It’s the last day of school today. It started out like every other day this year. I almost always look forward to teaching. Really, there are few days that I don’t want to go to work. Sometimes I’m tired. Sometimes there’s something going on that I really don’t want to do. If I could just spend each day with my students and teach them, I’d be much happier. I enjoy some of the little assemblies and things that we have, but there are days where I wonder when I’ll find time to actually throw in an important lesson. It’s frustrating at times. But it’s part of teaching.
Adaptability. Flexibility. Willing to go with the flow. These are all important characteristics of a good teacher. It doesn’t mean we have to like it, though! Heh.
I had to stop at Wal-Mart this morning before school so that I could buy a swimsuit. It is not something that I enjoy. I wish I had a normal body shape, but I was not blessed with such a thing. I have to work at buying clothes, which is why I don’t like to shop. It’s hard to find things that don’t look weird on me. It’s true! Well, waiting until the middle of June isn’t always the best thing when shopping for a suit. There were few left that I would even consider wearing. I picked out every one that I wouldn’t mind wearing and in my size. I tried them all on. I found nothing. The best thing I could find was a two-piece suit—a tank and shorts-type bottoms. (They aren’t shorts, but they are all the rage this year apparently. Yuck!) I bought myself a cover-up, too, so that I wouldn’t have to be seen too long in this little suit. I like the top, but I’ll be finding new bottoms soon!
Why must I buy a swimsuit before school on the last day you might ask? Well, it is tradition to take our third graders to the pool on the last day as our last field trip. And that’s just what we did.
Need I say that it was a crazy morning? The kids came in to find their desks were covered with my stuff from the closets. I had spent a few hours after school last night cleaning out the last cupboard (a big one!) so that Patsy could move in her stuff. I knew we wouldn’t be there very long in the morning, so I just left the boxes and stacks of papers there. The kids came in very excited, some with beach balls. Needless to say, the ball was flying everywhere. The kids were scattered around the room. I just wanted them to sit down so that I could take attendance! After asking them twohundredandfiftymillion times to put their bottoms in their chairs, I took away the beach ball. I didn’t want to start the day out with handing out consequences, but it looked like I would have to.
It’s nothing new to see the kids all hyped to go to the pool. I’d be worried if they weren’t that way. But this class has a hard time distinguishing between having fun and taking it too far to the other side. It’s been that way all year, so of course it would be today, too. I just took a deep breath and moved on. Get the kids on the bus I thought to myself, and that’s what I did. Just move ‘em on in!
The bus ride was . . . interesting. Our bus driver is the husband of one of our instructional aides and he has also been spending some time in our Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) class where his wife is. He’s studying to be a teacher. He talks. A lot. And he looks at us while he talks. And uses his hands. While he’s driving the bus. It was a little nerve-wracking, to say the least! I had to get up and move to the back of the bus just to “take a break”. Poor Patsy. I left her all alone up there. But I did return. See, I’m a good friend! Heh.
The time at the pool is always a blast. It’s so fun to watch the kids let loose somewhere where they can let loose. It’s one of the best field trips because there are professional lifeguards watching them, so it gives us teachers a chance to kickback and relax, too. As always, we ordered pizza for lunch. We always order so much, and the kids eat on it the rest of the day (just a couple of hours really). The snack bar was also open, so many of the kids spent the day traipsing up to the snack bar and buying an armload of snacks. Seriously. I was sure someone was going to get sick on the way home. No one did, thank goodness!
By the time we returned to the school, it was about 3:15, and school lets out at 3:30. When I got off the bus, a little girl ran up to me to give me a hug. I had been getting these all day because it was my last day. (In fact, more hugs and bigger hugs came from former students rather than my current ones. Go figure!) I returned the hug, then looked down at the hugger. It was a little girl whose family had moved away in November! I did a double take and then hugged her tightly again. What a nice treat on the last day of school. I had become friends with her parents throughout the years (I had their other daughter last year) and keep in touch via e-mail.
The end of the year was here. I was teary-eyed. On the way to school this morning I completely lost it. I turned onto the street where the school is located, looked at the school, and started bawling. It would be my last day as a teacher at this school. The tears just streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t stop them. After I pulled into the parking lot, I rested my head against the steering wheel and just let myself have a good cry, hoping to get it all out right away. I am not a good crier. I can’t talk normally, I get all splotchy, and I am just plain uncomfortable looking. It was not, however, meant to be my last cry of the day. Dagnabit!
So many wonderful memories at the school. It was my first teaching assignment. I had gathered many ideas and some very dear friends. Why was I leaving all of that behind? What was I thinking?!? Okay, there are no regrets. Truly. I know that I am leaving behind some great friends, but I’m also headed into a new adventure. I will be making new friends. I will be creating new memories. It’s all good. While I am completely and utterly excited for that, there’s still going to be a part of me that will miss these people, the school and all it represents.
Let’s talk about the dry heat. I will really miss the dry heat! Where I am going is humid. It’s humider than humid. And if you’ve never felt dry heat in the summertime, it really does make a difference. A huge difference! Bah. One must accept the not-so-good things with the good. As I’ve said before, I’m not looking for the proverbial greener grass, although in Georgia I’ll actually have grass! I can’t wait to see what the future holds!
As we did our annual chorus line of teachers, kicking and singing “School’s Out”, I looked into the buses and smiled at all the faces smiling back at me. They were, for the most part, good little munchkins. I enjoyed my year with them. But . . .
School’s out . . . for the summer!
It’s summertime!
Heaven has descended upon the earth and I am going to enjoy every bit of it.
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