There's Nothing Fancy

I just got home from eating dinner at Baris for Molly's birthday.  It was so nice to see people that I don't see during the week and catch up with them.  The topic of subject over dinner was post-graduation plans.   The majority of the friends at the table have a handful of options, sometimes them ending with "eventually" (eventually I will go to grad school, eventually I will find a job I love, etc.).

But with me, it's different.  I'm bursting from the inside out when the question of post-graduation is posed on me because I love telling what my heart is saying and it tells me that I am called to be a teacher.  An educator.  A selfless career whose greatest award is when my past students come and visit my classroom to tell me what dreams they are following when they began listening to their hearts. 

I couldn't have picked a better fitting career for myself for so many reasons.  I love children.  Absolutely love them. I love their topics of interest, their innocent questions, their simplistic views on life,  their uncontrollable laughter when you least expect it and their genuine love.  Today, I had my 2nd formal evaluation from Ms. Cox.  She expressed in my write up how I have developed such a strong relationship with my students.  She told me how neat it was that I could tell her little details about each of my students even when I have 80 of them.  In turn, the relationship is recripricol.  I have a folder filled with letters from my students that I find tucked within my papers that they hide for me to find when I get home at the end of the day.  Bliss. Absolute Bliss.

One of my students has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.  It's a mild form of audism where you struggle with social interaction, lack empathy for others and might get aggregated easily in simple situations.  My student never smiles.  He always looks mad at the world and depressed which is horrible saying he is only nine.  Today, though, was different.  I was up in the front of the room searching for the transparency of vocabulary for the students to copy down and he came up behind me and put his arms on my back.  I stood up and asked him if he had a question for me.  He stated, "I was just trying to give you a hug, Miss Chambers." My eyes teared up and I opened up my arms for one of the greatest bear hugs that I have ever received.  Today made me realize that there is nothing fancy about teaching.  It's what I am called to do.