Prelude to Summer

My students are awesome. Okay, I know I shouldn't be using the term awesome, but I'm around teenagers all day, so give me a break. As I'm grinding my way toward the end of another school year, I think that I just can't do it. I can barely make it to summer. How will I ever be able to come back next year and DO THIS AGAIN? How? How?

Well, the answer is partly a good dose of summer vacation. Yes, that really helps bunches. I rest. I tan. My eye twitch goes away. I start to forget. But the bigger part of the answer is that my students are awesome.

I know in my last post/rant I complained about standardized testing WHICH IS AWFUL. But...the good part, the best part, the bestest of all the best parts is my students. They are smart and funny and kind to each other. They're polite -- to me and to each other. I am a lucky teacher to have such students. I am lucky to be in a school and a community where the students care, the parents care, the teachers care, the administrators care.

I am reminded of this at just the right moment, the end of the most exhausting year of teaching I've ever had. Earlier this week we had our end-of-year banquet for the newspaper staff. There was a slideshow of happy pictures of great memories: deadlines and field trips and friendships. There were presentations and awards. There were kind words beautifully written and spoken. There were more pictures and hugs.

So, I will do my best to stumble through the remaining few weeks of the school year. I will say my goodbyes to my sensational seniors. I will rest and forget about the tough days. And next year I will be...

You know what? My eye twitch is not really letting me say it yet, but you know where I'll be.