The End

My happiest memories of the 2009-2010 school year in no particular order:

1. The pleasure of teaching a handful of students for the second year in a row in my first ever eighth grade class.

2. Experiencing one of my good friend's daughters as a student in my class.

3. When a student flipped me off behind my back and two sweet girls came to tell me because they thought I deserved to know and didn't want my feelings hurt.

4. Having one of the best, most harmless pranks pulled. I was talking with a group of students/teachers in the hallway. When I returned, I saw who I thought was Ryan standing behind the curtain. It turns out it was only his shoes! Ryan jumped out from across the room!

5. Having the smelliest student of all time, but seeing the pure joy he felt when I would sit and talk with him.

6. Helping a co-worker (and Mom of 8th grader) lug eight 8th grade guys to school who were dressed in short shorts and tight t-shirts just because they could.

7. My new room! While it is next door to the district office, it is much quieter than my old one. And I have a window now!

8. Walking into school after 2.5hrs of sleep the day my friends and I went to dinner and to the New Moon Premier!

At the end of each school year, emotions run high, tension is thick, and students grow antsy. This year this was no different. However, how I allowed them to affect me did. No longer did I take things personally or harbor them late into the night. This year I celebrated the fact that I had survived another school year: that this year was unquestionably the roughest and most emotional yet, and I made it. Bring it on 2010-2011 school year.

Now, the past week and the next 10 will be filled with the smell of sunscreen and sweaty little boys, giggles and memories, picnics and popsicles, discovery and growing, and pure joy. I think I will savor these before thinking about next school year.