Today was the last day of school for students in Clark County, Nevada, and today was a very bittersweet day for me for several reasons. As I quietly begin my nice, long summer, most of my colleagues will continue teaching summer school for the next seventeen days. You see, we teach in a very low income, 80% ELL (English Language Learners) school so summer school gives the students seventeen more days to learn, to build their English skills and to catch up to their native English speaking peers. I toyed with the idea of teaching summer school with my friends and my beloved students, but my mother, my grandmother and my son are waiting for me to visit them in Alabama. My daughter also has an ice-skating competition in Lake Tahoe next weekend and so it was with much regret and sorrow that I divided my students among the six remaining second grade teachers so they can begin their summer school lessons. I know that I am leaving my babies in good hands so I feel good about it, but it still breaks my heart.
I love my colleagues and my students so much and I am so proud to have spent the past year working and learning with them. It's impossible to spend 7 hours every day for 184 days with children and not fall in love with them. They called me their classroom mama, I called them my classroom babies and we referred to ourselves as a classroom family. Our class song was "Get Together" by the Youngbloods and we sang it together every morning after we shook each other's hands while saying good morning in any language we wanted. We learned how to say good morning in at least 20 languages. We shared cheers and jeers, laughter and tears, successes and failures, sorrow and joy, discourse and harmony and even a few lockdowns. We listened to "learning music," we danced, we sang and we found new ways to learn everyday. We loved every minute of it all (except the lockdowns).
The last thing I told them was that no matter what lot they've been given in life, they can change their stars. I played them the song "Right Now" by Van Halen and told them to make every minute of their lives count, to not waste one moment, to take advantage of every opportunity they are given and run with it. I told them I want to see them in twenty years with a high school diploma, maybe a college degree, a good job and even a family, if they so desire.
I have taught in rural areas, in cities and even in other countries, but this was my first experience teaching in an ELL/underprivileged school. I shed more tears this year than all the other years combined as I watched my students leave my classroom for the last time. I knew when I was hired for my position that the population of the school was challenging in many ways so I knew my students would really need me. What I didn't realize was how much I would come to need them. Their silly antics and their unbelievably prophetic statements made me laugh everyday. One of my students was reading to me when all of the sudden he stopped reading, looked up at me and said, "Mrs. T, it's not good for you to steal cars." Of course I had to follow up and we talked for a minute about the people in his life who had bad experiences while stealing cars, and I told him that he was absolutely right. It is not good for you to steal cars.
I developed a fun camaraderie with a student who wasn't in my class. He was a handful of sunshine so all of the teachers would pitch in to help see after him. Sometimes it even takes a village to teach a child. He knew I had an accent and he commented about it from time to time but I never got around to actually telling him where I was from until one day, when he was being particularly full of sunshine, I said, "My mama taught me not to put up with that junk. I'm from Alabama." He laughed and said, "I thought you was from Texas." I said, "WHAT??? Come on, man. Don't insult me. I'm from Alabama!" From then on, every time I saw him he would say, "Ain't you from Texas?" And I would say, "I'm from Alabama." I think I say I'm from Alabama so much that it's become obnoxious. Whatever works, right? So if you hear me randomly say, "I'm from Alabama," you'll know why.
The students' stories also made me cry. They were studying Thomas Edison who, even though he created lots of new inventions, really made his name making other people's inventions better. I tasked the class with finding something they use in their lives everyday and then figuring out ways to make it better. One of the students presented his wonderful project that was really just an explanation of what he hoped to do in his life. He wanted to find ways to make medicine better. He said his goal in life was to become a doctor and cure cancer. A fantastic classroom discussion followed and when I asked if there were any more comments or questions, one final student raised his hand and said, "I wish *student* had really invented a cure for cancer because then my mama would still be alive." So yeah, I felt a deep need to protect and care for those babies. They will always have a special place in my heart.
I had such a wonderful year, but it wouldn't have been possible without such a supportive administration and office staff, a superhero support staff, and the most wonderful second grade teachers I've ever had the pleasure to know. Without them, I would have crashed and burned within weeks. So thank you to you all. I also have to thank my husband who helped me move my stuff into my classroom and then it set up (and then move it all back out again), who showed up to bring me lunch at a moment's notice when I realized that I forgot mine, who set up the camera in my classroom so I could video a lesson for my TESOL class and who picked up the children while I was taking my college courses on Monday and Wednesday nights. My children have also been helpful by being patient with me as we transitioned to a two working parent family. They have become more independent as well so I think the change has been good for us all.
Sure, this year was tough, and for various reasons, it was probably within the top three toughest years that I've ever had in my life. I haven't always handled everything the best way that I could have or should have. My southern charm has sometimes been suppressed by stress and anxiety and there have been things that I wish I could do over again. But everything that I've been through this year has taught me a lot about myself and about what I can accomplish when I set my mind to it. I took 24 hours worth of college classes to get my TESOL and GATE endorsements this year and I have even secured a Gifted and Talented Specialist position in the county for next year.
Even though I will desperately miss my students, colleagues and friends, I am looking forward to the next challenge in my life. Teaching GATE has always been a goal of mine and sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm not dreaming. I will be rebuilding the program at my new school from scratch and I know that it will be a lot of work. I also know that I can do it. I will use the lessons that I've learned this year to build the best GATE program my new school has ever seen. My strengths will be my energy, my humor, my enthusiasm, my desire, my drive and the love that I have for my job.
Today was the last day of class for me, but school is not over for me yet. Not by a long way. I plan to learn something new everyday, and I will not forget the struggles, challenges, victories and hallelujahs that I've experienced this year. Those things helped me to grow and to become a better teacher and a better person. They are my lessons learned.
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