It has been a very long time since my last post, for a variety of reasons that I may or may not explain in passing as I work on processing this first semester.  But one of my resolutions for this next calendar year is to get back into a routine of blogging and journaling, both of which tend to drop off exponentially when I am going through a difficult time.  (And the past four months have been at times excruciating.)

I do want to share something that happened today which encapsulates my life as a teacher.  I wrote personal Christmas cards to all my students and gave them to my 6/7 biology class today.  (Attendance was so low in my other two classes due to PLAN testing, weather, and general ridiculousness that I decided to wait until tomorrow!)  They were pleasantly surprised to receive cards, but their reaction when they read their messages was priceless.  "I'm going to keep mine and put it in my room!"  "She said I have great potential!"  "What did she say about you?"

My supervisor told us early on in our program that every child needs just one person who is absolutely crazy about them.  In a school like mine, that person is often a teacher instead of a parent or family member, and that is ultimately why I am here.  I am here to be that child's biggest fan; here to make her feel special because of who she is, not what she does; here to show him that he has the power to do anything, good or bad.  This is my life, and I'm thankful to be here.