0 Those Students...

As a teacher, I know I'm not supposed to have favorites.  But, there are those students who go out of their way just to make you smile.  There are those students who notice the extra things that you do.  There are those students who ask you how your day is and truly take the time to listen.  There are the students who bring you cake on your birthday.  There are the students who laugh at your jokes and tell you new jokes.  There are the students who put forth effort on every assignment, who ask for help when they need it.  There are the students who come to visit you just to say hi.  There are the students who invade your classroom before school, at lunch, and after school to talk, to listen, and to be heard.  There are the students who come to you for hugs, band-aids, and advice for their future.  

I love all my students, but there are some who have earned a special place in my heart.  These are the students I will remember always.  These are the students who are more than my students.  They have become my friends.

Yes, I know they taught me in college to never become friends with my students.  There is supposed to be that clear line between teacher and student.  But, they weren't exactly honest with me in college.  They didn't tell me how hard teaching was going to be.  They didn't tell me about the politics that come with working in a school.  They didn't tell me about the drama.  They didn't tell me how much my life would be impacted by high stakes testing and teacher evaluation programs.  They didn't tell me about how much I would grow to care for the students that call me Ms. Hagan.  They didn't tell me that some days there would be more important things than achieving the objective that I spelled out on my lesson plan.  They didn't tell me how emotional teaching was.  They didn't tell me what it would feel like to constantly give of yourself, with no guarantee of anything in return.        

So, maybe I am breaking the rules.  Maybe I will regret this some day.  But, then again, maybe not.

Last Week's Holiday

Most days, the holiday I research and write up on the board goes largely unnoticed.  But, some days, my students surprise me.  This was one of those days:

A note from a friend...

Encouragement From A Friend...