Lucky School Year Number 13

This last school year was my thirteenth year on the job. Was it unlucky? Not a bit. It was probably one of my favorite years I have had teaching. It's hard to rank each year because of the good and hard things that come with each one, but I can definitely say this year was one of my favorites.
So...why?
Well. It wasn't because they aced everything we gave them. It wasn't because they were perfectly behaved (though they were really, really great compared to other years). It wasn't because they were all the model students from model families (what is that anyway?). I think there were a couple of factors that influenced this year.
First of all, this class had reputation for being a little tougher academically than most. That always comes into play, we can work with that. Maybe my SAGE scores aren't going to be "top of the State" material. That's not why I'm in education be honest. I LIKE it when I perform well. At the end of lower years, I am definitely analyzing my instructional choices and trying to course correct. BUT, if we had a struggling instructional year for whatever reason(s) of combined factors, in the end that's okay IF we had other successes. I believe we did.
Second there were some tough home issues. I would daresay that these homes that had some of the toughest times with their families had probably some of the toughest and most awesome parents you could ask for! You could blame a billion statistical factors, but the fact is that I have come to love many of these parents almost as much as their kids. They have heart. Their kids have heart.
We could sit there and say, "Well. If such and such would just happen, or if so and so would just do this, then we could fix all these problems." That's not how life works. We are here to learn to love people and learn from situations that are not ideal. THAT IS REAL LIFE.
So. I took these kids at the first of the year, and I decided that I was going to love them. I was going to tell them how AWESOME and AMAZING they were.

6th Grade Graduation

Guess what? They were awesome and they were amazing. Most of them worked hard. Some didn't, that's life, but even with those students, I learned to love them for who they are and what they did contribute. Some students have a tough time with 'classic' education, but they excel and even entertain in many other ways. Many of students came out of their shells. Some of them dropped their jaws when I showed them statistical PROOF that they were better writers than classes before, or told when them that they were excellent students and I was so happy to teach them.
I was so happy to teach them. 
I miss them. I always miss my students. I might miss these kids a little more than usual. It might be because I chose to love them a little more than usual.
I have a picture of the Savior tucked away on the wall by my desk. It's not really for anybody else but me, but it is a reminder of why I am in the classroom, what I need to accomplish, and how I need to behave while I am there. I am not always perfect in my classroom. Just ask my students (or their parents sometimes!). But I have made the decision that I am going to love my students. Am I going to get frustrated? Am I going to get angry? Am I going to have situations that make me wonder what the heck I am doing in the classroom. Of course I am. Teaching isn't standing in front of my classroom giving a perfectly prepared lecture and activity to perfectly behaved students.
Teaching is messy but it is a wonderful mess. I have felt that my little classroom sometimes is a smaller version of the real world. Life is messy, but it can also be a wonderful mess.
So what's the gospel point (I always have one...)? I think it is to be able to find joy in the journey for sure. It is also to love each other. It's these verses:
1 John 4:7-11
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

I have been given beautiful opportunities to practice this principle in my job. I get to practice them with my family and community members also. All these experiences we get to have with other people, regardless of the setting or context, are opportunities to show and express love. God has given us entire life full of opportunities to reach out and love others. Every situation and person we meet can be an opportunity for us to learn to love. Doing so unconditionally is probably one of the hardest lessons to learn in this life. It is hard to love those who hurt us. It is hard to love those who don't seem to care for us. It is hard to love those who disagree with us religiously, politically, or otherwise. 

But I believe that in order to really experience life's greatest happiness we need to learn to love and care for and support those around us. 

Those around me happen to be pretty easy to love: My family, my coworkers, my ward, and my 6th graders. It's easy to love these people. My next challenge is to look across aisle at those who may disagree with me religiously, politically, or otherwise. I feel that there are people in my life that don't like that I try to live according to my beliefs. I don't always know how to respond to that. I do know that "charity never faileth" (Moroni 7:45) so as long as I try to keep charity in my heart, maybe things won't be so bad even if I don't know exactly the right answers to situations. Kill them with kindness. Right? 

So. I started off talking about my school year. I learn so much from my students and my interactions with people at Kanab Elementary. I work in a positive place. I am blessed to have such a beautiful way to spend my work life. There are challenges in education, but you can't beat the people you work with. I'm excited for the coming year, but as I stated before, I miss the students I had this year and the funny conversations. 

-Oh there were conversations! Life lessons we call them. It's probably better to just ask the kids about those.- 

A couple of experiences to finish this out. This is how I know last year was a good year. 

I went to Wendy's late last night with my son. He was hungry. One of my student's mothers works there. She's an awesome lady. She works hard. She BUSTS it for her family. She told me she'd had the day from "hell". Well - She had. One of her coworkers died. I didn't know this until I got home and had talked to Jenna. 

Herr Corry as a U.S. History Teacher

The short conversation went to her daughter. I asked how she was doing. She said her daughter was doing great. She said that I made an impact. That her daughter missed me. I told her I love her daughter. I MEANT it. I always mean that. She said she was close to tears thinking about it. You know I drove away feeling happy about my small contribution to their family. 

That is what this life is all about. To make a positive impact on someone. I know many people make those impacts daily whether they teach or work in any other profession. There are doctors, nurses, police men and women, and so many other people that see their jobs as an opportunity to truly serve. 

I was able to witness this first hand this weekend with Dad. He finally retired after 43 years in the classroom. I decided it would be fun to show him the Facebook comments people had made when they heard about his retirement. He laughed so hard at the stories old students were telling. His joy, at that moment, appeared to be full because he felt the love of those he had served, taught, and entertained for 43 years. 

We spend a lot of time worrying about things and decisions. That all fades when we think about people and the love we experience because of them in our lives. 

So for me, this school year was lucky number 13. I bet, if I want, next year can be lucky number 14, and the year after lucky number 15 and so on. I think we can all make that choice to have positive experiences in the middle of otherwise tough things. 

Have a great summer!