~reflections of an empty room~

Ok.
I'm not gonna lie.
I really miss my kids at school, so much so that I could sometimes cry and actually, I do.
I long to see those 5th graders of mine.
Each of them.  All of them.

 This was supposed to be my last year as a teacher.  My retirement letter was turned in a couple of weeks before the virus hit us hard here in the United States.  After 40 years, I thought it was a good time to say "maybe it's time to slow down",  you know?

 I began to think of how I would spend my last 9 weeks in the classroom.  I had a whole bunch of ideas of things I wanted to do, and I'll be honest, some of them probably didn't exactly match up with any of the state standards.  

 But you know what?
They should have.
I had no idea of what was about to happen when I said "good-bye" to them on March 12th, the date that was to be our final day in the physical school building.  I said "Have a great spring break!  See you back in a week!"

 It didn't happen.

 I found a picture just a while ago, one I took over Christmas break after I did some rearranging of things and general housecleaning chores.  It took my breath away for a moment when I first saw it, and led me back to a time that was only a couple of weeks ago, but it sure seems a lot longer than that.  
Some people might see an empty room, but not me. 
I see memories of 3/4 of a school year that played out in record breaking speed each and every day we were together in the classroom.  Look closely and you will see boys and girls who bonded together and ended up making one of the strongest of classroom communities that I ever had the privilege to teach.  We worked together here and learned new things daily.  If I told you that we always got along with one another, well then I'd be lying because we did not.  But at the end of the day, I'd say with assurety that any of my fifth graders would stand up for any of the others if need be.  One of the things we always said was that at the end of the year, on the very last day of school, we would cross the finish line together.  I always promised them that I would, no matter what happened.

The finish line looks different now, unlike any I have ever seen in 40 years of teaching, yet it's a finish line nonetheless.  Our last few weeks of school won't be the same, not even close.  Yet in as much as things have now changed throughout the world as we once knew it, there is a constant that will never vary as long as I shall live.  

I will always be their teacher.
In my heart, I will forever love them.
We will finish this school year.
Together.

We only made it one time to the letter "y" of Liberty but at least we did once!
It was wonderful to do our victory lap, awarded for good attendance by the class.
No matter what has happened, I could not be more proud of them for all that we DID accomplish.  It was my honor and privilege to be their teacher this year.


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