God is in CONTROL

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Packing It Up, Turning off the Lights on Another Year


I have ended up this school year weary and worn, not sure why, but tired nonetheless. Yesterday I finally took down a bulletin board, removed the student's housing displays from the space above the top cabinets and emptied the top of my desk -- putting the most of it in files or trashcan. My eyes fell on the posters I've made of their senior pictures from the past nine years. There were two graduation invitations -- one from a developmentally challenged student and one from a former student who was graduating from college. It was the message in their cards that lingered in my thoughts.

I keep all the cards and notes. A minister's wife said one time -- "Save the notes you don't get many when you're past fifty. I guess the same holds true with teachers. Our daughter teaches elementary and has gotten many gifts from students over the years. I've had my share of nice mementos when I taught the younger classes, but when you teach juniors and seniors the gifts they give-- come not from the parents shopping, but from their own pen.

I have about 240 different students in a year and I have to say remembering names is a lot like the Hallmark commercial of the old professor packing it up and the student comes by with a card and thanks him for his instruction -- he finally is able to remember her name and calls her by it, even telling her where she sat in his class by the time she walks out the door.

When my students come back to visit, I always pray, "Lord, help me with that name." Now I don't always remember their names, but their life stories stick with me and several notes they've written come to mind --

It's always something like,
>"I loved your class because we got to cook and have hot chocolate" or
>"This class finally got good when you let us in the cooking lab" or
>"I know I drove you crazy, but thanks for always putting up with me".
>One guy this year wrote"You were always so quick with the comeback when I challenged everything you said" (which was daily).
>"I'm looking forward to you and Mrs. M going on the road with your cooking show" (we used to tease them and say we came as a matched set and planned to hit the road in a Winnebago during retirement and do TV spots.) He went on to say, "You two are inseparable, like ham and cheese". (I guess they always think food when they think of us).
>Another young man said, "I'm not going to lie, at first I didn't take your class seriously. . . but towards the end I did, though you probably don't believe me."
>Several years ago one girl wrote "I've never seen anybody be so passionate about fruits and vegetables, but you were ALWAYS excited about EVERYTHING".
>One girl recently said of me and my co-worker, "I wouldn't have made it, if it weren't for you two." (That student was high maintenance and did take a lot of prayer, I admit.)
>One note I'll never forget was from a young woman who said "You showed me I don't have to get married right out of high school but can still pursue my dream of being a veteranarian, and that there will still be guys left to marry."
>One that keeps me energized, was from a former student who said, "You were always in a good mood." (She had my class early in the day -- lucky for her.Lord, keep me smiling even through 6th period.) She went on to say I had inspired her to go into culinary arts. All teachers really want, is to know we've done our job to the best of our abilities and that we connected on some level with our students, hoping they will go out of our classroom to become responsible parents, partners and citzens in the community. Teaching is what I enjoy and I tell my students each year I'm working my dream job -- However, this teacher is ready for a little R & R to refuel, read, renew so I'll have something to give 'em next year.

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