NL #38: The Best Thing about Teaching

NL #38: Nine days left of school in the Highline School District. The countdown. Everybody's aware that summer is just around the corner, but it's raining, so we in the Northwest continue on as if it's winter. The students aren't even very antsy. The teachers are more jumpy than the students, but they're hanging in there, too.

It's been quite a year. I began working full time, some time in three different schools and some time at the district office. What with piggy flu, pneumonia, a brain tumor, radiation and now tmj, I had to cut back. Now I've increased my time to about 70 percent..

Next year I will work full time again. I will probably split my time between two schools, continuing at one of my current schools and picking up at a small school. There's lots of talk about next year with teachers, administration and district work right now. Also lots of planning for summer work. My dad used to love the joke, "What are the best three things about teaching? June, July and August." This year, school gets out June 23; I have a meeting June 25; I start back to work the second week of August. Make that: What's the best thing about teaching? July.

Actually, I do love my work in the schools. Even with all my illness this year, I have witnessed such growth among teachers and students. Every year there are things we teachers wish we had done better. And every year, there are miracles.

We work hard and we don't get paid a whole lot (though enough for me anyway), but we get to participate in a cycle of hope every year.

So really, the amazing thing to me right now is that we're in the countdown but no one seems to be counting down. No one's dazed, it seems, who wasn't already. Oh, except maybe me, but then again I'm celebrating miracles. Mary