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msgelsey · 3 years ago

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In the spirit of getting back into the spirit of things... I am going to put up my annual teacher's recap post. Among the many new things we were met with at the return of the new school year there was full population student body, new textbooks, new initiatives for said textbooks, new descriptions of the state standards, I was technically a new full year for me on campus, I had a new classroom, and new neighbors (yes, this matters), and well.... new students. LOL So, it was just a new year for me.

I had some really good moments where I could see my stride coming in full form and my routine finding its place and then as sure as the sky is blue something (or someone - sometimes me) would come along and throw the whole situation off. A moment of transparency here - I recreated my classroom boards constantly until I found the right "flow" for my classroom... at the top of fourth quarter. That is when I finally found the right flow - fourth quarter. 🥴 But, I was determined to get it right and did not let that stop me.

Anyway, I say all this to say that, no matter where I was on the roller coaster ride, I knew that God did not want me to give up. I literally heard Him say, just show up - I will do the rest. And that is what I did. I continued to show up and prayed that my students would do the same and we are all stronger for it. I learned A LOT with all the "new" that was being thrown my way, personally and professionally... privately and publicly. And I mean A LOT... Hopefully, that is something that I never stop doing - learning.

Well without prolonging the matter, here are some highlights from this school year that gave me balance in the valleys:

1. Performing with the McA Chorus. My English students always made me feel so happy when I walked into the chorus room and surprised them and sang with them... and it gave us something to talk about in English class. 😊

2. Jaden, Nehemiah, and I spontaneously singing three part harmony in a corner of the class because Jaden had a sudden urge to direct us vocally. LOL And he did!

3. Introducing the kids to Blackout Poetry and them really taking on the challenge of creating deep poetry from Shakespeare's Macbeth. Not only did Eriyen and Daunte come up with some of the best poems, but they invited a friend (who was not one of my students) to do a poem too.

4. So there is this kid who is friends with some of the kids in my 3rd Period and I'm not sure of his name so I won't say what I think it is. Either way, I'm standing in the front of the class doing my best teaching on I-don't-remember-what, and it is well into the class and I start to move around the room and there he is... we'll just call him KJ for now... sitting with his hands folded and TOTALLY tuned in to what I was saying. I burst out laughing because I hadn't even realized that he was sitting in the room all that time. 😁😆😄😆 Y'all I let him stay for the rest of the class and called to get him excused from his teacher. He got his lesson on that day!

5. That moment when Xiomara adopted me as her school mom. 😊 That's all.

6. This year my students were always giving me random gifts. Gifts that I know they could've given to any other teacher or adult on campus or in their lives. Taysha's baked me a mini cake. Yazmin made me a bracelet and she baked me cupcakes. Nina, Adrian, and Edwin made me Valentine's Day cards. Shaylee brought printer paper for my class because I complimented the quality of paper that her submitted papers have... This is not all, but I really had some thoughtful kids this year.

7. Isabel's presentation skills. Isabel's argument skills. Isabel's analysis skills. Just Isabel. She's my number 7. She's a dope kid who is going to save the world one day.

8. Bryce telling me EVERY single day that I am his favorite teacher. At a certain point I got worried that I wasn't living up to it but he never missed a day. Even when I chastised him he wouldn't leave my room without saying it. Kids say that to me often, but not everyday and not with Bryce's sincerity. I really believed him. I don't know if he realized it, but he never missed a class day saying that to me and when I was struggling he would make me feel a little better no matter how simple or ornamated it was when he said it.

9. That time Ms. Sweeting set up Zumba in the courtyard and I brought my class over and we danced with her. Also, Mr. Broomfield (our principal) moved with us a little as well.

10. Our courtyard having the same vibe as The Set at FAMU on Fridays... FYI Our principal is a Rattler. 🤭😊🐍

***Ms. Cumberland ministering to me whenever we were alone and having a pow wow. One thing about it, she didn't know a lot about what I was specifically going through personally but she would always have a good relatable Word for me just because... God is good.

When I started to write this I thought I wasn't going to have enough to put itno 10 slots and that I was going to have to call it quits at around 3, but now I wish that I could give a million more honorable mentions. Well this was 2021-2022 at McA for me. Enjoy! I did.

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msgelsey · 5 years ago

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