Promise Not To Tell?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I really like my class. I like how they respect each other, listen to each other, work with each other and communicate with each other. They communicate mostly in person and also through their blogs. They have tackled projects that I had never done before, and they have done a beautiful job. They have embraced what we have explored and created in a way that makes me proud as their teacher and hopeful as a person. I cannot believe that summer is here already.

Don't get me wrong. This year has been a lot of work (just don't ask the non-teachers that think we have it made for some!). We work our 'butts' off for 10 months and then spend the better half of the other 2 months either planning for, thinking about or trying not to think about the 10 that are coming next. I have a summer full of my own learning, family vacation and maybe even some sleeping late (if my kids can accommodate Dad's wishes). I am also finishing my graduate studies in Educational Technology (yay me!)

I just gave my class their digital yearbooks today. I have been doing them for every class for each of my 5 years of teaching. They are multimedia movies of our experiences in fourth grade. As a result of my own explorations and technical growth, each successive year has a "better" yearbook. They also tend to get longer. This year's video contains images and video with audio that I created by myself. I played with mixing and changing the speed. I am proud of it, and my kids absolutely loved it. Giving the yearbooks away is bittersweet for me. On one hand, they enjoy it and they cheer as they watch and relive our fourth grade memories. On the other hand, it means that the school year is really coming to a close and we must say farewell.

We all know 'those kids' that drive you totally nuts sometimes, but you would never trade them away. I have had quite a few, and I have a few this year. Today, I recieved something from a student that just totally blew me away. It was a note. It was a note in which this student expressed gratitude and happiness for the fourth grade experience that they had. It was so deeply anchored; it wasn't a "Hey Mr. D You Rock!" note. I read it a few times to myself, and I even shared it with a colleague. It wasn't to brag; lord knows I despise bragging... it was to share the fundamental joy that it brings to see a child appreciate what they were a part of. I am not a rarity in my school either. There are so many wonderful teachers in my school that go so far beyond the call of duty that perhaps students don't stop and think "Wow. My classroom really is a special place!" Not all of my teachers were so wonderful, but I will never forget those teachers that really played a role in my life. Thank you Mrs. Josell, my first grade teacher. Thank you Mrs. Rumore, my high school Spanish teacher. Thank you Professor Mandel, my college marketing teacher. This student wrote "I have another spot in my heart for you!". Wow... is there any accolade higher than that? Who knows... maybe one day this student will be blogging a similar article writing "Thank you Mr. Dugger, my fourth grade teacher."

I can only hope. Have a great summer everyone.