Tuesday, June 26, 2018

A Year to Remember

Another school year has come to an end, and just four days later I'm sitting here surrounded by box forts and slime and listening to the kids play Minecraft and Fortnite.  They do "The Floss" instead of standing still, and I already can't keep enough food in stock to satisfy them.  When I'm not running kids to softball games or friends' houses, I'm plunging the toilet that is clogged yet again, or sweeping the floor for the twentieth time that day.  Endless loads of laundry are piling up, dirty footprints can be found in the bathtub, and there are fingerprints everywhere.  But this is my mom life, and you know what?  I only get these summers for 18 years.  Someday, there won't be chaos and messes and laughter all around me.  And for nearly ten months of the year, the majority of my kids' days are spent not with me, but with their teachers at school.  Teachers with families and lives of their own, who have selflessly chosen to share their lives with our kids, and not only give them an education, but also walk with them as they grow and mature and find their way in this world.  While I always appreciate and respect what my kids' teachers have done for them, I'd like to offer a special thank you to three teachers who went far beyond the call of duty this year, and have left a lasting impression on my children and me.

Do you remember 7th grade?  I do.  Wanna go back?  Me neither.  Middle school is TOUGH.  And it's not just tough for kids, it's tough for teachers, too.  Eight hours spent with hundreds of 11, 12, and 13 year old kids, with everything that THAT entails?  No, thank you.  But there are some teachers who excel at it, and Emerson had the pleasure of having one of these exceedingly patient and kind humans as her Theater teacher and Mezzo Voce Choir director this year.  Miss Wilson is young and positive and full of energy and is just what the music and theater education world needs.  If you don't already know, I secretly rigged Emerson's class electives form at the end of 6th grade.  She wouldn't find out until the fall that I had made Theater her number one choice and she begged me to have her switched out of it.  I promised her it would all be okay, and gently nudged her out the door on the first day of school.  (If you can have a YouTube channel with not only yourself featured, but several alter-egos, you belong in Theater class, don't you think?)  She quickly made friends in the class, and when I presented her with the choice of joining the cross-country team or trying out for Mezzo Voce, she VERY reluctantly auditioned for the group.  A couple of her friends also auditioned, and one secretly recorded Emerson's solo.  When she shared it with me, I listened to her song, and then listened to her very quietly match each pitch the pianist played for her to copy.  And when I say "very quietly", I mean very.  I held my breath for the next week, while we waited for the final decisions on who would be in the group were made.  I was certain if she was given the chance, Emerson would be a good addition to the choir, even if solos weren't her thing.  Well, Miss Wilson must've have thought so, too, because when the list was posted, Emerson's name was on it. 

Just like that, Theater and Vocal Music became Emerson's thing.  Instead of being nervous about a monologue in Theater, or standing on a stage in front of family, peers and strangers, Emerson embraced it.  She traveled to colleges to train and sing with other students and give small performances.  She stood on stage, with her friends watching from the audience, and made her acting debut.


And when her choir competed at Solo & Ensemble in the Spring, they came away with a perfect "1" score. 


I had the privilege to be in the audience for their performance, and was very impressed with the group's focus and effort.  Anyone who can tame nearly 40 middle school students and teach them these things, has a special gift.  But don't you worry, when time and circumstance allow, these kids are still really good at being kids. 



Miss Wilson, thank you.  Thank you for being a bright spot in my daughter's day.  Tucked in between math and social studies, you allowed Emerson to express herself comfortably.  She made some wonderful new friends as a result of her experiences this year, and you have the the distinction of being her very favorite teacher.  You will always hold a special place in her heart. 



Greyson was in fourth grade this year.  Last August, when his teacher asked parents if anyone would like to volunteer to help out in her class, I jumped on it.  This became my Tuesday mornings.  I'd arrive in Mrs. Turner's class just as their day was beginning.  I'd stand for The Pledge of Allegiance, watch the student recite the Cardinal Code (our district's behavior guidelines) and then I'd sit at her desk and file papers for her.  The first few times, the kids would announce, "Greyson, your mom's here!" but soon they got used to me and I went mostly unnoticed.  Maybe they weren't watching me anymore, but I was watching them.  And I was watching Mrs. Turner with them.  As I filed papers, I'd watch her call up small groups to go over an assignment that the kids had struggled with and I'd listen.  She was never mean or condescending. She never told them to just figure it out.  She never got frustrated or upset.  I have been in classrooms where the kids are a little out of control or where there are a couple kids who just can't quite follow the rules, but that was never the case in her class.  Even when Mrs. Turner was gone and there was a guest teacher, the students were so well behaved. It is clear to see that her students respect her and that she respects them, too.  Mrs. Turner and Greyson had a special relationship this year.  It is a well known fact that Greyson thinks school is useless.  He is notorious for rushing through an assignment so he can read.  Well, guess what?  He doesn't actually read.  He just stares at a book so he doesn't have to do his work.  Mrs. Turner would take a look at his assignment, and just hand it back and tell him to try again.  And then?  Then he'd usually do it correctly.  Usually.  You know, even though it's useless.  But Mrs. Turner never gave up on him.  She'd greet him each day with a "Hello, friend!" and he'd give her one right back.  And then she found out how much he likes pickles.  She has spent the last three weeks coming up with different pickle foods to try out on Greyson.  There have been jars of pickles, pickle-flavored candies, pickle slushies, pickle chicken sandwiches, pickle chapstick, and pickled bologna, among other things.  She has taken Grey on quite an adventure with all of these pickle things!  And on Valentine's Day, when the kids got to make their own ice cream sundaes, of course she filled Greyson's mouth with overflowing whipped cream!


A couple of weeks ago, I arrived in Mrs. Turner's classroomon a Tuesday morning, but when I went to grab the bin to sort papers, she told me she didn't have anything for me.  Instead, she had the kids gather in the center of the room and she presented me with a giant bag full of fun for the cabin.  Sparklers and squirt guns and Oreos and sunscreen and bug spray and marshmallows and lanterns and everything you'd need for an awesome day at the beach.  And with it?  Thank you cards from every student in her class. 








It was only an hour of my week that I spent in her class, but for a teacher, time spent filing papers is lunch time or after school time, or time at home.  When I signed up to help out in her class, I thought it just sounded fun.  I didn't realize that I'd get to see her in action with her students and that it would make such an impact on me.  Mrs. Turner, thank you for your patience and your kindness.  Thank you for treating your students as you would your own children.  Thank you for taking Greyson under your wing and giving him a year and a teacher he will never forget. 



And then there is Nash.  He is the baby of our family, and he is good at it.  Having a late November birthday qualified him for our district's Early 5's program, which is their version of Pre-K.  Our district has one school that is entirely Kindergarten and Early 5's and I love it.  To say that Nash was a little nervous about attending school this year, is an understatement.  All day, every day, with snacks and lunch and no one to help in the bathroom?  I'd have to say that's pretty scary for a 4 year old.  It was scary for me, too.  We went to visit his classroom and meet his teacher before the first day.  He was relieved to find a girl from his preschool was in his classroom, and a few others were right across the hall.  Mrs. Bell was so nice and welcoming and she didn't even seem phased when I informed her that Nash was THAT kid.  The one with ALL the allergies.  When we got home that night, Nash informed me that his teacher was as pretty as a princess!  I thought so, too!


The school year continued on and Nash became more comfortable.  I volunteered at class parties and with the PTO when I could.  Mrs. Bell was always sending photos of classroom activities to the parents and I could always text her, even if I just wanted to know how Nash was doing on any certain day.  She never seemed overwhelmed or tired or stressed out.  She has mastered the art of being an Early 5's teacher, and that is a FEAT.  From Farm Day to field trips, Mrs. Bell was all-in. 



Sending a child to school for the first time is emotional and scary and exciting.  Sending your last child to school for the first time is all of that and more.  This modern world we live in is fast paced and scary, but there are also so many opportunities within reach.  Our children need the very best start possible, and I believe that is just what Nash got.  Mrs. Bell, thank you for loving these little people.  Thank you for wiping noses and faces and helping with buttons and zippers.  Thank you for the hugs and high-fives you gave out and thank you for the tireless work you did, day after day, without complaint.  There is nothing more comforting than knowing that your child is in the hands of someone like you.  You know you have made a positive impact in a child's life when they are dreading the last day of school because they don't want to say goodbye to their beloved teacher. 



This was a school year that cannot be replicated.  My children will continue to grow and move forward.  These teachers will get new groups of students to guide and educate next year.  I have my favorite teachers from my own years in school.  I can remember every teacher I ever had, Kindergarten through high school, but there are definite favorites among them.  Looking back, they were my favorite teachers not because of what they taught me, but because they loved what they were doing.  They loved teaching kids about the things they loved.  I am grateful that my own kids have now gotten to experience the same thing.  This has been a year to remember.

And now?  Now I must go.  The kitchen is filled with children ready for lunch and there's a little flurry of activity out in the barn where a new baby chick hatched early this morning.  Oh.  And someone left some donuts unattended overnight and now I get to play the role of exterminator in the living room.  Ahhhh, summertime.