~and it doesn't get any better than that, my friends~

Time is of the essence for me as a teacher.  With 24 days left on the school calendar before we all go home for our summer vacation, I'm reminded each day of all that is left to accomplish.  With about 3 years remaining before I really do call it done as a teacher and enter the world of whatever people do when they refer to themselves as retired, I get up each morning and head to school knowing one thing for certain.

After being a teacher for over 40 years, I will really miss this life something fiercely when all is said and done.

I've always been a teacher who way more enjoys teaching the lessons of life than I do teaching the prescribed curriculum and standards of any state that I've been privileged to be an educator in.  I make absolutely no bones about it.  While I know full well how important is to have children prepared to go successfully from one grade to the next and while I am surely aware of how important these state assessments we all go through across the United States each spring seem to be, believe me when I tell you that they are not the only lessons that children need to learn.  I say it over and over again and will until the day that I die.  

Some of my best lessons have the been the ones that are of life.

My 2nd grade kids at Grandfield Elementary in Oklahoma have been studying the U.S. and the geography of the states.  As part of our geographic literacy and awareness unit, we've been asking for folks to help us by sending a post card from what ever state they might be living in or even one that they love to take a vacation to.  I put out a message on my own personal social media page that requested post cards if anyone would so care to help us out.  That post ended up being shared nearly 350 times all across the state of Oklahoma and to all directions north, south, east, and west.   In the two weeks since that post went out, the kids have received many post cards, letters, and even some special gifts from folks along the way.  It's been so exciting about the 1:30 time of the afternoon as the mail is delivered to our room.  The kids always look forward to seeing what came addressed to us and so do I.

At present we have post cards from 36 of the states, leaving us only 14 yet to acquire.  We believe that we can meet our original goal of one that represents each of the states.   And you know what?  

We will!

Yesterday after I had taken the time to read 3 of the letters that came to the kids, I called them over to me and asked them to sit down so we could talk.  For a moment I looked them in the eyes, one by one, as I began to speak.  A little lump came in my throat and although I didn't cry, I felt like a tear could well up in my eyes. With pride in my voice and gratitude in my old teacher's heart, I told them how happy I was that so many people had seen our project and wanted to help.  And then I told them something most important to me, something that I sincerely believe that those second grade children should know.

"Boys and girls, I want you to know something.  You will often hear that the news is filled with bad things and bad people who don't always want the best for you and for me.  But I need you children to know something.  I want you to look for the good people, for those who do kind things for one another.  Look for the ones like the strangers who have sent you these post cards and have wished us well.   Trust me when I tell you that for every bad person, there are a million more people who are practicing the good.  They are out there.  We just have to look for them to see that it is true.  No matter what happens to you in this life, I always want you to look for the good."

My prayer is that they always will.

For the next couple of weeks, until May 1st, we will continue to try to gather as many post cards as we can.  After we finish up getting all of the 50 states taken care of, we will divide all of the duplicate post cards up among the class as well as share some with other classes at school.  Our hallway bulletin board that is just outside of our classroom has a U.S. map affixed to it and each post card is matched to its appropriate state by colored string.  It's filling up fast and we are so very happy.

So to all of you who read my post a few weeks back and shared it with your friends as well as to all of you who sent us a post card or a letter, you have our humble thanks.  Even though the original lesson was to help kids learn which states were in certain geographic sections of the country, it turned into a far greater and much more precious and valuable kind of lesson.  

It was one that was taught by over 350 people to little children who call the prairie of southwestern Oklahoma their home.  They were total strangers helping out kids simply because of their desire to make a positive difference in the life of a child they will probably never even meet.

It doesn't get any better than that my friends.

My little sister Cindy from back in Hutchinson, Kansas was one of over 300 people who shared my original post.  She knows the importance of taking a stake in the life of a child.  We are all in this together.  I'm the big sister on the left and she is the little sister on the right.  Out of 5 girls in all, we are the only two girls still living.  It's nice to have each other.