The Golden Moment

I always try to make a point to make sure my students know that I'm proud of the things that they do in my classroom, and beyond, so I definitely feel like I had to make mention of a very special thing that happened last night. I'm currently at a theatre festival with many of my students, and I was going around to do my room checks last night, or to let them know it was time to go back to their own individual rooms. They were all together in a room, and I, apparently, came upon them in the midst of heavy bonding. I was brought into the room, and told that they had decided to have everybody go around the room and say something nice about every single person in the group. So I indulged them, and sat with them, as they all decided that I was to be the subject of the next round.

Most teachers will tell you that teaching is a thankless profession. The students rarely recognize the benefits that they are getting on a day to day basis, and when they do, years later, they rarely take the time to make the contact to say thank you. And that's ok. We don't get into this profession because of the high recognition potential. Which is what made this moment very special to me.

To give a basic outline, last year I replaced a very beloved teacher, and the transition was a bit rough. My wife likes to describe the first year at this school as a shake down. The overlying message of my students was this. "We're glad we didn't scare you off. We're happy that you're here. We like what you are doing. And we are grateful to have you as our teacher." I have to say that this was one of the most touching experiences that I have ever had. For all the times I complain about the frustrations of work, admins, parents, students, or anything and question whether things are worth it, this is one of those rare moments that tells me, in the clearest terms possible, that it absolutely worth it. I've never been more proud of my students.