This might look like an ordinary office, but let me assure you it is anything but.
When I moved in here last August, I was both thrilled to have my own little space and annoyed by its odd shape because arranging furniture and shelves was a nightmare.
Over the course of the school year, I fell in love with this office.
Not because I figured out an ideal furniture arrangement, because believe me, I never managed to do so and instead just learned to make the best of the quirky shape!
Not because it was the most beautifully decorated place at school, because some of my colleagues' classrooms were so welcoming and delightful that I hated ever leaving them!
And certainly not because of its location, which keeps me centrally located and yet isolated from absolutely everyone at the same time!
I fell in love with this office because of all that happened within it.
Of course math and reading and meetings and assessments took place, but it's all of the other things that happened in here that will stay with me:
- conversations with students about our pets - the ones still with us, and more importantly, the ones who live on in our hearts...children have insightful and deep thinkings about death and I was constantly amazed when the photos of my dogs would be the reason a quiet or shy child would open up to share an important part of their life outside of school with me
- brainstorming sessions with colleagues...how to help our shared students, how to address an issue in the building, how to best support the teaching and learning across all grade levels, or how to help a student or teacher who was experiencing a personal challenge
- fun tutoring sessions before and after school where I had the opportunity to work with some incredible kids one-on-one and really get to know them as we solved math problems and strengthened our reading skills
- the countless shared tears with my fellow teachers who came to my office when they needed a quiet space for a moment to regroup before picking up their students from lunch or after an emotionally draining meeting and then the many hugs that followed those tears
- students stopping by to say hello on their way to fill their water bottles or borrow books from me or just tell me something good about their day
- colleagues stopping by to share supplies with me...tissues, hand sanitizer, paper, dry erase markers...so many of them shared their extras without me even asking
- colleagues coming to share a student success story or show me a picture of their dog or drop off a donut because their class had leftovers
- people constantly checking in on me...the love and support I felt this year, which was unquestionably the most difficult of my career, was absolutely astounding
All of these little things - which are actually really big things - add up to nothing short of magic.
This wonderful little space is now pretty much empty for the summer and will be getting some fresh paint and new lighting before I return to it in August. I'm going to savor every moment of summer until then, but I know more magic is in store next year.
Happy Tails to you!
