This the final week of the 2010-2011 school year in my district. It should be a good one, with 2 half-days and 2 full days to close up shop in my classroom. It has been a very rewarding year, as they always are. I have never ended a year without a feeling of accomplishment and appreciation for the opportunities my profession affords me. I am not talking about the summers off. They are nice, but I always work a summer job, which is a fun change. I am talking about the countless opportunities to positively affect people everyday I go to work. This is the best part of the job.
This past Tuesday, we had commencement ceremonies at my school and it was a beautiful event. I was assigned to field supervision and sat among the graduating students throughout the ceremony. Even though I was in a suit, the weather was bearable and all of us on the field were grateful for that. The students gave thoughtful speeches and I was proud to have personally taught all of them as students over the years. The Valedictorian of the class spoke of his journey from India as a young boy to the place where is now. I respected his choice to acknowledge his cultural history which, although unique among the audience, could be related to by all. The Salutatorian reflected on his years and touchingly gave respect to a deceased classmate; his best-friend. The Class President made comparisons to a track meet and provided a quote I wasn't familiar with, but was struck by. She said "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." I think that will stay with me for some time.
As I sat there among students with so much promise before them, among colleagues whom I greatly respect, and among families full of pride for their children; I felt so privileged to be in the profession that I am. There are many students with whom I feel such a strong bond and care about deeply. There are many colleagues who have made me a better teacher and person. There are families with whom I have established relationships and who appreciate my role in their child's progress through school. What a cool job I have? I think about how much enjoyment I have everyday and how much of my work day involves joy and laughter and I feel very grateful.
It has not always been smooth and there have been countless days of stress, frustration, and exhaustion. But those days have largely become moments that come and go much less frequently than when I first began teaching nine years ago. Nine years. Wow. It does go by fast. My days now are full of great experiences. The relationships I have with students, some over years and others over months, are dynamic and rewarding. I have felt so flattered as I signed dozens of yearbooks these past few weeks. I was speaking with a close colleague/friend, BA, and mentioned that I began teaching, because I wanted my life to have meaning. I wanted to mean something to other people. That may be seem like a selfish reason, but I think we all want meaning in our lives. I happened to find mine in serving others. As I wrap up this 9th year as an educator, what I find most rewarding and worthwhile is that I am confident that I have meant something to my students. A life with meaning. Some might say that sounds so typical of a dramatic and idealistic teacher, but I say so what. This is where I find much of my inspiration and fulfillment. If that seems odd to some, so be it. Only the student and the teacher fully understand the special bond that grows over a year of effort, discovery, and laughter. There is no other job that I can imagine which relies so heavily on caring. Caring. Yes, I know that sounds even more dramatic, but this is the one thing I do know for sure about surviving as a teacher. Caring about the students is what helps one to persevere through the really tough times.
So as I think about all the incredible opportunities the graduates will have at their new schools such as Stanford, Cornell, Penn, Georgia Tech, U of South Carolina, Rice, Tulane, Cal Berkley, Villanova, Penn State, I am full of pride. It's a special feeling of pride that I guess isn't far from the pride a parent feels for their child. But with all the different directions our students will now move towards and away from our school, I am made aware of exactly where I am. My life has meaning and summer vacation is a few days away. I am happy to be here.
Future Posts: A Story of a Flashmob Dance, Father's Day, The Summer Job, and A Mid-West Wedding.
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