Yeah–I know, it’s an oldie/but/goldie– but it’s still funny.
And now it’s on a wooden plaque that I put up by my clock–green, with a gold border, very nice, but that’s not the best part.
The best part is the signatures on the back from four of the best kids I may ever have taught (of course, at the end of the year, they’re ALL the best kids I may ever have taught, but since I’m very sincere every time, I guess that’s okay.)
They said wonderful things. They said my class was important. They said they liked my books (the one that read them–it’s not, after all (!) a class requirement.) They said I taught them essential skills–and not just knitting (yes, two of them said that specifically–they were my field trip kids to the yarn store:-).
In short, they said “Thank You.”
Do you know, no one ever thanked me for building the damned AP program in the first place? I’ve been running a student recognition program for six years, through 3 administrators, and only one of them has ever said ‘Thank You’. (No, not the current one…ssshhhhhhooooccckkkkkkkkkkkerrrrrr.)
But I have signed pictures and cards–and now a plaque–from students EVERY YEAR that say thank you. How is it that middle-management only learns to be gracious to the people it thinks will do something for THEM? I hope these students never lose this quality, this graciousness, because it has made one battle-scarred veteran look forward, every year, to another killing ground.
Bless them, it makes it worth it, every damned year–even this one.
Love it. What great kids. You deserve that!
I’m so glad to hear that you have at least some appreciative students. I don’t teach in a school system, but I do training for my volunteer work and it is always so much more rewarding when someone thanks me for my time and effort. Kudos for nice people. 🙂
Glad your kids realize you are a jewel! Today was my last day until August. Yay!! I overheard two kids talking in the bus line (“We like Mrs. G because she’s funny”) makes it worth showing up (well, that and the fact that I only have to face the diffucult classes one day at a time 😉
Yayyy Amy! Some much-deserved recognition and appreciation! Cherish that plaque. Now I know you have a stash of this sort of encouraging thing, so I can remind you to delve into it when the lil’bastids are driving you around the bend next year. And they will. That’s their job.
It’s like labor pain. You know it’s awful, but somehow the mind blurs just how awful, so it’s a fresh surprise every time. And when it’s over, and you hug that sweet, adorable baby (or those wonderful appreciative kids) the awfulness blurs again. If it didn’t, no one would have a second baby, and no teacher would work a second year.
And you are such a damn fine teacher!
And, hey… there’s always next year. Maybe next year’s kids were born under a more congenial set of stars.