Tuesday, September 2, 2014

A Day of New and Old Blessings

Our students have spent the last 6 years in 5 buildings, one of those condemned. They have endured "rat day," toilets overflowing into downstairs classrooms, and lockdowns aplenty. I don't mean to make our school sound "less than." If you know me, you know I love my students and school more than nutella or pesto. (Again, if you know me, you know this is a BIG love.) Today, everything and nothing changed.

As they walked into our new building, they couldn't keep their eyes in one place. The stage. The brightly colored walls. The chic furniture. The new desks. The mezzanine. The flat screen TV's in every classroom. The turf outside. The patio. The classrooms. The bathrooms. The water bottle fountains. The internet cafe areas. And it was all for them. All for the purpose of growing them, challenging them and supporting them to become whatever they want, whatever they were made for.

Whatever they are made for. Many of them have no idea that they have a purpose here, a specific fitting for making this world a better place. And I get to tell them. I get to show them what they are great at. I get to help them become more confident in the areas that they have been told they were "bad" at. I get to remind them when they forget their goals and hopes. I get to praise their writing, their creativity, their pragmatism, their linear thinking, their non-linear thinking, their curiosity. I have been given the singular, incredible privilege of showing these students who they have been made to be, how valuable they are, how much they are capable of. I get to love them. This is my 3rd year and I still can't believe I have my dream job. I get to help them find theirs.

It's been a while. It took me years to finally start a blog and I never felt very comfortable writing my thoughts for all to read. When I started my teaching credential, my writing became a distance box on my checklist. So distant, in fact, I forgot about it until a friend started a blog to track her online dating escapades. So here I am. I hope to document this experience. Because I am realizing this is a miracle. This isn't a dream. It's a miraculous gift.

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