A clearer vision

I am thankful to be where I am in my life both in age and experience. Today at lunch there was some of that "teacher talk" that evidently can't be avoided. Do you teach PE? When do you do it? Don't you think that we should be able to count the minutes at recess? Don't you think that it's just one more thing for an already over-crowded schedule? Somehow that all escalated into public school vs. private school, etc, etc. I am grateful to have had the experiences I've had the past few years, even though a couple of them were somewhat painful. I am content in where I am and what I am doing. I truly do feel that teaching is the best job in the world. I am completely at ease at Sutter within the teacher and parent community. And, NO, I have no desire to go back to private education. I have definitely learned a few things on my journey. The grass isn't always greener. There are some things money can't buy. Education is about a lot more than the curriculum, test scores, and assessments. My students depend on me for much more than language arts, math, etc. Yes, to some of them I am the mother, father, nutritionists, and counselor. That's just the way it is. I teach children, the whole child, not just the academic portion. I give thanks to my time at Mayne for teaching me the importance of looking directly in every student's eye first thing in the morning and evaluating their physical and emotional status. A child can not learn to read or write if they walk in the door hungry or fresh out of a fight with mom. Greeting my kids has become one of my favorite things to do. My "Hello, how are you?" is often the nicest thing that anyone has said to them since they went to bed the night before. Or maybe it's just seeing someone smile and look at them, really look at them that does it. They know that I care and that I'll be there every morning looking for them, wondering how they are.