Filling Up My Cup


When I was growing up, my mom and I used to watch this movie, Hope Floats.  From time to time, we still use a few of its greatest lines, and as I reflected on this new form of teaching and learning I find myself a part of, one line came to mind: "My cup runneth over!"


This is typically my favorite time of the school year.  We're all in our groove.  The kids appreciate (or accept) my incessant hand-talking, book chatting, and super hilarious jokes. We share what we've learned; we take risks; we open up (I really am going to miss our "This I Believe" unit...it makes me cry and laugh and love my kiddos that much more).  We accept that our time is coming to a close, and so we hang onto each moment; we're a family by this time of the year. 

When the "safer at home" order was first given, I thought I'd be missing a few weeks of the glory days of the school year.  And then face-to-face learning was cancelled for the duration of the school year.  My cup was most definitely not overflowing.

I lived that for several weeks.  I hated where we were at, and I felt so unbelievably inadequate, as a mom and as an educator.  I was certain I was failing two of best and most important gigs. Quickly, my cup was bone-dry.

I scraped and clawed my way back up the slope (I'm mixing metaphors now, aren't it?!).  I tried to replenish my depleted supply of teacher optimism, and I also let myself mourn what was lost.  Time passed, and I started to cope.  I ran, I read, I reflected...and I celebrated: I get to build so many mama memories; I will graduation in July (yay, we're having graduation...and maybe I can even hug or elbow bump some of my kiddos), and I will continue to show and send my teacher love via all the tools at my disposal.  And in the fall, I will give all the teacher love to all my former students when I see them (or maybe get to have them in class once again). I will embrace a new group of students who will become my collection of new little families for the 2020-2021 school year.

Now, just five weeks before the end of this school year, and eight weeks (or is it 108 weeks) into virtual teaching and learning, it's Teacher Appreciation Week, and I am feeling appreciated and proud, and almost like I'm back in my room sprinting down the home stretch after a long and arduous - yet wonderful and glorious - race (again, with the metaphors...sorry!).  I love this profession, I love my students, and I love that once again, "my cup runneth over!"


Student work that making my heart soar

LeeAnn loopin' around with pizzas, cookie dough, and a sign

Proudly

Momma showing the love! 




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