9/2/11

It's a part of the job we don't talk about. (Pass the courage pills.)


I’ve been teaching for 22 years. I know, I know, I look like I’m twelve, but I’m not kidding.


During those years I’ve had the pleasure to work with many amazing teachers, on many different teams- many of them were incredible in their own ways. And while I’ve admired them all, I can’t say that they were each easy to work with. I’m sure this is true of all professions, and it reminds me that we all have our challenges. It’s how we meet these challenges that can make the difference between loving your job and simply doing your job.


I've been in kindergarten for about 9 years, and can honestly say that I have loved the members of my team each of those nine years. We’ve had a change or two, and I am totally in awe of the k-teachers I work with right now. One of them you might know, we call her Ms. Perky.


We were thrilled that our numbers allowed our principal to keep her on the team, and she inspires us every single day. Sure, we’d love to hate her cause she A-DOR-able, vivacious, skinny, energetic, brilliant and to DIE for, but we don’t. Dang it – we love her in spite of all that.


On the first day of school in our building the kindergarten students don’t come until 11:00, and they bring along their parents for an hour long “orientation.” Their REAL first day is the next day. This allows a “soft landing” if you will, and as a bonus we get to help our previous “clients” find their to their new classrooms down the long primary hallway.


We were all were stationed at the front of the building, along with a bazillion other people, in order to ensure that all little folks made it to where they needed to go.


Ms. Perky and I kept bumping into each other as we crisscrossed the primary hallway, holding the hands of our darlings from last year. At the end of a hectic twenty minutes, we found ourselves at the very end of the hallway as the last of the students entered their rooms. We smiled at each other, clasped hands and made our way to the front of the building.


“You know, vodka, I don’t like this,” she said softly. “My heart is breaking watching them go into another teacher’s classroom. I miss them!” And I knew she was speaking from her heart.


I smiled and nodded knowingly.



“But you know what?” I said. “In about an hour you’ll have 18 new children in your room who will help that broken heart of yours heal quite nicely. Now, buckle up. We’re about to start this roller coaster ALL over again."





(And today? She's so tired she doesn't even remember their NAMES! Yep. I'm afraid she might have won the lottery this year. And you know what I mean.)





23 comments:

@eloh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
@eloh said...

My youngest son WAS the lottery prize. When I showed up a couple years later with another one the teacher almost fainted.

Anonymous said...

We don't have students until Tuesday, but I'm totally sure I won the lottery in my building. I'm disausted just thinking about it.
Also the name of your book might need to be the Disausted Chronicles.
Have a fabulous weekend. xo

Captain Dumbass said...

My monkey's hit the beaches on Tuesday, and I'm sure there will be some tired teachers in their school as well.

MaryBeth said...

Our little Frankie was accused of hitting one of the boys. She looked at me and told me he was lying, she didn't hit him, she kicked him.

Mrs. E said...

I love that way of beginning school. Maybe you better find perky pills for her this year!

mssharealot said...

When Monkey's kinder teacher texted me today about a toy Monkey cried about leaving today, I thought of you. Great teachers who love their kids are amazing!

S said...

I know exactly who she is, and I wholeheartedly agree. She's a GEM.

jessica said...

Oh Ms. Perky!!! My thoughts and prayers are with her! Last year I loved my 2yr old class and parents so much everyone was jealous of me. In the summer we have a camp and someone else gts my babies. Apparently I won the lottery last year and just didn't know it!! The other teachers were like "umm how did u do this all year?? They're all horrible! " and by "horrible " I'm sure they meant adorable! "Do u know this one doesn't nap and that one talks back and this one hits..." I replied "and do u know that if u lay down with this one he will nap and if u laugh at that one the talking back is so much funnier and if u play with this one he won't hit as much..." looking forward to my new class but really missing my old one :(

Lynn MacDonald said...

Well, I for one, am looking forward to all those cute little stories you tell. It's amazing how you bring these kids to life on paper (metaphorically that is).

Love it!

Brian Miller said...

oh yeah...the lotto...um so does that mean no interesting stories this year from you...smiles.

That Janie Girl said...

Oh I can't wait for the stories!!

Working Mommy said...

I had a teacher like that - not the lottery part, but the skinny, excited, perky parts - and she made a huge difference in my learning. She was great!

WM

♥ Braja said...

stop pretending you're busy. that's no excuse for ignoring my SPANKINGLY artistic photographic blog. you know the one. famous. hUGE.

shrink on the couch said...

I often wonder how you teachers do this annual letting go. It's like motherhood on speed.

Linda M. said...

End of the second day of school, a bus driver gets back off the bus, yelling for a teacher to get over there. I'm walking up behind him so I ask what the problem is. "I want someone to get on that bus and tell A she doesn't run the bus, I do!!" he yells as me.

I get on and she says with a snotty attitude, "He moved B for no good reason!" (Picture a swagger as she says that.)

Can you guess which teacher is hers?

Brand new school, same attitude. (You should come visit! It's gorgeous!!) Gonna need more chocolate. Or wine. Or vodka...

Pseudo said...

We've been at it since July 27th over here. I've been disausted for awhile now.

Alexandra said...

She is so lucky to have you whisper these words of experience to her.

I remember, years ago, when my then 2 and 3 yr old boys were growing up out of the baby stage: I just wasn't ready. An older mom calmed me with this, "Oh, just wait, you're going to LOVE to see them become people."

I still think of that statement, and it calms me.

HOW ARE YOU?????

Cheryl D. said...

It's got to be so hard to see children you love move on to other teachers. But at least the kids are old enough to remember you. During first grade this last year, my daughter always went up to give her former kindergarten teacher a big hug on her way out of school at the end of the school day. It was very sweet.

At my daughter's preschool, I remember her very first teacher--who had the 2-year old kids--tell us at the end of the year that the kids will soon forget her (even seeing her around) due to their young age. That must be heart-breaking!

Wendy said...

I teach high school and feel the same way every trimester! I see my students in the hall that first day and wish they would be back, but then the bell rings and I have a whole new group of students. It is bittersweet when the graduate, too. But it is always fun when they come back to visit and make sure they stop to see me.

Just Two Chicks said...

You have no idea how much I admire the teachers who make it through the lottery gracefully! I came out gracefully during my special education years, and the first few years of regular education, but then I had that one year that just about killed me. I wish her luck this year... may she learn a lot from this prized child. They always have so much to teach us. :)

Janie Junebug said...

You've been in kindergarten nine years? Wow! I hope some day you can graduate to first grade. That's a lot of years to be held back.

Love,
Lola

Sharon Rose said...

Oh Snap!!!!

Does she have a class room full of Frank and Stanley's?