My First Class

I really miss my class. I am pretty sure that every first year teacher gets emotional about leaving their first class, and I am no exception. They were a fun and challenging group of kids and I really enjoyed teaching them. They all made growth, and I hope they felt cared for. As long as those two things were accomplished, I have done my job.

Because I am leaving that school, I really may never see any of them again. It breaks my heart because they all grew so much in the 10 months I had them.  The chasm between second and fourth grade is a large one, and I feel so lucky to witness the bridge that each of my students made.

During the last week of school, the students were shooing me from a corner of the room and I was not allowed to look at the project they were doing. I assumed it was some type of card for me, because they are sweet kids, and that is something they would do.  But when they presented me with the "card" I was blown away. It actually ended up being two banners, that each student in the class contributed to. I know exactly which student organized it, and I guarantee you that she will be running the world one day.

I took pictures of the banners, because I want to remember these great kids, and my very first class twenty years from now. In twenty years, I will be a better teacher. I will not make so many mistakes, and I am hoping that my students will learn even more. But these kids did not get that seasoned teacher twenty years from now. They got me, the newbie first-year teacher who was learning as she went. And they loved me anyway.