~and I did what I was supposed to do~

Times have changed.  I could see it in the photo that I came across last evening.  It was of a young teacher from long, long ago.  A small handful of students sat beside her on the bleachers of the elementary school gym.  They represented a small portion of the classroom student population with the remaining 15 or so unable to take their photo for school as they honored their church's religious beliefs against the taking of photographs.  I looked at that young woman and smiled in my heart because I remembered her.

She was me.

I have taken lots of photos of my experiences in now,  the nearly last 4 decades in education. The older I have become, the more thankful I am to have these special remembrances of a time so very long ago past.  I have scarce few of them from my 16 years as a combination first-second grade teacher at Yoder Grade School but the precious ones that I was allowed to have are priceless in their value to me.

For some reason here lately, I have been thinking about all of the changes that I have seen since I first stepped into a classroom in August of 1979.  One of the interesting changes is how teachers may now dress.  I look at that photo and see myself in that outfit I was wearing.  It was actually handmade by a dear friend who used to sew for others in my hometown of Haven, Kansas.  I loved that skirt and the blouse that went with it.  Never had to even iron it.  Just wash, dry, and wear it.  It was a look that matched the decade of the 80's and probably wouldn't be worn by me again.  Yet even having said all of that, I could see myself wearing it again if that style comes back before I'm gone from the earth.

Although you can't see it from the picture, I had on my standard pantyhose and low heeled shoes.  I never went to school without wearing them but now I cannot even begin to tell you the last time I pulled on an uncomfortable pair of those things.  For the longest time teachers were only allowed to wear slacks on days when the temperatures were cold enough to warrant wearing them and it took forever and a day to be able to wear jeans on Fridays.  Now teachers can wear flip-flops, comfortable sneakers with their faded jeans, t-shirts, and a host of other things that many years ago were forbidden.

To be right honest I cannot tell you the last time I saw someone wearing nylons. 
And that's just fine with me.  
:)

I remember those dear children who are shown in the picture above and although I won't name them here, I could tell you their names just like that.  I figure over the past 39 years, I've been called "teacher" by close to 1,000 students or even more.  I would sadly admit that perhaps I will have forgotten a small handful of their names, but for the most part I still know my students and I hope that they would remember me.

Tomorrow is a new school day and when I walk into my classroom at Big Pasture, there will be 19 young people waiting for me to get there.  Even though they look nothing like the 8 children shown in the photo above, they are so very much like them.  There were fires in the bellies of the kids from long ago to learn as much as they could and the same fire can be found in the bellies of the children that I have now in the year 2016.

The young woman that I used to be never realized what would lie ahead.  The many changes, moves, life interruptions, tragedies, and triumphs that she would encounter were never, ever dreamt once by her.  She only saw one day at a time and that's just fine with me too.

If something were to happen and I could never walk into a classroom again, in my heart I would still feel very happy for the many, many days that I have been given.  When it is all said and done, I feel one thing quite strongly.

I did what I was supposed to do and the good Lord above blessed me.

This was the year I defied the photographer's order and went to the top row instead of the bottom row where all the other short kids were.  Hey, I was a kid once too you know.  See if you can find me.                          1968-1969, Haven Grade School, 8th grade class