After living in the community while teaching and coaching for the schools, I can tell you that my experience was nothing like what I thought it would be. My experience here was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I have spent the majority of my time at the school, gym, and softball field.
In that school are caring administrators who are always willing to sit down and have a conversation with me. In that school are the friendliest janitors and lunch ladies who will always say hi and smile. In that school are the wonderful teachers I have had the privilege of teaching with these past two years. But more than anything, in that school, all over that school, are my kids--the reason I have made it to work for the past 187 days.
Transitioning to freshmen this year was the best thing that has happened to me--I'm hoping that soon the same will be said for SPED. Freshmen are innocent, excited, and loving. We succeeded together because our energies were always merging and at some point the classroom became familial. Our end of the year project was to create a playlist of songs that is a memoir list and give each song a reason as to why you chose them. The kids were thoughtful about the project and the end of the year went, as it does, out the door.
My class of juniors is, and will most likely always be, my favorite class to teach. They were studying to pass the AP English Language and Composition exam. This class is difficult. To the juniors who made it though the year, I commend you--I know it was challenging. Keep reading. Read Faulkner, Milton, Plato...and so many others--just read, it changes your life.
Leaving this little town is difficult--this has been home. I will miss breakfast tacos at Antojito's in the mornings with dirty water. I will miss driving by Smiley Face park in the summer and watching games go on all day long. I will miss the kids and parents who always bring me food or invite me over for dinner--those people give me a family here. I will miss walking into my classroom with its blue walls, and into the gym, and onto the softball field to drag it that one last time...
Once I was talking to my kids about places that felt peaceful on campus and my top two were my classroom and the softball field. The amount of prayer and blessings that have been extended on both create a protection around them. I close the door to my classroom and everything else goes away. We hit the softball field, and as Blue and I start dragging the field round and round, everything else doesn't matter anymore.Regardless of what the media, statists, or state assessments may say, I know that I teach the best kids--I wouldn't trade them out if I could. They are the most loving, considerate, humorous, and ridiculous people. I love them--in a completely unexplainable way.
As I begin my move home, I am excited to work for the district where I received my education. I am thrilled to work with the same group of teachers who also gave me my education. I'm excited to be the baby and not the person people ask a million questions to.
More than anything in the world, I am excited to move back to my family. They were the missing component in Raymondville and it was just too far. I loved it here. I did not get forced out nor was I ready to leave. But ready is relative and I was more ready to be with my family than I was to stay another year.
To all of those who have been with me these two years:Thank you for letting me educate your children.
Thank you for letting me be your teacher.
Thank you for letting me work for your district.
Thank you for supporting me throughout this time.
Thank you for the smiles, for the food, for the laughter, for the tears.
"Raise 'em up."
LA
