Big Changes

Oh my goodness, how is it ALREADY almost the END of MAY?!? I resolved to post at least once a month; that didn't seem like too much to ask. Set small goals. Be realistic. I tell my students that kind of advice every day, and yet here I am, at the end of May, with no post since the end of March!

Anyway, there are some big changes coming my way... I've accepted a position as an ITRT (an instructional technology resource teacher) with my division next year, so I'm going to be taking a break from the English classroom for a while. As you can imagine, my emotions are running the gamut (euphoria as I consider not having to grade every night and weekend, anxiety as I think about what my next post will require, devastation as I think of the students I'll miss working with next year--most especially in my Creative Writing and senior classes, just to name a few of the many emotions swirling around me right now). 

It's hard to imagine what things will be like in the future. It was time for a change, and I'm ready to make it, but I can't help or avoid the waves of emotion that wash over me.

Our creative writing class dabbles in all sorts of endeavors. Among other things, we produce a monthly newsletter for the student body. It's a fun periodical that mixes interesting facts with occasional serious posts. And horoscopes, a popular read. And puzzles. Most students just do the puzzles. We're okay with that. We love creating them, and at least they're looking at them! Anyway, I've never put anything in the Gobbler Gab myself before, but here's what I wrote for our school newsletter this month: 

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What a privilege to be a teacher—to share smiles in the hallway, to make small talk in the moments before class begins, to learn and discuss, to share lives and experiences—to really come to know something real about someone (many unique, ever changing, special someones). What a privilege to spend every day doing something fulfilling, working with people who make life meaningful.

I got into teaching by accident, but I’ve stayed with intention. I came here by accident, too—a job opening in the state of Virginia where I found myself moving—and I was so lucky that it worked out to be here. To meet you.

And I’ve loved it here. It’s been a home. You’ve made me feel so welcome. The time flew by and suddenly I was three years in with a little girl at home. And you were always there, always saying hello, asking me about my day, about my baby, about my life. So much hard work, so much laughter. It’s been a great place to be. Thank you for being awesome and for making it fun.

And yet life comes along with surprises and opportunities to try new things. And so it is with sadness but also with excitement that I look ahead to the next chapter, to the great beyond.

 And so to the freshmen, I leave Romeo and Juliet scenes with foam swords and “dead” bodies on the ground. To the juniors, I leave endless exploration of social issues and the questions about what to do to make the world better (along with SOL tests, which you’ll be leaving behind soon, as well!). To the AP seniors, I leave timed writings, endless discussions, and ingenious research projects.

And to the Creative Writing kids, I leave behind a piece of my heart. Along with awkward pauses, ill-timed comments, endless hours of filling blank pages, and crazy writing prompts. Not to mention the literary magazine.

 And so for now, I'm out of ink. But in the time to come, I’ll still be in the hallways, in the doorways, in the public spaces, in the classrooms. I’ll be around, working for RCPS as an ITRT and trying out new ways to use technology to do projects and assignments.

 Say hi when you see me. I’ll be so glad to see you. I promise that I remember, and that I miss you, too.

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So there you have it. I'm embarking on a major transition. I'll still be blogging, and I'm sure many of those posts will still focus on English-related topics, especially as I work to document a lot of the ideas that I've been considering over the past few months but haven't  had a chance to write. As I move more into the tech world, I may add to what is on here to focus on technology as well... We'll see what comes! I'll still be here, and I hope you'll journey along with me.