I started the post below on Friday, June 9th. The last day of school with students. The day and emotions got the best of me, so here I am on June 11th (a Sunday, without a normal school day to follow so I've done nothing but binge watch Netflix and stalk social media), my normal Day in the Life posting day finishing up the post I started Friday.
Today (6/9) is bitter sweet. I've had a wonderful year, mostly because I have had a wonderful set of students.
I woke up well before my alarm. This has been the norm for the last 10 days or so.
I used my time to think about how I was going to preserve each moment of today. How can I make the most of day?
I promised my kids on day 1 that we would do 180 days of math. I will keep that promise.
I arrive at school at 6:30. I turn my SMART board on and then work to find people I need to sign off on my end of the year check out packet. It was an epic fail, since I am one of a handful of people here this early. I return to my room. I look around and think about pulling down some items off of my wall. Most of my colleagues have their rooms almost packed up and my room looks like it did 6 weeks ago. I don't want to give the impression to the kids that the end is near (even though it's today!).
So I spend a few minutes cleaning out my desk drawer and doing things that students won't notice.
At 6:50 I go out searching for my signatures again, after all, school starts in 10 minutes. I still can't find anyone.
7:00 - I head out to hallway duty and the bell rings.
7:10 - first period starts. We watch the last morning announcements on our SMARTboard and then we do our 180th day out 180 days of math. Then we work on a three acts task looking at stacking cups and when they will be the same height. I think my colleagues think I am crazy because I am having my students do something (most are playing games).
7:50 - this class leaves and go to specials.
8:33 - The next class comes in. We do an Estimation 180 challenge and then work through some compound probability, and find out what the chance of the various combinations needed to win a game of Yahtzee. The class period goes quickly because we are on a condensed schedule.
9:16 - My first period returns for their 2nd block of math - we pick up where we left off in our three acts task and then share other questions that could be asked and answered with the information we have. Before we know it, the 10:00 bell is ringing and I am reminding them to take all of their belongings and wish them a good summer. It hits me (& them) that this is it. We're done. I seriously can't believe how fast this year went. Part of me is looking for them to return on Monday. But I know that's not possible.
10:00 - My 4th & 5th period double block class comes in and we do the Estimation 180 challenge that I did at 8:33 with my 8th period block (the schedule is sooo messed up today because of the times we can serve lunch by state law) and then work out the chance of the various combinations needed to win at a game of Yahtzee. Since we figured out the theoretical probability, we spend the rest of the time working on experimental probability. We break into groups of 4 to play the game and keep count on each group's data before combining it into class data to analyze. Once again, the class period ends and it's time for me to tell them to get all of their belongings and wish them a good summer. Many hugs are dolled out. The day is hitting me. This is it. How did this happen. In almost 20 years, a year hasn't gone by this fast!
11:00 - the class I saw at 8:33 returns for their second blocks and since we had already figured out the theoretical probability of Yahtzee the only thing left we had to do was work with experimental probability. 11:30 rolls around so fast and I feel like there is more I want to discuss, but I can't. The school year is officially over. That was the very last class on the very last day. I remind these kids to get their items and have a good summer.
11:30 - my room is still packed, even though classes have ended. That's because the students who find the cafeteria overwhelming are eating lunch in my room. I love to hear the conversations - big talk for the big summer. Over the last few weeks a few students and I have been playing Uno with a plain deck of playing cards where we made the face cards into the specials cards. We play the game one last time. Before we know it, it's 12:00.
12:00 - the front office announces that the school year has officially closed and the students are dismissed to the buses. There are many hugs being passed around by students along with the well wishes of a good summer. A few students are crying. One in particular gets me teary since he lost a family member recently (in the last month) and is facing a rough summer. Boy, what I would do to take away his path of pain and struggle right now... He is really going to be something someday, he just needs to keep his head on his shoulders and keep making choices that will contribute to a positive future. I pray often that he keeps this in mind. The first bus rolls away, followed by the 2nd, 3rd and so-on, but in our tradition, they circle back around the school with the kids hanging out the window and the bus driver honking. All of the staff is outside waving them goodbye. It's a bitter sweet moment. That young man who has recently lost a family member, he is at the back of his bus, in tears. I'm now no longer able to contain my tears and grateful to have sunglasses on. Once the last bus circles around for the last time, we return inside. Teachers all go their separate ways - it's a bit surreal.
12:15 - the 7th grade teachers are taking this opportunity to have a rare occasion to have a combined team lunch at a restaurant. Since we only share 15 minutes of the period to eat, we seldom get time to break bread together, so today seems like a great time. We head to a local restaurant that is known for its quick service.
1:00 - we're all back in our classrooms and its time to get busy packing everything up. The wall have to be completely taken down of all posters, etc, and everything has to be up on our shelves. I spend the next 2 hours working on getting some of this accomplished.
3:00 - my duty day ended at 2:30 and most of the staff has left. I think there's three cars here besides the teachers that are on the 8th grade end of the year trip that isn't scheduled to get back until 6 pm. I decide its time for me to go - the rest can wait until Monday.
3:20 - I arrive in my neighborhood and try to use my car to call my husband. It tells me there's no phone. WAIT, WHAT? I pull over, search my bag, and realize I must have left my phone on my desk at work... in the clutter. UGH. I left work with 34 miles left in my gas tank according to my car. Crap. Crap. Crap.
3:40 - I walk back into the building, and find my phone. Yup. Hidden under a pile of papers that I had stacked to be filed on Monday. Terrific. Well, at least I found the phone. Back to the car I go. I now have 14 miles left in my gas tank. So much for going home.
4:00 - I'm at BJ's wholesale club filling up my gas tank. It's taking longer than normal, no need for me to wonder why.....
4:30 - I finally arrive at home. My husband was unsure why I was so late, so I rehash the cell phone story.
5:00 - We order out for pizza for dinner - who wants to cook emotionally drained?
7:00 - I'm done. I know it's Friday night and only 7 pm, but seriously, I am done. I'm so emotionally drained. I loved this group of kids. If I had been asked to loop up with them, I would have. I have never thought like that before. This was a great group of kids. I'm going to miss them. But for now, I'm going to bed and begin binge watching something on Netflix......
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