first year teaching: completed

Let me tell you; I feel jubilant.

Plus one for me. Or plus a trillion. My last day was full of rocky bumps which further proved to me how much I've grown. We had an emergency situation and one student asked me "why are you so calm?" I should have said, "because I know it'll be all right," but I just said "I'm making sure everyone else stays calm."

This being the last day, I tried to keep them busy by asking them to help me move stuff out of the room and into storage in the lockers outside. That was awesome, free manual labor. Something I will always remember about sixth grade is the chorus of "me! me! me!" if I ask for volunteers without instructing them to raise a hand.

I say "always remember" because I was told this morning that I might be teaching seventh grade next year. If so, I will teach the same kids for a second year, which I postulated about in an earlier post. Now it might happen. I think several teachers are really upset with the situation, and are trying to have it reversed. Strange entities begin to form when changes happen. Groups, unions, teams, coalitions, panels, boards, what? What about the communities? The patrons and employees of the school have only part of the voice of their school. The rest belongs to administration or supervisors. In many ways, teaching is just like any job.

At least I felt really good about fulfilling my contract. I casually noticed some of the kids' letters to (whom were going to be) my new sixth graders next year. The ones that said I was their favorite teacher really choked me up, so I'll read them tomorrow when I'm all alone in my empty room.

JK I ain't gonna cry! Now, two days to pack up and enter grades. How do I say goodbye to the teachers? I'll have to do it and stay out of the drama at the same time. :P

FREEEDOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!