This has been a week of ups and downs...big things, little things, great moments of joy, great moments of sadness. I am just going to give you a week's wrap up day by day...
Monday- our Central Office always prepares a fabulous holiday lunch with the best soups, chili's and desserts. Right as I was about to sit down, one of my bosses walked over to talk to me about some upcoming training. (I like that about my job. Getting to do things in and out of my classroom. Not going to lie. Leading training makes me nervous, but I do enjoy it, at the end of the day.) Right before she started talking, another employee in the district who happened to be a parent of a former student, stopped to let me know how much her son appreciated me as a teacher. She relayed that he felt because of the structure of my class he was prepared to succeed when in college. I gave her a big hug and told her to pass it on to her son when she saw him next. Those moments are few and far between in my world. Most parents want to complain that you weren't fair to Susie or Johnny and it that it's not their fault that they didn't do the work or that your work is too hard, etc... So if your child has a teacher that they love, tell them. They don't hear it often enough.
Tuesday - a part of my job that isn't always pleasant is the fact that sometimes young people are taken from us too soon. That happened to be the case for a young lady that I taught in the late 90's. I took a personal day to be able to attend her service. Thankfully, I have other teacher/friends that were with me, because going to a funeral service so soon after my father's was a daunting task. But I made it. I don't regret it. In fact, I was assured that it made a difference when her younger brother came to my room on Wednesday to thank me for being there. I have to say that the overwhelming outpouring of love during my Dad's service inspired me to make a difference. You have no idea what it meant to see the faces of friends, co-workers, and former teachers showing their love to our family. How could I not, in this season of love and charity, do the same for this dear family experiencing the loss of a daughter, sister and young mother.
Wednesday - has to be divided into day/night. The day was not the best. Part of being a teacher and taking off work is hoping that your Sub has a great day. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I hate it when students don't give their best in class.
After work I headed to FW with Boy. I love it when time allows us to hang out. He's about to be 18. Officially an adult on paper. He stays busy with school, work, friends and the farm. I count our time as the most precious commodity. We stopped by to see Grandma. Did a little shopping. Almost had him convinced to take a pic with Santa. It's a family joke that I made him do that all the way through 6th grade. I was clinging to keeping him a little boy as long as possible. Anyway, if I had 2 more minutes in line at Chik-Fil-A, I totally would have had him convinced. Oh well.
Thursday - Nothing to see here folks. Keep moving.
Friday - Wow. A tragedy that will live in our hearts forever. My heart breaks. For the staff at the school. For the children. For the parents and siblings. I can picture those teachers huddling with the students in their classroom. We have had drills. I know where I would take my students. Cover the window. And pray. It caused us all to hug our kids a little longer. Pray for strangers. And wonder where that kind of evil comes from. I can't imagine. I don't want to imagine. Teaching is a calling for most people who choose it as a profession. I am finishing 20 years. I have had some great moments and moments that I would take back. I have learned a lot of lessons. Unfortunately on a day of this great tragedy, I experienced a small disappointment of my own. In no way should it even be in the same paragraph as the national tragedy except that it centers around school. Friday night I received a couple of texts with screen shots of an instagram post. Some students had taken a pic of a pic from my very early days of teaching. In the reflection of the glass frame you can see the students laughing. They posted to instagram. A former student called me a horrible person. Current students used the "laughing with tears" emoticon. It's not the end of the world. Nobody got hurt. Other than my feelings. If you are a teacher that gives two-hoots about your job, it is hard not to let that sting. A little. Or a lot. Granted. This is coming four weeks after burying my Dad. After a year of great ups and downs. So many friends commented on my fb post regarding the incident. Your words are encouraging. They help. A lot. I am not sure how I face them Monday. I am praying for Grace. Forgiveness. Understanding. Social media has changed our lives. It has changed the classroom. Think of the Newton's shooter's brother who was misidentified as the killer. Once something is out there, it is hard to be undone. Children don't understand that. Some adults don't understand that. It's a new world. I am working on accepting that. Accepting that the things they say don't define me. And that I will continue to view my profession as one of the greatest in the world. A chance to change a life. Next time I am knocked down, I'll go back to this Monday and remember those words of a parent who didn't gain anything by telling me that I was thought of as a great teacher, but took the time to share. I won't let the actions of a few rob me of the joy of helping many.
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