teacher #SOL20

"Oh, you're THAT teacher." Anyone ever heard that? Or maybe you have said, "Oh, she's THAT teacher."

In our #100DaysofNotebooking group, someone shared a page with this prompt. So, today I share what makes ME that teacher.

I'm THAT teacher...

• who has piles (upon piles) on her desk.
• who has too many tabs open on her computer.
• who has a TBR pile that is uncontainable.
• who has chocolate stashed in her desk.
• who will stop and ask what are you reading.
• who would rather buy books than clothes or shoes.
• who won't share her favorite pens.
• who will always give students a pencil when they don't have one.
• who believes in the possible!

How are you THAT teacher?

Please join Two Writing Teachers and the annual Slice of Life March Challenge.

Walking Out

I have always been amazed by those teachers who never carry a bag to and from school. Many days I walk in behind someone either leaving or arriving at school with nothing.

Not a single bag.

For most of my teaching years I have carried two bags:  my computer bag and my school bag. My computer bag, obviously, has my computer. My school bag at any given time may contain the current book I'm reading, the book I'm reading next, my notebook, a folder with the current unit or the unit I am revising, PD books to help plan those units, papers/tests to grade, my pencil/pen pouch, current projects, my standards binder, my student reading tracking binder, my mentor text binder, and/or my teacher notebook.

I am always afraid that I will not have something I need when I need it. I am always working on several different things at one time - usually something current and something in the near future. But many nights I take the bag home, and nothing comes out. I don't even open it.

But I still need that safety net...just in case.

Two nights this week I stayed late at school to watch our volleyball teams play. Both nights I left after 8:00, and both nights I decided to not take anything home. Not even my computer.

And do you know what? The world didn't stop spinning. I didn't stay up late thinking I was forgetting something. I didn't get up the next morning worrying that I didn't get something done.

I survived, and I felt so light the next day walking in with those other bagless teachers.

After all these years, I learned how teachers do it.

They just walk out. I can't say this will happen every day, but at least I know I can do it!

Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash