"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." -- Edith Ann

So this Friday is mid-term for the third quarter! I can't believe that there is only a quarter and a half left of my first year teaching. I have to say that it has been an emotional roller-coaster, of course, but the main things that stick out in my mind are the laughs that the entire class has shared. I wanted to make a point this year to be open, funky, fun, strict, fair, and just all those adjectives that make up ME. I wanted to be real. Not some fake perfect teacher who knows all the answers and never makes mistakes. I wanted my students to see me acting like a goof, see me make mistakes and for them to catch them, see me frustrated, to see me showing empathy. That is one area where I have succeeded this year. Because I have been myself, my students have felt more comfortable being who they are. "Yeah, Ms. P can be crazy at times but she knows when to be serious." They then apply this to their own lives. They know when it is appropriate to loosen up a bit and when they have no choice but to crack down. This has also helped us to create a classroom of honesty, fairness, and NO BULLIES. We have not had one bully issue all year. Perhaps it is because my students are so perfect. NOT. It is because my students have learned to respect each other. And when respectful behavior isn't being shown, they feel comfortable reporting it to someone, usually me, and it is handled promptly.

The hardest part of my job has been seeing the heartache my students face outside of class. Kids who are so hungry (God knows when they last ate) that they can't concentrate on a simple addition problem. Students who cook, clean, bathe their siblings, and still manage to get their homework done. Students who have seen more loss in their lives than I can even imagine. And yet, through it all, these kids come to school and try. I wanted my classroom to be a safe haven for them. A place where they can truly leave their worries at the door. Then, and only then, can real learning actually take place.

The year hasn't been perfect. I have had my frustrations. However, I can honestly say that I love teaching. I am at my best when I am in my classroom. That happiness I get in the classroom makes all the frustrations seem small in comparison.