Home Stretch

Last week I was sick and I taught anyway and it was just a TERRIBLE week. I felt like I was getting run over by a mac truck driven by 6th graders. THis week I feel better and have had some changes in mind set that have allowed me to have a much, much better week. This is a good way to finish out my year. FAR from perfect, but not miserable.

7 more teaching days. What does this mean for me, Ms. Burns, the 6th grade language arts teacher? It means a lot of things. It means that in just over a week I will heave a huge sigh of relief. I will feel a certain weight off my shoulders. It means that I have almost made it through my first year of teaching! It means that I will get a break from hormonal 6th graders and their drama. It means that I only have a little bit of time left to teach these particular students. As I read their year end essays I realized that my students actually became better writers this year. I actually taught them something...I also realized that there is so much that I want to be able to teach them. There are a few students who didn't make the growth that I had hoped for them. There are those students who I feel I am on the brink of getting through to...or the students who I just recently figured out. There are also those students who I know I connected with, I know I pushed them and helped them see why writing is important. These students I will miss greatly.. it is with a little sadness that I send them on, but also with great satisfaction and confidence in their ability to continue to do well. Of course, I would be lying to say that there are not a few kids who are just bugging the crap out of me and I cannot wait until another wonderful educator gets to work with them instead of me.

At this point in the school year, all of my students know what they are responsible for accomplishing by the middle of next week--they have projects they are working on. My job this next week or so is to guide them in their work and let them do their thing. They get to choose what they make of their last days in 6th grade, but I am setting high expectations that they will use their time purposefully. I will not force anyone to work...they know what they are responsible for and they know their grade will reflect the work they put in. Hmmm the joy of putting the burden on them instead of taking it on myself. I learn things, little by little.

I have a lot of paperwork, packing, grading, curriculum writing (whoo hoo this is a sweet project), and some celebrating of a year of HARD work between myself and my summer break, but I feel totally up for the challenge :)