The Good Stuff...

The highlights of my week so far (and it's only Wednesday!) This new job has just re-energized me!!! So...if my friend Carey is reading this - THANK YOU!!! (She pushed me to get this job and finally leave the school where I was teaching.)

* First of all, it's the little things that get me excited. This may not seem like much, but it was thrilling for me! We were doing a survey for math this week. They had to come up with 4 songs and survey their classmates about their favorite song and make a graph from the information. THEY PICKED SONGS I KNEW!!! They were so cute - they love Hannah Montana and High School Musical. One girl even asked, "What's that song that goes 1,2,3, like a bird I sing..." I almost jumped for joy!! Hello - they like Tim McGraw!! hee-hee! I love it!

*Then, yesterday I got an email from one of my parents from two years ago who I LOVE....her daughter was in my class for 2 years when I moved with my 2nd grade class to 3rd grade. Well, her daughter wrote an essay about me and entered it into a contest. Her essay was chosen, and I am being honored next week at a banquet for making a difference in her life and being a positive role model for young women today. How sweet is that? I just couldn't believe it! For a child to nominate me for something like this just makes me feel like I am truly making a difference! I know the school I taught at before had issues, but I stayed as long as I did because I felt needed . There are some kids that I know I made a difference in their life - they may not score proficient or advanced on the benchmark test, but they knew everyday when they came to class that their teacher loved them. Some days, I may have been the only friendly voice they heard or the only hug they had all day. I will never forget some of those kids, because they made a difference with me too!!! I am sad to not be needed in quite the same way, but it is time to start a new chapter in my life. At the end of the day teaching in an inner-city school, you have nothing left to give b/c you are the parent, the teacher, the grandmother, the nurse, the everything! So, I will accept this award with honor and remember this student always for making ME feel special!

*On another note, Kevin unexpectedly stopped by school today (after class) and when he walked in ~ my heart went a little pitter patter, and I felt a little like a teenage school girl (all giggly b/c her boyfriend was here). hee-hee! I thought afterwards - you can't beat that - dating a year and he still makes me gush! ha!