I know, I know, a double post. But on my way back inside from collecting the stack of tests I have to grade from my car, I found a letter in my mailbox. It was addressed to me, in my own handwriting. And when I opened it, I realized it was the letter I had written myself at the end of institute.
Jim, our CS this summer, had the brilliant idea of making us write letters to ourselves that he would send out in October to remind us of what we felt at the end of those crazy five weeks this summer. I'm impressed with my wisdom those three long months ago, and I thought I would share it:
Dear Kate,
Hopefully today was a good day. If it wasn't, I want you to think back to the day you gave your post-assessment at Institute, when you ran down to CS session to grade Sage's test to see what she had accomplished. I want you to remember the pride in each of your students and the responsibility you felt to make sure each of them succeeded. I want you to remember the lessons you swore you'd learned about how to invest your kids and make them care about each other.
Today, leaving institute, I'm terrified about the prospect of starting all over with little people. But I'm excited to get the opportunity to get to teach what my 8th graders don't know. I hope that my classroom is a place of focused learning, where my students understand that what they're learning and how they're behaving today directly impacts what they'll be doing 5, 10, 20 years down the line. I hope that my kids respect each other, work well together, and have formed a community where it's okay to be different and make mistakes. I hope that my kids--and their families--know how much I care about them and that I would do anything for them.
I hope for myself that I haven't lost sight of why I signed up for this--that every kid deserves the tools and the confidence to achieve their wildest dreams, and that I am ready and able to get them there. Remember--you love your job and you love these kids. Take ownership of your classroom and do it.
Love,
Kate
Is my classroom where I hoped it would be? Not yet, but it's heading there. But I haven't lost sight of why I signed up for this, and that makes me proud.
Jim, our CS this summer, had the brilliant idea of making us write letters to ourselves that he would send out in October to remind us of what we felt at the end of those crazy five weeks this summer. I'm impressed with my wisdom those three long months ago, and I thought I would share it:
Dear Kate,
Hopefully today was a good day. If it wasn't, I want you to think back to the day you gave your post-assessment at Institute, when you ran down to CS session to grade Sage's test to see what she had accomplished. I want you to remember the pride in each of your students and the responsibility you felt to make sure each of them succeeded. I want you to remember the lessons you swore you'd learned about how to invest your kids and make them care about each other.
Today, leaving institute, I'm terrified about the prospect of starting all over with little people. But I'm excited to get the opportunity to get to teach what my 8th graders don't know. I hope that my classroom is a place of focused learning, where my students understand that what they're learning and how they're behaving today directly impacts what they'll be doing 5, 10, 20 years down the line. I hope that my kids respect each other, work well together, and have formed a community where it's okay to be different and make mistakes. I hope that my kids--and their families--know how much I care about them and that I would do anything for them.
I hope for myself that I haven't lost sight of why I signed up for this--that every kid deserves the tools and the confidence to achieve their wildest dreams, and that I am ready and able to get them there. Remember--you love your job and you love these kids. Take ownership of your classroom and do it.
Love,
Kate
Is my classroom where I hoped it would be? Not yet, but it's heading there. But I haven't lost sight of why I signed up for this, and that makes me proud.
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