May 27, 2005
School's Out
At the end of my first year of teaching, I braced myself for an anticipated emotional farewell to my students. I felt close to them after spending 125+ hours instructing them. I had given them a part of me and they in turn had taught me what it takes to teach. It was gonna be sad to see them go.
But, alas, when the final bell rang, they just walked out. Every class. No hugs, no cards, no final words of wisdom. It was just like every other day of the school year. I was feeling the enormity of the effort, the sacred rites of education, the sense of finality. All I got was teenage apathy.
But that's teaching all over again. If you don't have a strong sense of duty to society and young people, you won't last long. I know that what I do is worth something, has intrinsic meaning, in ways that are hard to quantify, much like I suspect a priest or psychiatrist must feel. Invisible hands guiding and shaping minds on a grand scale.
Posted by tat at May 27, 2005 09:00 AMWe send a giant thank you for the last twenty months of teaching-2003-2004 x9 Months + 2004 summer school & 2004-2005 x9 months with new schedule. You are the winner for achieving such an enomous task, while caring for your first born-Molly Elizabeth-your "closely observing & listening" student. You are trusted by many-do your best at all times-making it a lifestyle.
Your "motivational gift of teaching" (Romans 12: 6-12) was evident while you were alongside your brother-Dirk Meyers for twenty-one years & now your speical treasured student -Molly-will benefit, from your many years of Life training.
You are equipped to teach-"walking the talking" in 2005-2006.
Education is a sacred rite. You are an "equipped vessel" through which the Creator's "invisible hands" guide & shape minds on a grand scale.
Celebrate the great positives in your life.
Thank you, son.
Bryan,
I listened to a "discipline" speaker Lufkin ISD sponsored (a couple of weeks ago), and he quoted something from one of his friends..... "As a teacher of children, you will plant the seed for a tree under which you will never sit."
Most careers have some viewable goal in sight. In most cases, we will never completely know the impact we have had (or not had) on our students. I think we must celebrate the immediate short-term successes of our students or find ourselves extremely frustrated human beings.
