June 4
Our kindergarten journey ends today!
~As I write the final update, I know in my heart I have given all that I could to help your child grow. They helped me grow in so many ways too! We became a 'kinderfamily' that will forever remain in my heart. More importantly, they have given all they could to be such great learners! I want to thank all of you again for making our partnership be what it was for the benefit of your child. I would hope someday they would all say:
All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten!
~To view our year in kindergarten, click here.
Again, make the summer packet to be given to you at graduation a top priority the ENTIRE summer. The activities are simple, quick, and organized by day of the week. Be sure to read all summer as too many skills can be lost...the benefits FAR outweigh the duty!
THEY WILL ALWAYS BE “YOUR STUDENT"
There is an unwritten rule about teaching. Once you have a child enter your classroom, and they are on your role and entrusted to your care, they are forever referred to everyone as “our student.” Age has no hold because a student of yours will forever be Your Student. They are OURS. They belong to us! I know they are really on loan from their parents for about 7 hours a day, for 170+ days. But that totally counts. When I take my class to music or PE or any other room, I remind them to “make me proud.” When I pick them up and sometimes get a not so pleasant report, I take it personally. I have to watch my tongue to not defend MY STUDENT. When I see another teacher correct one of MY STUDENTS sometimes I want to defend my student. I feel a sense of protection over them. I instead remind my student of the high expectations I hold for them. When my students reach their goals, I have an unreasonable sense of PRIDE over their accomplishment. I love when a student of mine is in a higher grade and still visits me to share what is going on in their lives. When students graduate from their grade, we cry WITH them. They are our students. We will miss them. We will miss talking to them, laughing with them, sharing funny stories with them. Then we see them in the world. Sometimes we see them working at one of their jobs, working to make money. Our minds instantly revert that student BACK to their 5-year-old self, who struggles to complete an activity with a partner. Yet NOW they have mastered that skill. Sometimes we see them eating out. Our minds instantly revert them back to the lunch room, struggling to open that milk carton or spilling syrup all over themselves. We laugh and hope they are a less messy eater now… and that they remember to take the cupcake wrapper OFF the cupcake before eating it. Your students will forever and always be your students...Size, age, and maturity do not matter. Once you are my kindergartener… forever, my kindergartener, shall you be.
~As I write the final update, I know in my heart I have given all that I could to help your child grow. They helped me grow in so many ways too! We became a 'kinderfamily' that will forever remain in my heart. More importantly, they have given all they could to be such great learners! I want to thank all of you again for making our partnership be what it was for the benefit of your child. I would hope someday they would all say:
All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten!
~To view our year in kindergarten, click here.
Again, make the summer packet to be given to you at graduation a top priority the ENTIRE summer. The activities are simple, quick, and organized by day of the week. Be sure to read all summer as too many skills can be lost...the benefits FAR outweigh the duty!
THEY WILL ALWAYS BE “YOUR STUDENT"There is an unwritten rule about teaching. Once you have a child enter your classroom, and they are on your role and entrusted to your care, they are forever referred to everyone as “our student.” Age has no hold because a student of yours will forever be Your Student. They are OURS. They belong to us! I know they are really on loan from their parents for about 7 hours a day, for 170+ days. But that totally counts. When I take my class to music or PE or any other room, I remind them to “make me proud.” When I pick them up and sometimes get a not so pleasant report, I take it personally. I have to watch my tongue to not defend MY STUDENT. When I see another teacher correct one of MY STUDENTS sometimes I want to defend my student. I feel a sense of protection over them. I instead remind my student of the high expectations I hold for them. When my students reach their goals, I have an unreasonable sense of PRIDE over their accomplishment. I love when a student of mine is in a higher grade and still visits me to share what is going on in their lives. When students graduate from their grade, we cry WITH them. They are our students. We will miss them. We will miss talking to them, laughing with them, sharing funny stories with them. Then we see them in the world. Sometimes we see them working at one of their jobs, working to make money. Our minds instantly revert that student BACK to their 5-year-old self, who struggles to complete an activity with a partner. Yet NOW they have mastered that skill. Sometimes we see them eating out. Our minds instantly revert them back to the lunch room, struggling to open that milk carton or spilling syrup all over themselves. We laugh and hope they are a less messy eater now… and that they remember to take the cupcake wrapper OFF the cupcake before eating it. Your students will forever and always be your students...Size, age, and maturity do not matter. Once you are my kindergartener… forever, my kindergartener, shall you be.
Happy trails to you, until we meet again...
