Sometimes I miss some of the more admirable moments of teaching. I will soon be wrapping up my fourth year of teaching, and by now, it's almost second nature to me. You know, I tend to ignore the fact that I can single handedly hush a room full of 32 thirteen and fourteen year olds.
Today, I had one of those out of body experiences where I saw myself as an outsider.
My students had a project due two weeks ago. It was innocuous enough: a folk tale--either discovered or created and illustrated. Many of my students don't have a lot of support at home, and getting homework completed or turned in is almost impossible at times. Every day for the last two weeks, I have to her, "Get that story done." She'd nod and life went on.
I was holding open the door for my students when one girl came flying around the corner. "Guess what?" she said, smiling.
"What?"
"She did her story!"
As I was closing the door, the girl in question rounded the corner. I grinned. "Is it true?" I asked.
A wide smile creased her face as she nodded. The whole class erupted in applause.
Days like this are what I need to keep going. Days like this are what we all need to keep going. It's that simple reminder that someway, somehow you touched the soul of another person. I think we all forget that we influence those around us--spouses, friends, children, co-workers--even when we don't realize it. That, my friend, is what makes life worth living.
Today, I had one of those out of body experiences where I saw myself as an outsider.
My students had a project due two weeks ago. It was innocuous enough: a folk tale--either discovered or created and illustrated. Many of my students don't have a lot of support at home, and getting homework completed or turned in is almost impossible at times. Every day for the last two weeks, I have to her, "Get that story done." She'd nod and life went on.
I was holding open the door for my students when one girl came flying around the corner. "Guess what?" she said, smiling.
"What?"
"She did her story!"
As I was closing the door, the girl in question rounded the corner. I grinned. "Is it true?" I asked.
A wide smile creased her face as she nodded. The whole class erupted in applause.
Days like this are what I need to keep going. Days like this are what we all need to keep going. It's that simple reminder that someway, somehow you touched the soul of another person. I think we all forget that we influence those around us--spouses, friends, children, co-workers--even when we don't realize it. That, my friend, is what makes life worth living.
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