On a Serious Teaching Note....

    Being out of school for summer does amazing things for a teacher. It's so nice to be able to step back and think about things without the stress that being in school everyday can bring on.  I was reading some "life" quotes on Pinterest, and came across the one above.  Reading all those wise quotes sometimes gets me all serious and reflective about my own life. 

   While initially the above quote reminded me of how I hope to raise my own daughter, it also made me think about all the little lives I have an impact on during the school year. While I teach 8 year olds, I realize my real hope for these children is for them to group up to be successful in their lives. While skills, standards, and standardized tests are pushed down their throats, in the end what really matters is that we are impacting these children in a positive way that prepares them for life. Yes, I want my students properly educated, but in the end, I really hope to impact them in a way that makes them work to be a better person. A way that makes them treat others with respect, while loving themselves enough to work throughout their lives to overcome obstacles to make something of themselves in this world. The world is an ugly place, and sometimes I think as teachers we really don't realize we may be the one and only happy place for some children.  We may be the only person who ever makes them believe in themselves or make them feel like they are worth something. Yes, I know the idea of trying to save the world is a long lost dream for many teachers. But, even if you make that child feel worthy and loved for one day in their live, though they may still go down the wrong path, I believe you did make a difference...if only for a day!

Let me get off of my serious soapbox and just say,  I hope as school starts back and all the daily mess comes in, that I remind myself I'm preparing these babies for much more than some 3rd grade curriculum dictates. So for the ten months they are in my care, I will do all that I can to prepare them for life!