Remembering What You Forgot

Dear Teacher,

When I was a kid, I loved the idea of amusement parks and carnivals.  There was something so exciting and a bit surreal about them.  The colors, the sounds, the smells…it was like another world.  They made me feel alive, and the energy a trip to one brought would last for a long time…until normal life pushed the memories away and everything was back to the same-old, same-old.

What is amazing is that even now, as an adult, even just seeing an amusement park or carnival brings back some of that same exhilaration.  Not exactly the same energy as experiencing it as a child or actually being there, but the memories come rushing back and there is a little surge of that excitement that wells up.  I know that someone could probably explain the brain processes that cause this, but I prefer to just enjoy the rush of memories!  It makes me feel like a kid again, especially if it is with one of my kids.

I am, and a lot of you are, in the throws of finishing up the school year or have just finished.  We are tired, beat-up, over-whelmed, stressed, sad, and focused on getting everything done.  This is draining.  Though we love our students, we get lost in the details and sometimes are just looking at the light at the end of the tunnel and forgetting the reason we are doing this in the first place.

Okay, well I don’t know if you feel that way, but yesterday was like that for me.  The thrill and joy of teaching the students this year was replaced by the stress of the monotony of crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” at the end of the year.  I was worn out by evening and pre-stressing  over the details of the next day.  When I woke up this morning, I realized I was missing something…my students.

I was forgetting that they are why I am looking for “t’s” and “i’s” to cross and dot!  They are facing the end of the school year.  They are excited.  They are sad.  They are nervous.  They are ecstatic.  They are a ball of emotions and they need their teacher there to understand and go through these emotions with them!  I need to remember them.  They are my reason for teaching.  I need to find a way to push through the stress and be the teacher they need me to be.

Like seeing, hearing, or smelling carnival colors, sounds, and smells take me back to that excitement, I need to find reminders of the thrills of teaching my students this year.  I need to look at them and see the awesomeness that they are and tell them.  I need to talk, laugh, and cry with them.  I have only a couple of days left.  I need to enjoy this time with them, even through the stress!

Are you in the same place with this?  Did you just experience this?  How are you do you deal with the closing of the year but still trying to focus on your students?  Please share, for the good of the group!  🙂

Teacher, I know you make the right choices.  You put your students first.  You push through the monotony and find a way to love on your kids and let them know you care.  You are awesome!  Keep teaching, Teacher!

Love, Teacher

PS…I will be taking a two week sabbatical from the blog.  If you would be interesting in guest-posting (for my blogging friends) or just writing a message to pass on encouragement and hope while I am out, please let me know your interest and/or pitch me your idea via email: dearteacher@outlook.com.  Thanks!  I could use the help and teachers need your encouragement!

For more hope and encouragement: @DearTeacherLT (Twitter) and Dear Teacher/Love Teacher Facebook Page.