One Hundred and Seventy-Two Handshakes

You may already know that I love graduation ceremonies. So, getting to congratulate each of the Longfellow 8th graders on finishing middle school was a very special kind of treat. Some students took the hand shake seriously and used a firm grasp. Others tried to speed through the line, offering just their fingers and a quick wiggle. For each student I taught, however, I did my best to hold their attention long enough to let them know I was proud. I even got three tremendous hugs. It was a much needed celebration after the last few weeks.

I'm tired, so extremely tired. It's been one of the most dramatically stressful months of my life between school, my personal life, and trying to plan for my summer trip. I've stopped being conscientious of half the things I'm eating, have given up on regular sleep schedules, and am liable to start yelling or crying at the drop of a hat. With one and a half days left, I have a million things to do. The crazy schedules of this week (and many students' blanket refusal to do any more school work) have created a pile of unfinished assessments, making the steady stream of EXTREMELY late work quite preferable. It is June 6th, and even if the weather refuses to cooperate, we're all ready for summer.

There's a tulip on my desk though. When students waste fifteen minutes of class chattering away, or one student tells his peers again that he doesn't need to listen because I'm "not even a real teacher", or another accuses me of failing to help him, or when a third gives me her death glare which so clearly communicates how dramatic of a let down she feels I am...I remember that there is a tulip on my desk. One of my students with EBD gave me the fake flower a couple weeks ago. It's not much, but from a student who struggles each day to remember to bring anything to class or use social manners, it means absolutely everything.

Tulip, with 4 postcards I got to write to parents regarding some positive behaviors I witnessed

So, on days like today, the "Don't fall apart until you close the car door" kind of days, I take a second to remember the flower and that there are students who don't hate me. There are students who have learned things from me. There are students who enjoy my class. There are students who ask for hugs at graduation and who's parents tell me that they've heard about the fun things we did in math and science.
Deep breath in, deep breath out. From this experience I've learned many things. I'm am not a failure. I will walk out of the school next Monday with my head held high, ready for the next adventure life throws my way...Europe

The two second floor windows to the left are to my classroom as viewed from my car
...just thought I'd share.