HAGS

Today was the last day for students...Which means I have finished my first year of teaching!

I survived the first day where I was probably more nervous than the kids. The only time I thought, "I feel SO young," was at parent teacher conferences. I created interactive lessons. I helped kids fall in love with writing. I read books with my students. We developed our bananagram skills. I started a Friendship Bracelet Club and we not only made up our own national day but made over 150 bracelets. I worked with other teachers to build the structure to help struggling kids. We wrote moon poems, survivor essays, personal narratives, blogs, 5 paragraph essays, newspaper articles, creative writings and tied it all together in a chapbook. We wrote lists and learned grammar. We went on a week long field trip to Camp Tecumseh. I struggled with some students and bonded with others. I was greeted every morning by Connor saying "Hello Miss Wright" in my doorway. Natalie was the last to run out the door and say good-bye every afternoon. I laughed with my students and tried to tell them everyday, "today is going to be SO great."
I am thankful that next year I get to do it all again. I know that next year will bring new adventures and challenges and I'm excited that I will be able to improve and keep getting better so that I can help these students even more.

I got to experience the way my school does the last day for the first time today. After the bell rings for the final time the kids grab the rest of the school year debris from their lockers. The crying 8th grade girls linger in the hallway and we shuffle them outside. Then all the teachers stand on the sidewalk and wave and all the students lean out the bus windows to wave and yell back. It was a great sendoff.

HAGS
(typical junior high yearbook shorthand- Have A Great Summer)