Thankfully tomorrow we will all head back to school for the first time since we dismissed the kids last Wednesday due to the impending winter weather conditions. It's been such a long spell that we've been apart from one another and by yesterday at noontime, I was beginning to feel like it was way past time to get back to the classroom and continue on where we had to leave off on Wednesday of last week. I was missing those kids yesterday and by this morning I began to feel like I was REALLY missing them. You know, it's just like this~Kids at school, other staff members at school are like family to me and when you get used to someone being around you all the time, well you kinda miss them when the days go by and you don't see one another. One of my favourite times of the school day is when I do breakfast duty for the students who come early enough to get breakfast in their tummies. I like it that I can give a kid a hug in the morning when they come to eat breakfast, that I can say "good morning" and know that they will say it back in return to me. It feels kinda nice to see a kid walk in the door carrying their back pack and having them motion me over because they have something very special inside of it that they brought to school that day. And hey, it doesn't matter what is inside of their back pack either because whatever it is that they brought is something most important to them. I missed saying the words, "don't run~there's plenty for everyone to eat" and smiling whenever I see the cutest little 4-year old EVER looking at 3 breakfast cards and finally, at long last, MAYBE kind of/sort of figuring out which one actually has HIS name on it. I sure do love that little guy :)
I'm starting to feel a little nostalgic as the days pass by because I know that surely my days of being an educator are perhaps coming to a close. I'm not positive what I will do with my time, what kind of a job I will get when I move to Colorado at the end of the school year but there is a very good chance that it will NOT be in teaching. There are other jobs I wish to try, more on that later. When I retired for the "first time" in 2010, I felt that 32 years in education were the limit for me. Little did I know that I would be called back to teaching and spend an additional 3 years of doing what I love the best, doing what I was destined to do in this life. Now as I approach the end of this school year, number 35 in all, life is changing for me and it is definitely changing for the "good". When I move to Colorado it will be the perfect time to consider doing something a little different.
When I started this school year, now 6 months ago in August of 2012, I had no idea of how my life would change for the "even better". I was in the beginning of my own "swan song" as a teacher and I didn't even realize it. Now 2/3 of the way into the year, the sobering thought of how little time is left to be with kids and to be called "teacher" lies before me. And as with the brevity of life, the "brevity of the school term" has provided quite a wake up call during these past 3 days. With what time is left for me, I intend to do everything I can to make a difference somewhere along the lines that are left.
Remembering with gratitude that I've had the opportunity to work with so many fine educators over the years. At Haven Grade School, Yoder Grade School, Hutchinson Middle Schools 7 and 8, Avenue A Elementary and my present teaching assignment at Lincoln Elementary, I have taught alongside staff members who worked their "tails" off to be sure that the kids entrusted to them received the best education possible. I have seen teachers stay after school for hours or give up half of their weekends just to be sure that they have things ready for their students each day. And you know that crazy rumour about teachers spending their own money in order to buy what their students need in the classroom? Well you can believe every word of it~I see it happen all the time, in every grade level imaginable and the beautiful thing about it is this..... Those teachers, they never intend to be paid back or reimbursed for the things that they buy out of their own pockets for their students. Shoot, they don't even do it for a pat on the back from a co-worker or an administrator. They do it for one reason and one reason only~they do it for the benefit and the good of their students. Time and time again, day in and day out, they do it and I surely commend them for their honourable efforts on behalf of the children. It has been my privilege to work with them and to learn from them as well.
Well, the night time is here now and the skies have all gone dark. I just called poor Oblio in from the porch, telling her that it was time to give up the thought of Eleanore carrying on a decent conversation. Hoping that dumb cat won't be beside herself tomorrow when the above freezing temperatures further reduce her new "snow woman friend" to an even shorter version of her already tiny self. In a couple of hours it will be time to consider heading to bed and getting some sleep in anticipation of returning to school tomorrow. Hopefully about 225 little kids are thinking about doing the same. Wishing for all of you a good night's rest with wonderful dreams to go along with it. And as has been said before, many times by me and perhaps just as many by others, if you could read my blog this evening, be sure to say "thank-you" to a teacher. Good night!
The early morning hours of my 54th birthday, October 26th right before I turned in my retirement papers (for the first go round ). Little did I know! Hey, haven't I told you that I am a very slow learner? Do you believe me now? :)
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