Time Flies!

Oh my! I can't believe that it is almost time for me to graduate! I finish my student teaching on May 2nd and it's bittersweet for me. I am excited to be finished with school for a bit, but I am so sad to leave the wonderful community where I have spent the last four and a half months! I have grown so much and made so many great new friends. Student teaching has been one of the greatest experiences of my life so far. I am sad to leave! :(
Today, I was privileged to hear Ruby Bridges speak at our school for two hours and had an amazing experience with one of my students (I have featured a quote from Ruby at the bottom of this blog for quite some time now). My mentor teacher is vacationing in Hawaii right now so I have been braving it with a sub. This morning no sub showed up. I took the kids to the assembly all by myself after assuring them that any misbehavior would not go unnoticed and with out consequence. At the end of the presentation, Miss Bridges allowed students to ask questions and one of my boys was selected. He stood up and said "I have two things. First, I want to say that I think you are really brave and I don't think I could do what you did." He then proceeded to ask his question. After picking my jaw up off the floor, calming the chills running up and down my spine, and holding back what wanted to be tears in my eyes, I thought to myself that is what it is all about! You work so hard to teach not only academics but respect and value for courage, trustworthiness, and other important attributes. For a 9 year old boy to recognize the bravery of someone else and then apply it to his own life right in front of his teacher and peers is incredible! I felt so proud and privileged to be a part of that child's education.
Thanks for turning me into the best teacher I can possibly be! I will dearly miss all my friends at Zaharis! Let's make the best of our last week together!