Once My Kid, Always My Kid

We had our Open House today and some of our students hadn't been in the building in over seventeen months! I loved seeing the range of emotions...excitement, nervousness, suspicion, and annoyance - and those were just the parents. Kidding! The students were so cute, even the ones who were clearly not happy that summer is ending!

My favorite part of the day, though? My former students who are now in middle school and high school, who were there with younger siblings.

No one really prepares you in your education classes for the feelings of love and joy and pride that will cause your heart to explode when you see your former students. It is one of the most awesome feelings of all time! I love how they can surprise me when they share what they've been up to (one of them is now very involved with theater and loves performing, which I would never have predicted!) or when they remind me of something from when they were in my class (one of them told me how they loved the audiobook "Where the Red Fern Grows" and how I walked around with a box of tissues as we listened because we were all crying together toward the end of the book).

I was reminded today why I'm a teacher. Students.

My students have enriched my life in such profound ways. They've made me laugh, they've made me cry, and they've challenged me in ways that made me a better teacher. I worried about them every day they were in my class; were they learning, were they happy, were they getting enough love and support and encouragement, were they getting enough to eat, were they getting enough sleep, did they feel safe...the list of worries was endless. And that worry doesn't go away just because they move on to the next grade.

So when I get to see them and catch up and admire their growth, it is the absolute best.

Some people think that the perk of being a teacher is "paid summers off" (don't get me started on that again...you can read my thoughts about that HERE).

The real perk is seeing your former students thriving.

It doesn't matter how much time has passed...if you've ever been in my class, I'm always, always, always rooting for your success! Once my kid, always my kid.

Very proud to be a teacher today.

Happy Tails to you!