End of school

Alas, school ends this week and I have mixed feelings. Part of me is jumping for joy ready to have the summer without students. Part of me is already planning the next school year. I am so conflicted.

This year had numerous difficulties with students and parents and teachers, you can't please all the people all the time. Teachers, well when you get a bunch of women together there will be problems. Luckily, as each year, we make amends with one another and get along in the end. We are professionals and have personalities that sometimes clash but we do what is best for the students.

Parents, well Betty Sue and Billy Bob would never sass the teacher or do the things the teacher claims they are doing. If Betty Sue or Billy Bob fail the class then it is the fault of the teacher for not teaching. Never mind the fact they never turn in homework, that is the teacher's fault for assigning it. That is just one of many things that go on with parents.

Students, well they are there to socialize for the most part. They specialize in passing notes. I do my best to make the lessons fun to 'entertaining' to pull them into learning, but I cannot captivate all of them all of the time. There are so many different learning styles and trying to reach all of them all of the time is difficult at best. I try to have hands on lessons, games, activities to help them relate to the math at hand but this is not always possible. There are times when the lesson is 'boring', me at the front showing and having them do it too and on their own under my watchful eyes.

I love my job, I love the age I teach, don't get me wrong. This has been a long year. I'm ready for summer. We have two days left, actually only one and a half, the students have a half day on Friday. We have to stay until 5 and that is OK.