Pay it forward...

I am not sure if I have eluded to in before now, but I decided to leave the current high school that I teach at to one just north of here. The decision & opportunity were unexpected since the teacher at the other HS decided to take a position at a new high school at the city unexpectedly. After much thought, I decided to take the leap after establishing my program and myself here for just 3 years. My decision was sealed after realizing that this school was a hop, skip & jump away from Mason's NEW and first school - allowing me to visit and pick up easily, and also allowing us to share the same days off, inservice days, etc. In any case, when I finally decided to take the leap, I knew telling my administration, let alone students would be difficult...I was leaving with a program that has nearly tripled in size in the few years I have been here, I have met and established many new friends and had begun a journey into working on our schools redesign initiative with great success....why leave? Telling my students proved to be the hardest part..especially those who had chosen to take my second level class... after sharing my decision to leave for another school, students were incredibly kind and humbled me with their kind words. It is not often that you hear whether or not you have made any kind of difference in the life of a student. High school students by nature don't share that kind of personal information and, as I have discovered, may not even be aware of the impact a teacher has had until long after they have left the steps of their alma mater.
Last Friday in my first hour class, students presented me with a bouquet of flowers and 3 sealed cards....as I sat flabbergasted at this display of kindness I silently read each card. Every student in my class had written kind words of support. The last card included a $100 gift card to a local salon/spa......I was speechless, but not without tears. I knew that pulling this together took time, effort and thought. The gift itself was certainly generous and most appreciated....however, it was the words that I read and the knowledge of their time and effort in putting the surprise together that humbled me the most... In a profession that is often thankless, and where the hours you spend planning and preparing for a class to share information in hopes that they can use and apply it to their own lives go unnoticed, I realized that these students did notice and did care and made me feel like I had made a difference...
This experience has led me to pay it forward...I know how fantastic it felt to read and hear from my students and as most teachers know (at least those who teach high school), this opportunity is golden as they don't come around often. So I tracked down my high school art teacher and shared with her the impact she made on my life....receiving always feels good, but paying it forward felt even better....

Madeline made it to 3 for her oh, so pink birthday! We had a blast on Saturday inviting several personal & teacher friends and their children over....although I probably at one point thought I would never waste my money on it, we rented a jumper and it was the best money we spent! The kids spent 99% of the time playing it it (less the occasional tears over being too rough and landing on top of each other :). We BBQ'd, laughed, ate cake (that was WAY too sweet), opened presents and marveled at our little girl!
She had a wonderful time, but by the time bedtime hit - she was ready to hit the sack! We got her a tricycle and decked it out with a basket and streamers for the handlebars - she loved it and was out today riding around...again, we are certainly stocked on pink at our house!

In like a lamb, out like a lion...

Time has once again escaped me...I have my blog bookmarked and so when I have a few moments to check my email, I see the link and a pang of guilt washes over me... So, along comes May and the events of potty training, birthday party planning and tying up loose ends at school have come upon me.

• On the homefront, Madeline has FINALLY conquered wearing panties.....I must say that for her it is the ultimate freedom, but I can't help but to think that it is also freedom for Steve and I too! She was the anti-Mason of training...ONCE she decided, she was quick and easy and responded to little incentives like stickers...who knew I would whole heartedly embrace hello kitty and Dora the Explorer panties with such open arms!
• Mason continues to play T-ball...weekly games in which he shines each time. More importantly, and I am sure to remind him of this, is that he is a READER!! He brought home his first reading book a week or so ago- Jan and Pam...although each page has only about 2-3 words, he is actively sounding out the words, is getting better at his sight words and is SO proud of his ability to read at 5. He likes to go around the house looking at food labels, mail and the newspaper sounding out words...."momma, does this say puh - puh -paper?".......
• Madeline turns 3 this Saturday, May 10th...the theme of her party (if you ask her, anyway) is pink...apparently she has ideas about what this party will look like more than I do!!
• At work...I chose to accept a position at another high school. Despite having a rock solid program here, having tripled the number of students in the last 3 years in our program, another opportunity came knocking. I spent A LOT of time thinking and stressing about what to do. Unlike many other jobs, when you leave a school you leave behind the friends you have made (which is the case with any job I know), but you also leave behind students who only know you as their teacher in that classroom...although many I will have only had this year, I had several returning students who were upset with my decision. I actually had a girl in my second hour class shed a few tears and a few threatened to follow me to the school and be in my classes there. Their comments made me feel good, but I also know that they recover quickly and within a day the discussion had faded and they were back to their chatty selves. I also know that it is easy to think that as teachers we are not replaceable (a little egotistic I know), that somehow it can't be done without us..but I know that this is NOT true as there are many fantastic and caring teachers at this school who will provide them with the compassion and encouragement they need. I do look forward to my new adventure however, and hope to create many more memories at this high school!