My Former Students Rock!

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Up until two weeks ago, I was debating the idea of leaving the teaching profession. I mean, yes, I'm a SAHM, but I was debating never, ever walking into another classroom again. I was thinking about going to law school. Or working in a museum. Or opening a children's bookstore. Or (my sisters will die laughing) nursing even crossed my mind.

I don't know why... you just kinda hit the point where you are DONE. You're tired of the whining, the whatifs, the phone calls or emails at 8 in the evening. And that's just the parents!

But you begin to wonder: Am I even making a difference? Who cares? None of these kids are going to remember me anyway. They didn't care about what I taught. They didn't pay attention anyway.

And then 6 things happened:

1. I landed an awesome teaching job. One that lets me stay home with my kids and still teach.

2. One of my former students emailed me to wish me Happy Constitution Day. I was stunned that she remembered.

3. A different student emailed to tell me that it was the 90th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment. She even included a "Yeh for voting!" Not only was I stunned that she knew that, I put it into my calendar so I would know that.

4. I got another email from a different student who graduated last year:

"I shared the "I'm just a bill" school house rock video with everyone in my english class today! Don't ask me why because I really don't even remember how that came up but I just thought i should let you know!(:"

The fact that she remembered School House Rock and shared it with everyone in her class, and cared enough to tell me about it, made me smile. Maybe I did get through, I thought.

5. And then I got this email from a student (I should preface this by saying that voting is my soap box issue -- I would rail and rally my students to vote. I didn't care who or what they voted for, I just wanted them to vote. Okay, that's not true. I did care a little about who and what they voted for... )

So I'm determine to register as many people as possible around campus by October 18th, but I have one question so I don't give people false information. If they do not register with a party, who will they receive on their ballot for governor? Also, if they register as Independent is it the Democratic or Republican candidate that will show up on their ballot? It just annoyed me to hear that people didn't know how to register, or that it would take forever to do so. I decided to just help people out!

I got a little tear eyed when I read that. Not only did I get through, but she cared about what I was teaching.

6. Lastly, I got a long email from a former student; one who graduated two years ago (or was it three?). She was commenting on one of my recent blog posts, and she ended with this:

I want you to know that I always have respected you and think you are a wonderful teacher. You have touched more hearts than you most likely know.

I lost it. I started to cry, right in the middle of the coffee house where I had gone to escape my kids and do some work.

And I realized: I did make a difference. They did remember me. They do care about what I had to say.

Teaching has to be the best profession on the planet.