Why I Do What I Do...

Those of you who know me understand that teaching isn't just a career for me. I don't do it because I'm just "good with kids"...although, I really am.  I definitely don't do it because you get summers off...because teachers truly don't, which is a discussion that merits its own separate blog post!  If you really want to know why I teach, here it is.

Valentine's Day is still a big deal in elementary schools.  Even the "too-cool-for-school" fifth graders I teach still look forward to making their mailboxes and exchanging greetings of friendship and love on this holiday. In fact, some of the 10 and 11 year old kiddos go all out for Valentine's Day.  This year, because I happen to have wildly talented and creative little people in my care, about half my class made their own handmade Valentine cards.  (I particularly enjoyed the Star Wars themed ones that said, "This is not the Valentine you are looking for.")

This year, the week of our Valentine's celebration started out on a sad note, though.  One of our class members had a sudden death in the family and had to travel to attend his grandmother's funeral.  He wouldn't be at school for Valentine's Day.  We have a community sharing time every day at our school called Pride Time that keeps us relating well to each other as a class in hugely wonderful ways.  When I let the class know what was happening at Pride Time, the response overwhelmed me.  I expected them to be very concerned for their classmate because this is a particularly closely bonded group of students.  What I didn't anticipate was the depths to which that care and concern would impact us all.