Well let’s see, since I last posted, I’ve ridden a school bus for my final class field trip, cheered through my last Field Day, and today, graded the last set of papers of my career. I have to be honest. I won’t miss field trips, field days, or grading papers too much and yet it makes me melancholy just the same. As I reflect on that, I guess even though they weren’t my favorite things about being a teacher, they are still part of the job. As with anything, you take the good with the bad and if you’re lucky the good outweighs the bad. I’ve been very lucky.
For the last 32 years I have been honored to work with the most wonderful teachers and staff. Our school has been a place of support, cooperation, and encouragement for our students and each other. My fellow teachers have been my sounding board, shoulder to cry on, and at times the voice of reason that I needed. I truly couldn’t have made it this far without them. I’ve tried to figure out a way to let them know what they mean to me but have decided it’s impossible. How do I put into words all the feelings that fill my heart? First of all, I am an emotional wreck in the best of times. This week will probably be a super storm of feelings for me anyway, so actually saying the words (if I had them) will be virtually impossible. I only hope that a smile through my tears, hugs that are tighter than usual, and whispered thank yous will convey to them more than just those simple gestures. I hope it will let them know that they are blessings in my life and have given me the best gift anyone can receive. They have turned a school into so much more…..a place to turn to when I am troubled, a place to share my joys, a place of protection, a place of inspiration, a place to laugh, and a place to grow. The good has abundantly outweighed the bad. I may have been a teacher for 32 years but I have learned more from my school family than they’ll ever know. And for that, I am eternally grateful. Yes, I have been VERY lucky!
