Bittersweet Endings

The end of the school year is a funny thing. It's bittersweet.  
It's exciting, yet nostalgic. 
It's the ending of families. You want summer so bad you can taste it, but you want to savor the last moments with this family because even if you teach the same group next year, the family will be different. 

It's a clean slate. For 9 months, you have spent countless hours with these people. You've shared things and made memories that changed who you are as a person. Everything about you changes from year to year as a teacher. The kids force you to see the world differently, and yet isn't that why WE are there---to make them see the world differently? 

I could not be happier with how this school year ended up. My kids continually wowed me. I'm not going to act like it was all rainbows and unicorns because believe me, there were plenty of times I wanted to quit. I allowed myself to get caught up in everything that is wrong with education, until one day a kid said "Ms. Normand, your smile is different. It's not as happy." That's when I knew that I was letting all the crap affect me and more importantly, my kids. 

The families of this year went through a lot. It was ugly and tough, but the outcome has been absolutely beautiful. So, as I cherish the memories of this school year, I am looking forward to many more memories to be made in the classroom. 

Until next time, Dearies!

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