Right now, I am struggling to come to terms with the fact that we are almost done with this program. Could we possibly be almost done with our second year teaching? It has been a wild ride but I have had the best possible people in it with me. We have worked really hard, thought really hard, discussed with passion, reflected for countless hours, and loved each other well. While it is bittersweet, I am extremely thankful that the light at the end of the tunnel is close and bright. Thanks for taking the journey with me!
As is the case in most months, this one has been one of triumphs and struggles but for me this month, they have been mostly internal. I have struggled to combat negativity that is permeating my team at school and my own stress, frustration and impatience. I have been working really hard on separating the stress that I was feeling from the amount of things that I had going on in my life and my personal interactions with my students. The stress of CRCT has also been permeating the building which required my attention to separation and patience. Thankfully in the last week, I have been able to get my groove back.
There is much more to celebrate in the month of April than to lament over. The highlight of this month for me has been working alongside my students on their TICC projects and getting to work alongside my colleagues at the Sources Conference. Their projects were AMAZING! The entire project was powerful for me and my students as we worked on becoming strong self-advocates and reflected on what that meant for them personally, our classroom and the wider community, but I think that the part that was most striking for me was when they were presenting. In that hour that my students were presenting, something really clicked for me as an educator. Their joy was shining through as they presented their work to their classmates. The hardwork in their products and research was easily and readily evident. They were excited about the work that they had done. We had heard the second years last year talk about this over and over again but this was happening in MY classroom. A light bulb went off. My students were developing meaningful, lifelong skills. Their choices were extending beyond product but incorporating product, interest, and the community that they live in. I was a small factor in what they were doing besides being an occasional facilitator. I WAS PROUD!
All of this joy came together as we presented and listened at the Sources Conferences. It was such a powerful day to stand besides y'all and listen to the beautiful work that you were doing with your students. I was reminded that in the negativity of our schools, there is a wider picture of educators changes students lives throughout the Atlanta area and we play a small role in that. My negative emotions about the CRCT and the frustration that I was feeling with my students and the stress about grad school work is something that I experience but it does not define me.
There is so much work to be done. We have done so much work already. I am excited to see where it takes us as we continue on this journey. Thanks for being my wonderful, beautiful, loving, challenging support system!
