Thoughts

       We never know who is truly reading our blogs or who is there watching but not saying anything. With that being said, you have to be careful what you put out on the Internet. Not everyone will agree with what you post or what you think. Today, I'm a lifelong learner of what a teaching legacy lives behind. My dear friend has chose to take a different path. She has been a mentor to me for many years as well as a friend.

    I cannot necessarily talk about the circumstance in which I am heartbroken over. As a teacher, you always have a passion for your subject area, students, and community. When someone leaves the teaching profession, it is always a loss in my opinion. I have worked so long and so hard to gain, maintain, and grow in my chosen field. I have often thought about leaving, but I just really love teaching. The hardest thing I ever had to do as a teacher was watch a peer pack up her room, especially because she is my inspiration. I have aspired for years to be the teacher that my good friend is. She inspires, she loves, she teaches, and she shows up when no one else does, she is everything you read about in a textbook of what a good teacher encompasses. When she chose to retire., it mades a dark cloud for me.

    When I first started teaching, she told me that "the goal isn't to just teach subjects but it's to help kids become lifelong learners. That may look different for every student that's in your class, but is your job to make sure they find something about your subject area to learn more about." Teaching isn't just about learning a subject. It's about building connections and excitement for education. My friend did this every day she was at work. Even on the days she missed, the students would still check in.

    Today, I feel like something is missing. It was my first planning period without the input of my good friend. Co-planning has always helped spark ideas between our subject areas. She and I both equally bring stuff to the table that helped. Even at lunch without her smiling face, I just felt like something was missing. I know one day there will come a time that I will have to walk away from this profession. I just want it to be on good terms. How do I tell my friend that she means so much to me? She's not just simply a peer at work. She is the walking talking definition of a teacher of excellence.  And I hope she knows that she has created a culture of lifelong learners that will continue because of her. I have printed this post and will be mailing it to her. She deserves to hear all the kind words that can possibly be said about a teacher. Her caring nature knows, no bounds.

    When one of my twins died just a little over two years ago, they were very few people that checked in on me from work. They were exactly 5 staff members that took the time out of their daily lives to make a phone call to check in. She was one of them. She gave me so much advice that was beyond just the realm of school. She gave me advice as a parent, as a mother, as a fellow teachere, and as a person who leads with their heart. I came back to school that following August because she gave me hope that life did go on.