Wouldn’t Have Missed It

The other day, I had an afternoon meeting that blocked my calendar for two hours. It was an important meeting with an important parent over an important child. Wouldn’t have missed it. But honestly, I felt a little bummed, like I wouldn’t get a chance to hang out with my kids at the end of the day. I had plans to chat with them about Westward Expansion, sure, to talk about things like exploration in dangerous, untapped lands, but my kids and I have been laughing together a lot lately. And as a teacher, it’s the best part of my job, seeing them laughing and learning in the same space, with me. So when the meeting ended early and I had a chance to walk away from campus, I decided to stay and walk back into my room, so I could laugh and learn with them for that last half hour, talking about Westward Expansion. It’s been a really tough year with this group, probably the toughest of my career, and they’re not always easy to handle, for anyone, but I’ve spent months building and cultivating these relationships, building these bonds, learning their stories, letting them learn a little bit of mine. And yes, I realize it’s easier to count down the days on a hard year, but I’m not gonna lie. I’ll miss these kids when they leave in May.

Every. Single. Child.