I MISS my students. I miss telling them my stories. I miss making a fool of myself in front of them when teaching them something new and trying to come up with ways to help them remember a concept. I miss randomly bursting into song when one of them says something that can be connected to the lyrics of a song. I miss demanding their attention when I ring our bell and watching them turn and smile at me when the bell rings. I miss being the one to help them solve their problems.
I LOVE teaching. I have a student teacher. I SO APPRECIATE her. No classroom should be without two adults. Honestly, to truly reach all the children who are neglected at home, a classroom needs at least three teachers in the room at all times. This week and last week are my student teacher's full weeks of teaching. I am supposed to be "unavailable." I am having a hard time with it. I want to step in and redirect the children who are distracted. I want to be the one reading the read-aloud book and becoming the characters by changing my voice in the book while they eat their snack. I want to be the one encouraging them as they read, write, and solve problems.
So, in thinking about all of this, I AM in the right profession. I LOVE what I do. I also NEED the summers to wind down from one school year and wind up for the next. A teacher cannot work 8-14+ hours a day for an entire year- the summer is the only breath of fresh air they get.
I could do without the piles of correcting that comes home each night, the upset parent phone calls, and the endless prep work that needs to be done each day, but really, what else can I do? If there's a job opening that allows me to be creative, keep decent hours, never take work home with me, and know that I'm changing lives in a positive direction, PLEASE contact me. Otherwise, I'm where I need to be and can't wait to be back in action on Monday.
If you know a teacher, thank them for all they do to make learning FUN and MEANINGFUL!
Happy Tuesday!
Thank you for all you are doing as a teacher, a mentor to a new teacher (who by the way loves teaching also...has had an amazing model), and for the endless energy you've brought to your students. Yes, you are in the right profession, you DO make a difference, to many. I'm glad you've had time to reflect...it's hard to give up your power in the classroom, but it'll be fun to get it back. She has a small little bitty week to pare down, to only have to gear up for another 9 weeks of frenzy in a totally different venue. You've given her your best...she's a butterfly now. Let her fly away!
ReplyDeleteDarlin', I LOVE this! And I love YOU!
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