End of yearness

Every year as the school year closes, I experience a myriad of emotions, and I am left questioning if I want to keep doing this... And how could I ever imagine NOT doing this... My constant inner conflict. On the one hand, I am dealing with checked out, too-cool-for-school kids, and on the other, I am receiving notes like this:



On that first hand, I am dealing with test anxiety and evaluations being unjustly tied to test scores of kids who forgot to show up-- both mentally and/or sometimes even physically, but, on the other, I am cheering on AP kiddos who have the ability to earn college credit for their year's worth of work with treat bags like this:

And then I remember that feeling I had as my first graduating class from the inner city was walking across that stage. I was hugging crying mommas and holding crying babies. I remember coming home and telling Patrick to never let me forget *this* feeling. Because I thought (knew) that the wear and tear of each passing year could potentially make me forget. Thank goodness I am not there yet.

Tomorrow I have 48 students who will be writing their hearts out as they try to validate their year by earning college credit for Freshman comp. Please send them your well wishes. They are going to do great--I just know it!

Every year as the school year closes, I experience a myriad of emotions, and I am left questioning if I want to keep doing this... And how could I ever imagine NOT doing this... My constant inner conflict. On the one hand, I am dealing with checked out, too-cool-for-school kids, and on the other, I am receiving notes like this:



On that first hand, I am dealing with test anxiety and evaluations being unjustly tied to test scores of kids who forgot to show up-- both mentally and/or sometimes even physically, but, on the other, I am cheering on AP kiddos who have the ability to earn college credit for their year's worth of work with treat bags like this:

And then I remember that feeling I had as my first graduating class from the inner city was walking across that stage. I was hugging crying mommas and holding crying babies. I remember coming home and telling Patrick to never let me forget *this* feeling. Because I thought (knew) that the wear and tear of each passing year could potentially make me forget. Thank goodness I am not there yet.

Tomorrow I have 48 students who will be writing their hearts out as they try to validate their year by earning college credit for Freshman comp. Please send them your well wishes. They are going to do great--I just know it!