No Foolin'

Today I received an email that I am one of the three finalists in my school district for secondary teacher of the year. When I read it I really did wonder if it was an April Fool's thing but quickly realized it wasn't. It was in the middle of class but I felt my eyes water up with gratitude. I just kept thinking of how it took me 18 years in and out of college to finally graduate, how difficult it was, how it affected my health at times and I had to take a break more than once, and how much I wish I could tell my Mom.

I also wish I could share it with all the other teachers and staff at my school because I am just one of many teachers there who care about our students. I don't get to see them very often since I only have one conference period as an electives teacher and do not get the benefit of meeting regularly as a team but there are things that I do see and that do stay with me.

I see them staying late to teach guitar lessons without getting paid. I see them joining us late in the school year and trying their best to make the transition. I see them waiting patiently to make copies on the ONE copier we have to share and sometimes letting others go before them. I see them organizing field trips, dress up days, try outs for sports teams, and student council. I see them sending a student out in the hall to talk one on one with them.

I see them teaching music lessons at multiple schools to try and make ends meet. I see them worrying for their kids about the STAAR test. I see the counselors always available to meet with students in crisis. I see them winning awards for UIL, music, playing at SXSW, Kickstart martial arts program, and athletics. I see them organizing community events, fundraising for cancer research, and creating relevant and important book displays in the library about banned book week and teen dating violence awareness week. I see not one but two book fairs so far this year and  organizing a pumpkin decorating contest. I see them encouraging kids to be committed to student council and how hard they worked decorating for our dances. I see teachers and staff monitoring the dances as well as dancing with our kids and we don't get a stipend for that either.

I see teachers and coaches staying late to make sure all their kids get picked up, even if their rides are 30 minutes late. I see the special educator assistants having the patience of saints and bonding with students who other people might not want to deal with, who society might not want to deal with or know how to deal with. I see them wearing headsets and walkie talkies to always be available in case a student is struggling. I see the head of special education coming to help when I hollered since there was my first physical fight in my room and even though she was all the way in her office she heard me because she has radar and thought it might be one of her students.

I see teachers, social workers, LSSP's and the special educators working together in a team meeting with families to help support our students. I see administrators respond quickly as they can to discipline issues and even return them to class and encourage students to apologize. I see administrators staying late and probably working weekends too and who always have their phone on for emergencies even though they have families of their own.

I see them coming to work very pregnant and back to work quickly after having their babies. I see them struggling to stay at work when they don't feel well because it is sometimes more work to miss work than just to suffer through it. I see them diligently working hard to keep our school clean and safe, picking up after every lunch, wiping tables, taking out the recycling.

I see them working hard to find last minute subs, handling mountains of paperwork in an efficient manner, and always being patient and available to help me with the complicated process of purchase orders. I see them processing large amounts of supplies and working with student aides.

I see them taking the time of giving me a handwritten list of all the dozens of students with health alerts since there were glitches in the new computer system and I couldn't see them online. I seem them giving me the majority of my SPED and 504 paperwork printed out in a binder BEFORE the first day of school. I see them regulary providing me updated information on our SPED and 504 students. I see them actually creating a Gifted and Talented program and not scoffing at me when I suggest and nominate students because I am their art teacher, not a "core teacher" but thanking me and understanding that a lot of GT shows up through creativity.

I see them organizing our first annual black history month celebration with poems, skits, songs, music, and staying late to practice for it. I see them forming after school activities that they don't get paid extra for like dance because the kids are really interested in it. I see them staying late for play rehearsals, working out of portables, and creating amazing fashion out of newspaper.

I see them truly giving students so many opportunities for leadership positions. That word gets thrown around a lot, but I see how our students respond to being given the trust and responsibility it takes to help out around our school. I see them doing a little something every day to really create and foster a community at our school and help make our students also feel a part of it too.

And I am so grateful that just about every time I do get to see them face to face, they compliment me on being talented because of the artwork in the halls or on me showing student work in the community or winning the pennies for patients fundraiser or winning the digital arts initiative grant.

I see myself  telling them the same thing every time, "Thank you. You are so kind, but it's not me, it's  the kids."

While reading the email about being a finalist, I eventually just gave up and let the tears flow a little bit and one student noticed and asked if I was sick or not feeling well. I told him I was crying because I was happy.