Just a warning...I am about to get super sentimental. Perhaps even boring, but I just need to express my feelings ok????
I left school today at 3:15 pm and it is just now sinking in that I don't get to go back there on Monday and I don't get to go back in the fall either. I have ended my time as a para at Rosehill Elementary. Here it is:
In 2007 I applied for this job because I needed to do something that would pay me money and there weren't any music therapy jobs anywhere near me. Once I got the job, I was happy to have it, but was bummed that I was only going to be a para. I wanted something more I guess. That first year I did everything I could to try and get out of there the next year. Well, here we are three years later and I am so sad to see my time at Rosehill come to an end. When you work with people and see them every day they become like family and I am so thankful for all the great people I met and gained friendship with. I mean, there were some crazies thrown in there, but everyone's family has at least a few crazies.
The hardest part is leaving the kids for sure. I was with some of them for the whole three years I was there and I got to see them grow in so many amazing ways. My time with them is summed up nicely with this quote from Arrested Development, "I like to think they teach me. " They also provided some pretty great stories that I frequently used to entertain all of my blog followers. I know that this new season in my life will bring more opportunities to learn, teach, and laugh, but today I am going to be sad. I'm sad that it is done and I'm sad that I won't see those kids anymore. They are the best.
Here is what I learned from working at Rosehill:
1. The bottom line is that you get into teaching because you value children and education. When things get tough take a moment to remember that.
2. Assume that you are the only one in a child's day who will show them love and respect.
3. Value the people you work with.
4. Every child has something to say, they just need someone to listen.
5. Our society is weird about hugs, but they are not bad things...if a kid hugs you (s)he probably needs one.
6. Laugh all the time.
7. Get excited about the small victories.
8. Relax.
9. Even when you feel useless, hopeless, tired, and frustrated, you can still be impacting someone.
10. You never know when it will be the last time you see someone. Always make the last thing you say count.
11. Leave people better than you found them.
12. God can use me anywhere...even if it isn't where I want to be.
Although I have learned these things I know that I do and will fail at them daily. I just pray that I would love my class every day for all of the years that I teach. The kids I will get in my classes are put there for a reason and I don't want to close out every year feeling like I could have done better. They deserve my best every day. I know I can't do that on my own.
I wish I could put some of the kid's pictures up here, but I don't feel like that is legal. So, to end I will show you some of my wonderful friends. A few of them threw me a Hawaiian style going away bash today and I love them!
