~if not for Grandfield~

The journey home ended Thursday evening just a few minutes shy of 8:00.  247 miles after it began as I pulled away from school for the final time, I found myself sitting in the driveway of our home in Newkirk.  By the time the car was unloaded of most of the things I still had left in my 2nd grade classroom, it was nearly 8:30.  Then I just came in and sat down, looking around at a place that I had really only felt like I'd been visiting for the past two months.

It felt good to be home.

There is much to be done here even though Mike and I have already been working hard every chance we could get since moving to Newkirk in mid-March.  The walls of the kitchen are saying "paint me next!" every time I walk by them.  I will need to go through my boxes of school things as I sort through them and decide what to take with me for next year.  There are flowers to plant, closets to organize, and precious time to be spent with Mike and of course our Gus.  I am pretty sure of a couple of things.

The time will go quickly.
I won't be bored!

You know, I couldn't help but to think of the second graders yesterday, children who now are 3rd graders and will be surely enjoying the summer days that lie ahead.  I wondered what they were doing and how things were going on their first days of summer vacation.  When I was doing some laundry, I felt something in the pocket of my jeans as I was putting clothes into the washer.  I reached in and pulled out a tiny brown rock.  A smile came to my face as I remembered how it had gotten in there in the first place.  While we were on the playground Thursday, a little blonde haired girl decided to give it to me to keep.

"Here Mrs. Renfro. So you will remember me!"

Oh sweet Brandy, I will surely remember you all!

One of the first things that I did yesterday was to empty out the classroom community rock jar.  It was that special symbol of cohesiveness that was a reminder to us that we all belonged together for that 2nd grade year.  On the first day of school, each child came up and chose a special rock from the basket and placed it into the jar as they told us their name and something they were very good at that didn't have anything to do with school.  I told the kids that I'd be placing those special stones into my flower beds at home and would always think of them, long after I was gone from Grandfield.  I decided to place them into the container of roses that one of my students had given me.  I thought they looked beautiful when I had finished.

Had it not been for Grandfield, I would never have met them and a whole lot of other fine people as well.  I sure packed a lot into the 2 years that I was blessed enough to teach there.  I wish I could have done more because there is always plenty to do, but I know in my heart that I did everything I could have.  

I suppose I am referred to as a veteran teacher now and as one, I'd like to impart some advice to young educators who are starting out in the field of education.  Every teacher needs to spend time in places like Grandfield, Oklahoma.  Small and rural communities offer the perfect place to reach children who desperately need good teachers to be there for them.  Become a part of the community you teach in.  Get out of your comfort zone and pay home visits to learn what life is like for the kids you teach.  Begin to know your families away from the confines of the normal 8-3 school day.  

Show them that you care by building strong relationships with all of them.
Students, parents, and grandparents alike.
Honestly, you won't regret if you do but you might regret it if you do not.

Once there was a school called Grandfield Elementary and I was blessed to be a part of it.