Things are looking up.
Went to the service today, so the worst is over with that.
Got word that I get to try a run as early as Wednesday. My fingers are crossed and I'm trying not burst at the seams with excitement. Running, I miss you. Oh how I have needed you this month, for sure. Pretty please, can you come back to me?
Two more weeks at school, although this one will be a little crazy. I'm presenting in front of quite a few of my peers in the NEO at a conference on Thursday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. But I'm excited about what I'm sharing, which is a pretty amazing project my APUSH students have been doing with Cleveland Historical. They are making content for the app, and I'm seriously impressed with what they are churning out--especially on a short timetable. These guys never cease to amaze me, and that's pretty awesome.
Along with grading and trying to close out the school year, I'm packing up my classroom. Especially fun when it's 87 degrees in my classroom, like it was on Friday. But when the construction is done, we'll have air-conditioning! Yay! Too bad I won't ever be 9 months pregnant in the hottest September on record again, but I digress. Anyway, we're all moving rooms due to renovations, so I won't be in 221 anymore...sniff sniff...Bean was born on 2/21 and I'm partial to that room number since I've spent the past 12 school years in it. But I came across this little gem while I was packing:
It's a scrapbook that my freshmen and juniors put together from my first year teaching at Oak Hills High School. After a long week of thinking about this profession and how it can break your heart sometimes, I really, really needed this. Reading through the letters made me happy. And laugh. There was even an empty pack of pretzels in there with a note saying "sorry! they were just calling my name" because one kid asked to go to the bathroom and instead went to buy pretzels at the vending machine and I REAMED her for it. It definitely made me smile.
The-Year-In-Which-They-Were-4-And-2-And-I-Taught-Full-Time is almost over, and I'm definitely ready. I'm exhausted. It took its toll on me, physically and emotionally. I know in part my injury is due to the fact that I haven't sat down or really had a real, true rest day of just rest since last August.
And true story: I was nominated for two pretty big honors: the National History Teacher of the Year Award and the Martha Holden Jennings Master Teacher Award. I found out this week that I didn't receive either one, and I was a little bummed about it but after I found out about Dulcy I quickly got over myself. I know, just like in triathlon, I am way, way, WAY too hard on myself sometimes all the time, so more than anything it was just really nice to know that someone noticed that I work my tail off day in and day out. Honestly, that was better than actually winning. That, and that yellowed and faded photo album full of pretzel wrappers and misspelled letters.
The trophies are nice and all, but that's not why I got into this profession. Or this sport. Which is a good thing, because I am rarely winning them. But knowing I give it my all and every once in a while having someone acknowledge it...or even just say "thanks?" That's what keeps me going.
I might have said goodbye to my race last week, and I may be saying goodbye to 221, but I know that the journey is more important than what room I'm in or what race I missed.
Cheers to the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
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