Friday, March 23, 2012

The End

Today is the last day of my long-term sub job.  I have mixed emotions as I get ready for work.  On the one hand, I'm excited to have one less responsibility.  Being done with this job also means I'm one step closer to bringing Feven home.

On the other hand, I've really learned to care for these kids.  Each of them is special and unique.  I like our inside jokes, our routines, and the sweet, sweet kids that they are.  Case in point?  When we recently got a new kid from Chicago, a couple boys that sit near the new kid's desk wore their Chicago Cubs clothing to make the new student feel welcome!

On Wednesday after school, I was presented with going-away cards that the students made for me.  I read them at home last night (Thursday), and have to share a few excerpts with you today.

"I will miss you severely when you go!" (I think severely may have been a recent vocab word)

"I really liked how you took our names to Ethiopia and took pictures for us, while you were on vacation, even then you cared for us when you could have been doing something completely different." (This student is referring to a project I had the kids do.  Each one made an 8.5 x 11 picture of their name and I photographed it somewhere in Ethiopia, then printed the pictures for the kids.  Even though they haven't been to ET, their name has!)

"I really liked my picture in Ethyopia"

"I know you are going to be a great mom because you are very good with kids."

"I hope you and Feven have a wonderful life together." (and Zac too...?  I guess I don't talk about my husband enough!)


"You mean more than a sub to me. You were like a teacher."


"You are one of my favrit teachers and I think your a good teacher." (what? I yelled at you nearly every day!)

"Than you for teaching me How to talk Spanish and Ethiopian."

"I hope Feven will be glad to be with you.  Wait, I KNOW she will be glad to be with you."  (Oh, sweet!)

"I guess this is my last goodbye. sniff, sniff, tears rushing down, sad music."  (This student is really good at crafting stories - you can see that imagination here!)

"you really got me reading now i love reading thanks to you."

"You have been here so long, that it will take some getting used to knot having You around!"

I second that last comment.  I have been there so long that it will take some getting used to enter the school and not walk down to that room.  For the last few months I have felt at home in that room, like I had a claim on it somehow.  It was a space in which I could be creative and dream up projects for the class.  It was a space in which I could be a "real" teacher and not just a sub that does what someone else has planned for her that day.  It was a space in which I could reach out to parents to work together on improving student behavior.  It was a space where other teachers dropped in to say hi, came to ask questions, or to share stories about personal lives.

After today, the magic wears off.  The clock strikes midnight and I'm back to being a daily sub.

But I've got to tell you - I will walk away with some really great memories from the palace ball!  






1 comment:

  1. You're never "just" a sub to us, Amber. In behalf of the kids, thank you for doing such a wonderful job! Please, please, please come back often and you MUST come back to see us after you get that daughter if yours home!

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